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KO Finals 2011

Details: Created on Thursday, 22 September 2011 01:01; Written by Chesster

Writtle-Barking: another thriller!

They've done it again! Barking and Writtle have served up another extraordinary Knockout match, this time in the Final.

Writtle shaded the first round by a point and extended their lead to two points in the second round. With two games to go, Writtle were still two up, but Barking were not yet done. They pulled back both points in the last two games, Pete Jaszkiwskyj beating Chris Hampton and John White completing the double over Robin Slade.

So it finished 6-6. Board count could not separate the teams (14-14), nor elimination of bottom board. Only elimination of Board 5 produced a result, in Barking's favour. Barking retain the Sims Trophy for another year and received the winners prize of a digital chess clock.

The Plate competition was more clear-cut, yet the difference between the teams was David Haydon, the other players being separated only by one point over the evening. Ilford regretted accepting the date once it became clear how Rosh Hashanah would affect their team selection. Relaxation of eligibility rule and a reduction to four boards enabled Ilford to complete a team. That they fulfilled the fixture on the chosen date is to their credit and we thank them for that. Thurrock also were not at full strength, so it is only the 'Haydon factor' which in the end held sway, Thurrock winning the Plate by 5½-2½. Full details below.

We thank Brentwood CC for hosting the Finals, in particular, Gavin Strachan for making the arrangements. We also thank Brentwood CC Chairman, Bob Hammond, for being on hand to present the trophy. Thanks also to Mark Murrell who brought additional clocks (one needed, plus two for 'in case') and generally assisted the Controller.

Full details are given in the tabbed pages below, allowing with nearish-contemporaneous commentary. Pictures further down the page (more to be added shortly).

KO
Plate
Commentary

Writtle	R1	R2	Barking
Russell White (W, B)	½-½	½-½	David Sands (B, W)
John Moore	½-½	½-½	Jeff Goldberg
Ivan Myall	½-½	1-0	Bill Stirling
Robin Slade	0-1	0-1	John White
David Millward	1-0	½-½	Colin Ramage
Chris Hampton	1-0	0-1	Pete Jaszkiwskyj
Round Totals	3½-2½	2½-3½	Round Totals

Writtle

6-6*

Barking win on tie break

Board count equal. Elimination of bottom board, still equal. Elimination of board 5 gives Barking the Sims Cup by 4½-3½.

Thurrock	R1	R2	Ilford
David Haydon (W, B)	1-0	1-0	Tom Barton (B, W)
Richard Weeber	½-½	½-½	Adrian Joseph
Mike Bradford	½-½	1-0	Ron Franklin
Jim Arbuckle	1-0	0-1	Jef Page
Round Totals	3-1	2½-1½	Round Totals

Thurrock

5½-2½

Ilford

The Finals got under way at 8:03 pm, with both designated home teams (Writtle and Thurrock respectively, having drawn the white pawn for colours on odd numbered boards in round 1 (reverse in round 2).

Blow-by-blow account, with most recent entries at the top:

Knockout

Plate

Midnight (Now home and watered.) After John Moore and Jeff Goldberg had concluded their second draw, Barking mounted their last-ditch effort, now needing to win both of the unfinished games. After Pete Jaszkiwskyj forced home his h-pawn to queen, securing Chris Hampton's resignation, the calculators were out as a John White victory would tie the scores.

First, of course, John had to win. The game went to a Rook and minor piece ending (Robin: R, N and 5P, John: R, B and 7P). John had the advantage on the clock and soon started collecting more White pawns; the impossible was happening (as it always does with these two teams). Soon Robin was looking for stalemate, but John held firm and advanced his passed pawns until he delivered mate on the back rank.

So it was, indeed, 6-6. The Controller's spreadsheet indicated that board count was level at 14-14. The second tie-break, bottom board elimination, also left the teams level, Board 6 having been shared 1-1. Only on elimination of Board 5 did a result appear, in Barking's favour, 4½-3½.

Barking retain the Sims Cup.

21:52 Writtle open up a two point gap with Ivan Myall's victory over Bill Stirling. 5½-3½.

21:45 Ramage-Millward, after an exciting adventure, ends peacefully, so Writtle retain a one point lead.

21:40 The last pairing to finish in the first round was the first to finish in the second: Board 1 - ½-½.

21:20 In a flurry of results at the end of the session, Chris Hampton edged Writtle ahead and the top board game, which went down to a white-squared bishop ending, ended in a draw. So after R1 Writtle have a narrow 3½-2½ lead. As Ivor observed, between these two teams, that means nothing.

20:35 Two results follow the first in quick succession: Moore-Goldberg ends in peace, then John White answers Dave Millward's win, by beating Robin Slade.

20:30 and first blood to writtle as Dave Millward mates Colin Ramage.

Midnight (Now home and watered.) Richard Weeber and Adrian Joseph drew again and Mike Bradford won to secure the match. Thereafter, Ron Franklin had to tip over his king, before Jef Page reversed the round 1 result on Board 4, leaving Thurrock winners of the Plate by 5½-2½.

21:45 David Haydon chalked up his second win to extend Thurrock's lead. Ilford now have to win all three remaining games just to tie the scores.

21:20 Bradford-Franklin ended in a draw, as did Joseph-Weeber, but Thurrock won the last game to finish, to take a 3-1 lead into the second round.

20:35 Thurrock strike first blow, with David Haydon accounting for Tom Barton.

All pictures: Ian Hunnable

Ilford on the left, Board 1 foreground.
Top three boards, Ilford on the left, Board 1 background.
Foreground, Plate Final background left.
Boards 5 and 6. Foreground: Millward-Ramage.
Boards 2-5.
John Moore.
Board 1, Russell White (White) v David Sands.
Board 6, Pete Jaszkiwskyj (left) v Chris Hampton.
Board 2, Richard Weeber (right) v Adrian Joseph.
R2, the critical Board 4 game, Robin Slade (left) v John White. (Here we can state that White is Black.)
The low-down on Slade-J White.
Chris Hampton v Pete Jaszkiwskyj. Out of sight: Black pawn on h2, Black Rook on g1. Moments later, 0-1.
David Haydon receives congratulations of Bob Hammond for Thurrock winning the Plate.
John White (Barking) receives the Sims Cup from Bob Hammond.