Club Championship Weeks 5-6

Russell is accustomed to getting picket fences in the Club Championship, but he's out of luck this year. Bill Forster has been playing against Russell for over 30 years, at standard, rapid and blitz time controls, and on Thursday he managed not to lose to him for the first time!

He writes:

"Russell slowly outplayed me in this game (no surprises there). I spent a lot of time early, although it turns out my worries at that stage were largely phantoms. I did come up with a plan to hold White up, and if I had followed up my ...f6 with ...e5 as intended I would have got a reasonable position. Instead I relaxed thinking I could play ...e5 whenever I wanted, and Russell was able to get a complete grip with exactly the kind of crushing space advantage he loves. Also I was out of time. I was reduced to 3 ranks and waiting. I tried to tell myself it was like a delayed hippo with dynamic potential, but I didn't really believe my own propaganda. Surprisingly Russell spent all his time advantage enjoying his space advantage with a lot of manoeuvring back and forth but no decisive breakthrough (yet). I was slightly encouraged to achieve time parity (both players increment only), whilst still clinging on to dear life. Interestingly through this entire phase Stockfish tells me that I could have played ...e5 at various times as a freeing move, so there was some dynamic potential. I was tempted but could never see the tactical justification.

Anyway, with no time anyone can make a mistake and surprisingly it was Russell rather than me. I defended a loose pawn indirectly, Russell thought I was defending it with an (ineffective) counter-threat. The phony counter-threat was just a lucky coincidence. He took the pawn and basically (sadly) this means I won through a one move blunder."

Philip Rossiter also lost for the first time on Thursday, against Phillip Coghini, but such is his dominance, he still leads the B grade by a whole point.

Grade C has so many unplayed games, it is impossible to talk about a leader.

Grade D has seen many interesting games. I particularly like the style of young newcomer Josh Langford, who seems to do rather well out of gambit lines, but doesn't always convert his winning positions.

Hamish Leask now shares the lead with Karthik Konakanchi.

Week 5

Sellen          0-1     Ker

Timergazi     0-1    Croad

Nyberg         0-1    Jackson

Nijman          0-1    Dive

Chen            0-1    Stoeveken

Barraza     1/2-1/2 Brockway

Farrington     0-1    Mullan

Benitez          0-1    Rossiter

Coghini          1-0    Aldridge

Stracy           1-0     Forlong-Ford

Sole               1-0    Rabina  

Thorpe           0-1    Day

Dixon             0-1    Wight

Leask             1-0   Tagos

Kibblewhite    1-0   Theodosiou

Hall                 1-0   De Briey

Zhao               0-1   Bennett

Asher              0-1   Darr

Langford          0-1  Konakanchi K

Proctor            0-1   Konakanchi P

Carroll             0-1   Stannard

Week 6

Nyberg           0-1    Sellen

Jackson          0-1   Croad

Dive                0-1    Forster

Perry               0-1    Timergazi

Ker                  1-0    Nijman

Farrington        0-1    Benitez

Aldridge         1/2-1/2 Chen

Mullan           1/2-1/2 Brockway

Rossiter            0-1    Coghini

Dixon                1-0    Rabina

Day                   1-0    Sole

Leask             1/2-1/2 Kibblewhite

Darr                  0-1    Konakanchi K

Tagos              1/2-1/2 Hall

Bennett             1-0    Konakanchi P

Jacobsen           1-0   Langford

Theodosiou        0-1   Stannard

De Briey             1-0   Proctor

Zhao                  1-0    Carroll

A grade

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Dive, Russell
2434
4
*
1
1




0
1
1


2
Ker, Anthony
2489
4
0
*
1


1


1
1


3
Nijman, Brian
2146
3
0
0
*

1

1
1




4
Croad, Nic
2393
3



*
1
1


1



5
Timergazi, Layla
2158
3


0
0
*
½
1
1
½



6
Jackson, Ross
2020
2

0

0
½
*

½

1


7
Perry, Roger
2124
2


0

0

*

1
1


8
Forster, Bill
2093
1.5
1

0

0
½

*




9
Sellen, Ian
2056
1.5
0
0

0
½

0

*
1


10
Nyberg, Michael
2101
0
0
0



0
0

0
*

B grade

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Rossiter, Philip
1978
5
*
½
1
0
½


