On Tuesday the 26th of November, Naomh Barróg A team hosted Malahide in the 5th round of the BEA Cup North.
On board 1, Eric faced the English Opening, leading to a closed position with pawn structures blocking the Bishops on both sides. As his opponent attempted to break Eric’s pawn chain, he inadvertently activated more of Eric’s pieces. A series of exchanges followed, and Eric seized the initiative.
In the critical position of the game, White’s queen infiltrated Eric’s 7th rank, but Black was threatening to win a piece. White had a winning tactical opportunity by sacrificing a knight for a pawn, but fortunately, Eric’s opponent missed this idea. Instead, White captured the same pawn with a bishop, which allowed Eric to secure a decisive advantage and achieve a quick victory a few moves later.
On board 2, Paddy played what he considers a poor game. He went for a Knight sacrifice to prevent his opponent’s King from castling but he delayed breaking open the centre to his advantage. His opponent succeeded in forcing an exchange of Queens while Paddy was still down a piece, losing the game.
On board 3, Robert played the Sicilian Dragon and traded off his Bishops so he could focus on having a Knight in a dominant outpost position. He increased the pressure until he won his opponent’s Knight. However, before he could convert his advantage, his opponent threatened perpetual checks with his Queen. Robert was so focused on avoiding the checks that he blundered checkmate.
On board 4, Ola played an old Indian London system opening. He applied pressure early by pinning down the opposing Queen and entered the middlegame with the opponent’s pieces underdeveloped. His opponent tried to counter on the Queenside, but while doing so, he blundered a piece. Ola found a simple tactic after which the advantage was too big for his opponent to continue the game.
On board 5, Oliver started with a Queen’s Gambit Declined. He quickly went for a break in the centre with C5 and after a series of trades, he found a winning tactic. His opponent panicked under the pressure and blundered his Knight. Oliver went on to win because his pawn couldn’t be stopped from promoting.
This win means the A team continues its unbeaten streak and enters the Christmas break in 1st place. Two of its players are currently the highest scorers in the league, Eric on 4.5/5 and Robert on 4/5, with Oliver close behind on 3/3.
