Tough trio of matches for club teams
SPORT | Chess
Barry Chess Club news
This was a week all three of the Barry Chess Club teams were in action, making this the busiest week of the truncated season. Three matches in two days stretched resources to the limit with a number of senior players unavailable.
On Monday, the division one side, the Barry Islanders travelled to play the Pentyrch Amateurs. At the same time the Pentyrch second team made the reverse trip to play the Barrycudas in division two.
The Islanders team knew they were up against it when checking the ratings of the two teams. Whilst we put up a strong fight we could not overcome the rating deficit and succumbed to a 4 – 0 defeat. This is not to say we were all dispatched quickly and both Steve Maguire and Phil Jones enjoyed a long battle with improved performances. Indeed, Jones’ game finished when he made an error with only 51 seconds left on his clock.
The Barrycudas fared better. Erion Pici was the only victor in the week but draws from Steve Cunliffe and Ken Hannah gave a 2 – 2 draw. Barry had expected more against the bottom side in the league but a draw is better than nothing. After four rounds of games the Barrycudas still top division two but with only one win and three draws. Some of the teams have a game in hand so the hold at the top won’t last long.
On Tuesday, the Barry Sea travelled to North Cardiff to play the Cheetahs. The Cheetahs have been very consistent in losing their first three fixtures – all by the same score of 1.5 -2.5. They were clearly looking for a first win of the season and selected their strongest side. On the top three boards our players were all outrated by over 500 points. We didn’t expect to pick up anything but Mike White earned an excellent draw. He felt unhappy after being a piece up but again a draw with such a big rating difference is no mean feat. Both Phil Jones and Dave Mahoney had long games so weren’t as outclassed as anticipated. Once again, Jones’ game finished last with only a minute left on his clock.
The Barry Chess Club meets at 7:30 pm most Mondays at the West End Club. St Nicholas Road, Barry, CF62 6QY. The club is open to players of all standards; whether you are interested in playing competitive chess or just the occasional friendly games.
New players are welcome to just turn up on the night but it is better to contact one of the club members through the website first so that we can explain what is happening and arrange for someone to greet you on arrival. For more details visit here.
PJ
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