1
1
1


2
Mullan, Brett
1800
4
½
*


1
½
0
1

1


3
Benitez, Edgar
1809
4
0

*

1
0

1
1
1


4
Coghini, Phillip
1888
3
1


*
1


0
1



5
Aldridge, Alan
1936
3
½
0
0
0
*

½
1

1


6
Brockway, Andrew
1899
2.5

½
1


*

½

½


7
Chen, Wei Kai
1813
2

1


½

*
½
0



8
Barraza, Jesse
1890
2
0
0
0
1
0
½
½
*




9
Stoeveken, Peter
1849
1.5
0

0
0


1

*
½


10
Farrington, Lawrence
1838
1
0
0
0

0
½


½
*

C grade

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Wight, Joshua
1609
3
*

1


0

1

1


2
Sole, Michael
1727
3

*
0
0
0
1


1
1


3
Day, Fabian
1784
2
0
1
*

1

0





4
Forlong-Ford, Colwyn
1738
2

1

*
1


0

0


5
Thorpe, Richard
1632
2

1
0
0
*



0
1


6
Wevers, Alexis
1654
2
1
0



*



1


7
Winter, Ryan
1711
2


1



*
1




8
Dixon, Hamish
1697
2
0


1


0
*
1



9
Rabina, Romeo
1767
1

0


1


0
*



10
Stracy, Don
1737
1
0
0

1
0
0



*

D grade

No Name                     Loc  Total  1    2    3    4    5    6  

1  Leask, Hamish            1570 4.5    0:½  8:½  5:1  2:1  3:1  6:½
2  Konakanchi, Karthik      1504 4.5   18:1  0:½  4:1  1:0  7:1  8:1
3  Tagos, Bernardo          1483 4      5:1  0:½ 11:1  7:1  1:0  4:½
4  Hall, Nathan             1278 4      0:½ 20:1  2:0 10:1  9:1  3:½
5  Jacobsen-Grocott, Josiah 1238 4      3:0 14:1  1:0 12:1 11:+  7:1
6  Kibblewhite, Daniel      1400 4     16:1  9:1  7:0  0:½ 13:1  1:½
7  Langford, Joshua         800  3      0:1 13:1  6:1  3:0  2:0  5:0
8  Darr, Samuel             1444 3     19:½  1:½  0:½  0:½ 14:1  2:0
9  De Briey, Aurian         1549 3     15:1  6:0  0:½  0:½  4:0 20:1
10 Bennett, Sarah           1427 3      0:½ 11:0  0:½  4:0 18:1 12:1
11 Benitez, Ric             1566 2.5    0:½ 10:1  3:0 13:½  5:-  0:½
12 Konakanchi, Pramodh      1106 2.5   17:0  0:½ 15:1  5:0 20:1 10:0
13 Theodosiou, Andreas      1493 2.5   14:1  7:0 16:1 11:½  6:0 15:0
14 Asher, Bruce             1258 2.5   13:0  5:0 20:1 18:1  8:0  0:½
15 Stannard, Bobby          1369 2.5    9:0  0:½ 12:0 20:0 21:1 13:1
16 Nagrecha, Prashant       899  2      6:0  0:1 13:0  0:½  0:½  0:0
17 He, Caleb                1413 2     12:1  0:½  0:½  0:0  0:0  0:0
18 Zhao, Aiden              1279 2      2:0  0:½  0:½ 14:0 10:0 21:1
19 He, Paul                 1142 1.5    8:½  0:½  0:½  0:0  0:0  0:0
20 Proctor, Matthew         1478 1.5    0:½  4:0 14:0 15:1 12:0  9:0
21 Carroll, Lewis                1      0:½  0:½  0:   0:  15:0 18:0

Club Championship 2017 Weeks 3-4

Sorry for the delay in publishing round 3. I'll give you the results for the last two weeks, and the tables, but some of the games played I think are from later rounds, because of the usual problem of getting people to turn up for their games.
Jesse and Alan played their fixture for round 7 at Alan's Art shop on Tuesday - Jesse is trying to play as many of his games as possible while he can, because he is, sadly, relocating to Christchurch.

Going well in the A group are Russell Dive and Brian Nijman, who have both won all the three games they have played.
Equal first in the B grade are Philip Rossiter and Edgar Benitez, Edgar having scored a useful win against Alan Aldridge on Thursday.
There are so many missing results in the C grade that it's not worth giving a leader (lots of people on two points).
And in the D grade we have Bernardo Tagos on top, after he beat the new young talent Josh Langford in round 4. Bernardo can maybe count himself a bit lucky in this game, as he was a piece down at one point.

