WDCL Div 1 match 1 23/09/2013 at West Bromwich

		Match Number:			102
		Date:			Mon 23/09/2013
		West Bromwich			Wolverhampton A
1	190	Walker Nick A			Townsend Michael P	187
2	174	Crump John E	1	Def	Sanghera Parminder
3	152	Davies Dave M	0.5	0.5	Wightman Dave R	164
4	138	Wesson Geoff			Bull Phil	157
5	132	Uddin Moin	0	1	Hunt Jonathan B	153
6	98	Bryant Carlos	1	0	Wood Frank (Cap)	151
	884		2.5	1.5		812

Wolverhampton went to West Bromwich for the first match of the new campaign, but got off to the worst possible start when their Board 2 player failed to turn up.  Nonetheless, they enjoyed a significant grading advantage on four of the five boards played and so hopes remained high that a result might still be obtained.  Frank Wood started well, winning a pawn, and Mike Townsend soon followed suit on Board 1, but the remaining games remained evenly poised for much of the evening.  Jonathan Hunt finally broke through on Board 5 to level the match but, shortly afterwards, Frank Wood succumbed to a knight fork of king and rook and the West Bromwich lead was restored.  Dave Wightman drew on Board 3, leaving the score at 2.5 – 1.5, so a draw and a win was required from the remaining two games in order to secure a match point.  Unfortunately, in a bishop and pawn ending on Board 4, white was able to push through a passed pawn and force a bishop for pawn exchange.  The resulting adjourned position will require some careful defence from either side.  Mike Townsend adjourned still a pawn ahead, but in a complicated position.  Good luck to West Bromwich for the rest of the season.

By Dave Wightman

BDCL Div 2 match at Boldmere.

BDCL Div2 Boldmere St. Michaels vs Wolverhampton

K. Thomas (166)      0 – 1 M. Townsend (187)

J. Fagan (165)           0 – 1 P. Sanghera (e185)

A. Hickey (161)        0 – 1 D. Wightman (165)

A. Lake (153)            1 – 0 P. Bull (154)

L. Tsoi (151)              1 – 0 J. Hunt (153)

L. Bennett (146)     0 – 1 F. Wood (151)

                                     2 – 4

Wolverhampton went to north Birmingham for the second match in the 2013 – 14 campaign, still looking for their first points following a narrow defeat by Olton in their first game. Dave Wightman won an early pawn in the centre as black, but all games remained evenly balanced well into the middle game.  Frank Wood developed a promising attack on Board 6, while Parminder Sanghera secured a protected passed pawn on the queen side.  Frank Wood was able to convert his advantage whereas, on Board 5, Jonathan Hunt succumbed to a sharp combination. Parminder Sanghera went a pawn up, breaking through on the queenside, while Dave Wightman gained a knight but only as a result of a sacrifice which completely exposed the black king.

Mike Townsend edged a pawn ahead in a complex position on Board 1. Dave Wightman managed to weather the onslaught and, once his king was had escaped to the relative safety of the queenside, Board 3 was won.  Phil Bull succumbed to a neat mating combination on Board 4, brought about by a rook pair on the seventh rank, to leave the match poised at 2 - 2.  Mike Townsend was eventually able to force the extra pawn through to win, but Parminder Sanghera had lost his passed pawn and was facing a seemingly drawn position.  However, he battled on and was eventually able to snatch another pawn, which proved decisive as his opponent’s time drained away.  4 – 2 on the night and Wolverhampton’s campaign is under way.  Thanks are due to Boldmere for some interesting matches, and good luck to them for the rest of the season.

By Dave Wightman