A reminder to let Simon know if you are missing any games due to the School Holidays. Thank you to those who filled out forms. Also a reminder that there is still time to enter the NZ Junior and North Island Champs that will be being playing at the centre during the JuneJuly School Holidays. Entry forms for all these on the NZ chess Website.
Club Champs Round 3 pgn – Grades A & B by Ewan Green, C Grade by Tim Ha.
A Grade
Hague vs Duneas – Opening was a book line of the Steinitz French that generally favours White. Then say an opportunity to play f5 and open up Blacks position when all Black’s pieces were on the Queen side. A few moves later white scooped up 3 pawns and had a winning attack. 1-0
Zhang vs Gong – postponed
Morrell vs Fan – A quick draw
Goodhue vs Watson – White played Bird’s opening with double fianchetto. Black swap some pieces and built a wedge of pawns that game him more mobility for his minor pieces. Black sac’d and exchange to invade white’s position and white was unable to defend. 0-1
Steadman vs Ang – A couple of bad moves and White’s position just fell apart. HE resigned on move 22 in a lost position. 0-1
Ben Hague is in 1st place after 3 rounds as the only player on 3 out of 3. However Leo Zhang has one game still to play.
B Grade
Ward vs Ha – White played the opening better and black was in a cramped position and under attack. He spent another 50 moves trying to hold on to no avail. 1-0
Brimble v N Qin – A slightly unusual French line which left both players with long pawn chains. Black made a small mistake in a piece exchange and left white slightly better. White then opened up the A-file to allow his rook to invade and help the Queen mate. 1-0
Nagorski vs Peak – Both players survived a sharp Kings-Gambit line and some sharp tactics after that. They agreed on a draw however in a even endgame position. Draw
Wu vs Sarah Yan – Another French (about the 4th in the A/B grade tonight) with White playing unusually (Kf2 -> Kg1 stepping around the f1 bishop) but ending up a little better and playing f5 to open Black’s position. Black played a desperate Knight attack to try and got lucky when white blundered into a fork and lost two pieces. 0-1
Eade vs Lyall – Black got a slightly better position out of the opening but allow white to advance his centre pawns to win a piece. White was able to win easily after that. 1-0
After 3 rounds the grade is very open with 5 players in 1st-equal on 2 points.
C Grade
Aaron Wang v Tony Wang – Aaron won his second default game in a row when Tony didn’t turn up. He won a friendly game however.
Seabrook v Euan McDougall – White swapped all Bishops to leave Black’s pawns a little messy but black managed to get a Knight onto a outpost of f3. However a few moves later after some swaps white ended up with a much better position and things looked over with white 3 pawns ahead. Although white gave a few pawns back he maintained his led. 1-0
Burrows vs Oscar Qin – White got into trouble early. I believe he resigned when he touched the wrong piece. 0-1
Milne vs Louie Wei – White blunder and lost her Queen on move 13. 1-0
Upsets:
- Jeffery Yu beat Zyre Milina
- Winston Weng beat Paul Yu
- Oscar Qin beat Grant Burrows
- Shawn Hui beat Eric Liang
C Grade now has 5 players leading on 3 points plus another on 2.5.