Super cool B team captain, John-Paul, finally decided at 8:45am on the morning of January 3 that he ought to get round to selecting a side for that evening's away fixture at Chorlton. Several players, who had assumed they'd been dropped having not had the skipper's call earlier, responded positively and thus the side arrived in good time for the 2017 opener. The home team and most of the visitors understood the extreme conditions at Chorlton and came wearing 8 layers (when the heaters were switched on it still took quarter of an hour for the ice droplets to melt) but super cool J-P chose to buck the trend.
The secretary put the visitors 1 up inside the hour with a quick win. Nick, who'd come prepared for the bar not to be open, made it 2 when he recovered from an almost hopeless position and also the disaster of spending nearly 5 minutes on his clock when he forgot to press it. Phil ground out a win when his opponent, Alan, went wrong and then Denzil declined a draw when his opponent had a forced perpetual. His opponent then decided to vary and thus began a saga…..
Joachim turned round a material deficit and the captain made it 5 with a vicious attack. The secretary looked forward to an early return home – a big mistake!
Denzil's game reached the stage Q + 3 pawns v Q. Both players embarked on long checking sequences aimed at creating some sort of record. Scoresheets were filled and new ones started. Denzil seemed determined not to move his pawns and spectators began to prey for the 50 move rule to kick in. Denzil's pen ran out, his opponent's pencil snapped – or maybe they had less than 5 minutes with the Fischer increments - but certainly there were groans when it was realised that no-one was now counting moves. Suddenly Denzil moved a pawn (oh no!) and nearby pubs emptied.
Spectators took it in turns to have a nap and then, in what seemed like the small hours, Denzil blundered a pawn and, eventually another, and finally, in what might have been the longest game in the league had anyone been counting, had to settle for the draw which had been offered hours earlier!
Arriving at the Queens Hotel, I was met by 4 teams with expectant looks raring to play. My first task was to arrange the furniture in a way that was both practical and logical. Thanks to David R, Richard and all those who helped. My second task was to hand out our new clocks all pre-set by Geoff the Sec. What no one bargained for was yours truly pressing the wrong button. In an instant all confidence in these clocks was lost and both the indigenous and the tourists thrust their clocks forward for checking in a scene akin to the run on the Northern Rock Bank. Bluster and Bluff got me through that one and with everyone’s fears assuaged we commenced play. `Where are the scoresheets`?’ somebody exclaimed. Really? A big heartfelt thanks to Martyn from Newcastle who was on hand to pull some out of his briefcase faster than the magical rabbit out of a hat. Who’d be a Team Captain?
Marple B French Defenders teased Qa5 out of Tony and Phil on boards 4 + 6. I should learn more of the French but c`est la vie. Marc was first to finish losing quickly to the experienced David P. Denzil was next losing a second pawn in a Queen and Rook ending before blundering. Finally a win on board 6 with Phil Co losing the early advantage but recovering to take advantage of his opponent’s blunder. My game fizzled out really quickly, the significance of the draw not fully apparent at the time but the game was as dead as a doornail deader than Jacob Marley himself. At this point I went down to the bar and on my return the match was decided with a win for Alan H of Marple who has won far too many games against Macclesfield as has the Marple club in general. I make this 3 out of 3 this year in Division 2 alone all by the narrowest of margins.
Finally a bit of festive cheer with my old friend Tony Lane recording his first victory since his return to the game after 34 years. The first victory of many I am certain. On behalf of Macclesfield Chess Club – Seasons Greetings and A Happy and Healthy New Year to all our readers and supporters from the Man with Hat.
Macclesfield C entertain Macclesfield B in the reverse fixture of this all Silktown clash. It’s a freezing cold night and the only people missing from the packed out room in the Queens Hotel are Torvill and Dean. I may have been a bit harsh on Nick the Hurricane after his shock reversal in the first fixture but he was back to his brilliant best with a truly awesome display that dispatched his opponent after 14 moves when most of us still had our coats on. Boards 4 – 6 all ended with Rook and Pawns and no real surprise that the more experienced B team players secured 2½ out of 3 on these boards. Joachim had doubled up f pawns but Dave M always seemed to be a tempo or 2 behind with a Rook that became defensive, inactive and then trapped prompting the second resignation of the night. Ant seems to be getting better and better at these endgames and he was able yet again to turn a small advantage into the full point this time against David S. It was left to Phil Co to register the only score of the night for the C team after a sharp, double edged game ended with Rook and 2 V Rook and 1 and Phil using good skill to secure the draw with Denzil. Marc had probed and pressed all night with his opponent reduced to occupying the back 3 ranks but Marc then overstretched allowing the Kool Kat to mop up. Finally the baying mob moved on to the last game on the top table where Man with the Hat had high hopes of a famous victory with 15 minutes left. However, pinning the Secretary’s Queen and Rook wasn’t as potent as I had hoped and the resulting pawn that I did win was snatched back almost immediately. Then a couple of neat Combos from the Sec and it was the Hat that entered the endgame a pawn down. A lack of steely nerve coupled with an inferior endgame technique and, as Willie Nelson would say `Ain’t it funny how time just slips away’.
Thanks to all who turned up on this bitterly cold night and well played to the B team.