Chess Fest - London
Local Players Rafal Rogowski and Neil Pennock separately attended the Chess Fest event in Trafalgar Square London on Sunday 17 July. Rafal played the following game in a simultaneous display given by International Master Thomas Rendle gaining a memorable draw.
Rendle,Thomas - Rogowski,Rafal [C01]
Chess Fest Simul London, 16.07.2023
[pennockneil]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Bd6 6.0–0 c4 7.Be2 Nf6 8.Re1 0–0 9.Nc3 h6 10.Ne5 Re8 11.Bf4 Nc6 12.Bf3 Be6 13.Qd2 Qc7 14.Nb5 Qb8 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.Nxf7 Qd7 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Rf8 19.Re2 Bg4 20.Bxg4 Nxg4 21.Bg3 Nf6 22.f3 Rfe8 23.Rae1 Rxe2 24.Qxe2 Re8 25.Qd2 Rxe1+ 26.Qxe1 Qe8 27.Qxe8+ Nxe8 28.Be5 Kf7 29.Kf2 b5 30.Ke3 Ke6 31.h4 a6 32.Kf4 g6 33.g4 Kf7 34.h5 gxh5 35.gxh5 Ke6 36.c3 Nf6 37.Bxf6 Kxf6 38.Kg4 Ke6 39.f4 Kf6 40.f5 Ke7 41.Kf3 Kf7 42.Kf4 Kf6 43.a3 a5 44.a4 bxa4 45.Kg4 Kf7 46.Kg3 Ke7
½–½
ECF 24 Hour Blitz Tournament
The English Chess Federation held a 24 hour blitz tournament in support of British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal on the 20/21 May 2023. Club member Neil Pennock decided to enter with a plan of giving the London system a go with the white pieces and play the Spink Gambit against 1 e4. Geoff Spink was a member of the club for many years and he favoured this gambit, particularly in blitz games. The gambit goes 1 e4 d6 2 d4 e5?! 3 de Nc6!? 4 ed Bd6 and Black gives up a pawn for a lead in development. He managed to score 50% with this opening. Black does not get enough compensation for the pawn but it can be played in blitz chess.
He did get to play against three grandmasters but was unable to cause any upsets. This included playing Keith Arkell, the eventual winner of the tournament.
British Rapid Play Chess Championship
Local Chess Player Rafał Rogowski travelled to Bingley to play in the British Rapid Play Chess Championship. This event involves playing eleven games over the two days of the weekend. In the list of 118 players participating Rafał found himself 113 on the list and so would be out graded in most of the games. He went on to score a very creditable five points. This included a game in which he was very close to scoring a draw against a Women's Grandmaster. For his efforts he was awarded first prize in the under 1645 grade category and £200. Rafał attributes the win to the regular competition he gets by attending the club.
York League Cup Competition
The Scarborough Chess Club Team travelled to York with some trepidation to face the strong Acomb Dragons Team in the final of the knock out competition. The team had lost both matches in the league and expected to be out graded by some margin on most boards. The total rating difference was 9615 points against 8863 points. In a tense and fluctuating match befitting the final the score was three points each. The draw was then decided in Scarborough by grading/board count.
The Scarborough Team have therefore finished the season winning the cup. Congratulations to all players who participated in the matches for the club.
Congress Success
Local chess player Colin Weller triumphed at the recent Hull Chess Congress scoring an undefeated four out of five points in the under 1700 grade section and picking up a prize £185.00 and joint second place.
One of his best games from the event may be demonstrated at one of the Clubs training evenings in the near future.
He followed this up with a further undefeated four out of five points at the Scarborough Chess Congress which picked up a more modest prize of £20.
Doug Rawlinson Trophy - 2022
The new 2022/2023 season for the Chess Club started with the now traditional Doug Rawlinson Rapid Play event. This was the twenty-first holding of the event which was first held in 1989. Doug Rawlinson was a member of the chess club for many years who particularly liked rapid and lightening chess.
The event was won by Neil Pennock but the most entertaining chess was probably provided as usual by Simon Dixon. In one game as white he looked to escape a series of checks by a bishop in the middle game by moving his king from c2 to d3 to e4 to f5 and considered continuing to g6 and h7! This might have won with King to h8! but would have lost if it had come back to g6. The draw was agreed as the king came back e4 to d3 to c2 and back again but only as far as f5. His final game of the evening resulted in an ending with his two rooks against a rook and knight looking to support some dangerous past pawns. Most players had an opinion on how best to win the game which led to a lively exchange at the end of the evening.