Malpas

Seconds best

Malpas and Oswestry second team went top of division three of the Chester and District Chess League with a 4-0 home win over Chester’s seventh string.

The clash at The Old School Tea Rooms, by kind permission of Gemma Moon, saw Dominic Bareford first to finish on Board Four. He won very quickly with white. Dominic played the white side of a Queen’s Gambit ceclined and very quickly obtained the advantage of two bishops in an open position, and caught his opponent’s king in the centre.

Next to finish was Board Three where Dimitar Kirachen, playing black defended with the Double Fianchetto Defence. After a complex middle game he emerged a bishop up in the ending, which he converted to a win.

The most interesting game perhaps was on Board One, where Steve Rush played the black side of an Open Sicilian, and played the thematic rook sacrifice for knight on c3. For many moves it was not clear that he had enough compensation for the sacrificed material, but he managed to whip up a winning attack.

That just left Board Three where Graham played his trademark 3. Bd3 against a French Defence. His opponent replied with c5 and soon found himself with an isolated d pawn. Graham gradually exchanged pieces and eventually won this d pawn and managed to convert it to a win with accurate play.

Out of the nine matches schedule so far for this season Malpas and Oswestry have won seven – one by default – and drawn two. They will play against only the top teams in the division in the second half of the season.

Full result:

Malpas and Oswestry 2 v Chester 7: 1, Steve Rush (143) 1, John Harvey (142) 0; 2, Graham Ives (134) 1, Manuel De Sousa (120) 0; 3, Dimitar Kirachen (106) 1, Mario Scarpa (104) 0; 4, Dominic Bareford (90e) 1, Roberto Pino (84) 0.

Final score 4-0.