The Naomh Barróg A team faced the B team in an internal battle as the BEA Cup North began for a new season. The A team was significantly reorganised with only one player from last year’s team playing on Thursday and two players who are new to the club joining the team. Hopefully this fresh blood will give the team the boost we need to get promotion.
On board 1, Kilian faced Austin in a game that opened with a London system. Kilian sacrificed the exchange in a gambit that didn’t quite work, but he was eventually able to fork Austin’s Rook and Queen in a position where he was two pawns up, winning the game.
On board 2, Ger initially took the lead over Robert and won a pawn early on. It was a complex position that left Robert under a dangerous pin and little space to maneuver. Ger set up a strong double attack but Robert was able to use an intermezzo move win Ger’s Knight and then force a checkmate.
On board 3, Des and Martin faced off with a Caro-Kahn. Des started strong by winning a pawn and then a Rook for a Bishop. However, Martin counter-attacked and succeeded in surrounding Des’s King. He trapped Des’s Rook and went on a king hunt picking up several pawns before forcing a surrender.
On board 4, John and Garry played the Queen’s pawn Mason variation. Garry missed a discovered attack that would given him a significant advantage and then John succeeded in tying up most of his pieces in the middlegame. With Queens off the board, material even and time running low, there seemed no way to break through, so a draw was agreed. Afterwards, they said they had played each other so many times that they knew each other too well.
Board 5 was the newcomers corner as both Olivier and Daniel made their league chess debuts. It was an even game until Daniel was checked and walked his King into a Bishop fork, costing him his Knight. He tried to play on until Olivier had a pawn on the verge of promotion whereupon he resigned.