5-Oct
Nijman     1-0       Forster
Sellen    1/2-1/2   Timergazi

Rossiter  1/2-1/2   Mullan
Benitez E   1-0     Stöveken
Chen       1/2-1/2  Barraza
Farrington  0-1     Aldridge

Rabina      1-0     Thorpe
Day           0-1     Wight
Sole           0-1     Forlong-Ford
Wevers      1-0     Stracy

Kibblewhite  0-1    Langford
Tagos            1-0    Benitez R
Hall               0-1    Konakanchi K
Leask            1-0    Jacobsen-Grocott
Theodosiou   1-0    Nagrecha
Proctor          0-1    Asher
Stannard        0-1    Konakanchi P

10-Oct
Barraza         0-1     Aldridge

12-Oct
Dive              1-0    Sellen
Jackson      1/2-1/2 Timergazi
Perry             0-1     Perry
Ker                1-0     Nyberg

Mullan           1-0    Barraza
Rossiter          1-0    Farrington
Aldridge         0-1    Benitez E
Stöveken        0-1    Coghini

Thorpe          1-0     Sole
Wight            1-0     Stracy

Langford          0-1   Tagos
Konakanchi K 0-1    Leask
Benitez R     1/2-1/2 Theodosiou
Stannard          0-1    Proctor
Asher               1-0    Zhao
Bennett             0-1   Hall
Konakanchi P   0-1   Jacobsen-Grocott

A grade

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Nijman, Brian
2146
3
*
 
1
 
1
 
 
 
1
 


2
Dive, Russell
2434
3
 
*
 
1
 
 
 
1
 
1


3
Timergazi, Layla
2158
2
0
 
*
 
 
½
 
½
1
 


4
Ker, Anthony
2489
2
 
0
 
*
 
1
 
 
 
1


5
Perry, Roger
2124
2
0
 
 
 
*
 
 
1
 
1


6
Jackson, Ross
2020
1
 
 
½
0
 
*
 
 
½
 


7
Croad, Nic
2393
1
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
1
 
 


8
Sellen, Ian
2056
.5
 
0
½
 
0
 
0
*
 
 


9
Forster, Bill
2093
.5
0
 
0
 
 
½
 
 
*
 


10
Nyberg, Michael
2101
0
 
0
 
0
0
 
 
 
 
*

B grade

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Benitez, Edgar
1809
3
*
 
 
1
0
 
1
 
 
1


2
Rossiter, Philip
1978
3
 
*
½
½
 
 
 
1
 
1


3
Mullan, Brett
1800
2.5
 
½
*
1
 
0
1
 
 
 


4
Aldridge, Alan
1936
2.5
0
½
0
*
 
 
1
1
 
 


5
Brockway, Andrew
1899
1.5
1
 
 
 
*
 
 
½
 
 


6
Chen, Wei Kai
1813
1.5
 
 
1
 
 
*
½
 
 
 


7
Barraza, Jesse
1890
1.5
0
 
0
0
 
½
*
 
1
 


8
Farrington, Lawrence
1838
1
 
0
 
0
½
 
 
*
 
½


9
Coghini, Phillip
1888
1
 
 
 
 
 
 
0
 
*
1


10
Stoeveken, Peter
1849
.5
0
0
 
 
 
 
 
½
0
*

C grade

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Forlong-Ford, Colwyn
1738
2
*
1
1
 
 
 
 
0
 
 


2
Thorpe, Richard
1632
2
0
*
1
 
 
 
0
 
 
1


3
Sole, Michael
1727
2
0
0
*
1
 
 
 
 
 
1


4
Wevers, Alexis
1654
2
 
 
0
*
 
1
 
 
 
1


5
Winter, Ryan
1711
2
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
1
1
 


6
Wight, Joshua
1609
2
 
 
 
0
 
*
 
 
1
1


7
Rabina, Romeo
1767
1
 
1
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 


8
Dixon, Hamish
1697
1
1
 
 
 
0
 
 
*
 
 


9
Day, Fabian
1784
0
 
 
 
 
0
0
 
 
*
 


10
Stracy, Don
1737
0
 
0
0
0
 
0
 
 
 
