Chess team in girlfriend shock
Last Thursday IC 2nd Chess Team, in Division 3 of the Middlesex League, were away at Muswell Hill.
Having crushed their opponents 6.5-l.5 at the home match in December, they expected an easy win. On board one, Jeremy Davies whipped up a promising attack with black against a much stronger player but then blew it by blundering away a knight. Gigi Desogus thwarted an attack on his castled king; while launching his own offensive on the other wing, he overlooked a fork from his opponent’s knight, losing a rook and the game. Andy Slough and Patrick Duncan had easy wins despite rustiness due to several months absence from the team.
Captain Barry Gale, desperately short of time and seeing no hope in a tense situation, did the only sensible thing - wildly counter-attacked! His confused opponent is contemplating resignation. At the cost of a pawn Rob Kruszynski brought his pieces swiftly into action with daring attacks on his opponent’s marauding queen. After three hours of complex manouvering they were still playing.
Paitrick’s girlfriend Sonja courageously stepped in as a reserve (our first ever female player) with only one hour of lessons! She put up a brave fight but was quickly defeated by an experienced opponent. Lloyd Kilford offered an early draw (his usual tactic against much stronger opposit ion) which was refused. He lasted a creditable 50+ moves.
The score is 4 - 2 to Muswell Hill with two games unfinished.