*

D Grade

No Name                     Loc  Total  1    2    3    4  

1  Tagos, Bernardo          1483 3.5    8:1  0:½  9:1  2:1
2  Langford, Joshua         800  3      0:1  6:1  5:1  1:0
3  Leask, Hamish            1570 3      0:½ 10:½  8:1  4:1
4  Konakanchi, Karthik      1504 2.5   19:1  0:½  7:1  3:0
5  Kibblewhite, Daniel      1400 2.5   14:1 12:1  2:0  0:½
6  Theodosiou, Andreas      1493 2.5   13:1  2:0 14:1  9:½
7  Hall, Nathan             1278 2.5    0:½ 17:1  4:0 18:1
8  Jacobsen-Grocott, Josiah 1238 2      1:0 13:1  3:0 16:1
9  Benitez, Ric             1566 2      0:½ 18:1  1:0  6:½
10 Darr, Samuel             1444 2     15:½  3:½  0:½  0:½
11 He, Caleb                1413 2     16:1  0:½  0:½  0:0
12 De Briey, Aurian         1549 2     20:1  5:0  0:½  0:½
13 Asher, Bruce             1258 2      6:0  8:0 17:1 19:1
14 Nagrecha, Prashant       899  1.5    5:0  0:1  6:0  0:½
15 He, Paul                 1142 1.5   10:½  0:½  0:½  0:0
16 Konakanchi, Pramodh      1106 1.5   11:0  0:½ 20:1  8:0
17 Proctor, Matthew         1478 1.5    0:½  7:0 13:0 20:1
18 Bennett, Sarah           1427 1      0:½  9:0  0:½  7:0
19 Zhao, Aiden              1279 1      4:0  0:½  0:½ 13:0
20 Stannard, Bobby          1369 .5    12:0  0:½ 16:0 17:0

Club Championship R2 - Dive Beats Ker Again

In the latest NZCF ratings list Anthony Ker is still ahead of Russell Dive, but that may change soon. Russell scored his second win in a row against his old friend and rival, both times with the black pieces. The Club Championship victory may have lacked the fireworks of the earlier Julian Mazur one, but it was impressive nonetheless. Russell maintained steady pressure throughout, mostly on the queen side, then all the pieces came off bar queens and pawns, and Anthony's king got stuck in a mating net, leading to resignation after 49 moves.
Joining Russell at the top of the table is Roger Perry, who beat Michael Nyberg also for the 2nd time in a row.

The B grade is headed jointly by Philip Rossiter and Andrew Brockway, both on 1.5/2.

In the C grade, Wellington College comrades Ryan Winter and Michael Sole continue to set the pace. They are both playing so well at the moment it is hard to choose between them.

And in the D grade, Daniel Kibblewhite, who has had 2 wins, shares the lead with young Josh Langford, who has a win and a one point bye

A grade

No Name             Loc   Result   Name            Loc 

 1 Ker, Anthony     2489    0:1    Dive, Russell   2434
 2 Jackson, Ross    2020    ½:½    Forster, Bill   2093
 3 Timergazi, Layla 2158    0:1    Nijman, Brian   2146
 4 Croad, Nic       2393    1:0    Sellen, Ian     2056
 5 Perry, Roger     2124    1:0    Nyberg, Michael 2101

Cross Table

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Dive, Russell
2434
2
*
 
 
1
 
 
 
 
1
 


2
Perry, Roger
2124
2
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1


3
Nijman, Brian
2146
1
 
 
*
 
1
 
 
 
 
 


4
Ker, Anthony
2489
1
0
 
 
*
 
 
 
1
 
 


5
Timergazi, Layla
2158
1
 
 
0
 
*
 
1
 
 
 


6
Croad, Nic
2393
1
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
1


7
Forster, Bill
2093
.5
 
 
 
 
0
 
*
½
 
 


8
Jackson, Ross
2020
.5
 
 
 
0
 
 
½
*
 
 


9
Nyberg, Michael
2101
0
0
0
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 


10
Sellen, Ian
2056
0
 
0
 
 
 
0
 
 
 
*

B grade

No Name             Loc   Result   Name                 Loc 

 1 Mullan, Brett    1800    0:1    Chen, Wei Kai        1813
 2 Barraza, Jesse   1890    1:0    Coghini, Phillip     1888
 3 Brockway, Andrew 1899    1:0    Benitez, Edgar       1809
 4 Stoeveken, Peter 1849    ½:½    Farrington, Lawrence 1838
 5 Aldridge, Alan   1936    ½:½    Rossiter, Philip     1978

Cross Table

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Brockway, Andrew
1899
1.5
*
 
1
 
½
 
 
 
 
 


2
Rossiter, Philip
1978
1.5
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
½
1
 


3
Benitez, Edgar
1809
1
0
 
*
 
 
 
1
 
 
 


4
Chen, Wei Kai
1813
1
 
 
 
*
 
1
 
 
 
 


5
Farrington, Lawrence
1838
1
½
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
½
 


6
Mullan, Brett
1800
1
 
 
 
0
 
*
 
1
 
 


7
Barraza, Jesse
1890
1
 
 
0
 
 
 
*
 
 
1


8
Aldridge, Alan
1936
.5
 
½
 
 
 
0
 
*
 
 


9
Stoeveken, Peter
1849
.5
 
0
 
 
½
 
 
 
*
 


10
Coghini, Phillip
1888
0
 
 
 
 
 
 
0
 
 
*

C grade

No Name                 Loc   Result   Name            Loc 

 1 Wight, Joshua        1609    0:1    Wevers, Alexis  1654
 2 Stracy, Don          1737    0:1    Sole, Michael   1727
 3 Forlong-Ford, Colwyn 1738    1:0    Thorpe, Richard 1632
 4 Winter, Ryan         1711    1:0    Dixon, Hamish   1697
 5 Rabina, Romeo        1767     :     Day, Fabian     1784

Cross Table

No
Name
Loc
Total
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10


1
Sole, Michael
1727
2
*
 
 
 
 
1
 
 
1
 


2
Winter, Ryan
1711
2
 
*
1
 
 
 
 
1
 
 


3
Dixon, Hamish
1697
1
 
0
*
1
 
 
 
 
 
 


4
Forlong-Ford, Colwyn
1738
1
 
 
0
*
1
 
 
 
 
 


5
Thorpe, Richard
1632
1
 
 
 
0
*
 
 
 
1
 


6
Wevers, Alexis
1654
1
0
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 
1


7
Rabina, Romeo
1767
0
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 
 


8
Day, Fabian
1784
0
 
0
 
 
 
 
 
*
 
 


9
Stracy, Don
1737
0
0
 
 
 
0
 
 
 
*
 


10
Wight, Joshua
1609
0
 
 
 
 
 
0
 
 
 
*

Results

No Name                    Loc   Result   Name            Loc 

 1 Daniel Kibblewhite      1400    1:0    Aurian De Briey     
 2 Andreas Theodosiou      1493    0:1    Joshua Langford     
 3 Samuel Darr             1444    ½:½    Hamish Leask    1570
 4 Ric Benitez             1566    1:0    Sarah Bennett   1427
 5 Matthew Proctor         1478    0:1    Nathan Hall     1278
 6 Josiah Jacobsen-Grocott 1238    1:0    Bruce Asher     1258
 7 Prashant Nagrecha       899     1:0    BYE                 
 8 Karthik Konakanchi      1504    ½:½    BYE                 
 9 Bernardo Tagos          1483    ½:½    BYE                 
10 Caleb He                1413    ½:½    BYE                 
11 Bobby Stannard          1369    ½:½    BYE                 
12 Aiden Zhao              1279    ½:½    BYE                 
13 Paul He                 1142    ½:½    BYE                 
14 Pramodh Konakanchi      1106    ½:½    BYE                 

Cross Table

No Name                     Loc  Total  1    2  

1  Langford, Joshua              2      0:1 13:1
2  Kibblewhite, Daniel      1400 2      8:1  9:1
3  Tagos, Bernardo          1483 1.5   14:1  0:½
4  Konakanchi, Karthik      1504 1.5   17:1  0:½
5  He, Caleb                1413 1.5   18:1  0:½
6  Benitez, Ric             1566 1.5    0:½ 16:1
7  Hall, Nathan             1278 1.5    0:½ 15:1
8  Nagrecha, Prashant       899  1      2:0  0:1
9  De Briey, Aurian              1     19:1  2:0
10 Leask, Hamish            1570 1      0:½ 11:½
11 Darr, Samuel             1444 1     12:½ 10:½
12 He, Paul                 1142 1     11:½  0:½
13 Theodosiou, Andreas      1493 1     20:1  1:0
14 Jacobsen-Grocott, Josiah 1238 1      3:0 20:1
15 Proctor, Matthew         1478 .5     0:½  7:0
16 Bennett, Sarah           1427 .5     0:½  6:0
17 Zhao, Aiden              1279 .5     4:0  0:½
18 Konakanchi, Pramodh      1106 .5     5:0  0:½
19 Stannard, Bobby          1369 .5     9:0  0:½
20 Asher, Bruce             1258 0     13:0 14:0