15 May 2017 - Central League Cup

Badgers Brook v Stirling
Kenny McGeoch   Mark Cooke   David McConnell   Stuart Ward   Graham Kerr   Dave McGilvray   Gordon Walker	2060   1949   1812   1742   1617   1493   1188	1 - 0   ½ - ½   ½ - ½   1 - 0   0 - 1   0 - 1   0 - 1	1910   1845   1756   1692   1676   1657   1474	Shivan Murdochy   Neil Irving   Jim Shemilt   Graham Anderson   Steven Smith   Bill Cook   Dave Hewitt
		3 - 4

This is Stirling's first win in this competition since 2005/06. Bill won first after Dave resigned when his phone went off during the game. Shortly afterward Dave made it 2-0. Jim agreed a draw with David, then I lost. Steve finished shortly afterward with a win, leaving just the top two boards playing and Stirling needing just a half point to win. Shivan lost when Kenny's Queenside pawns marched through. Neil's game against Mark was down to Queen and Rooks with 7 pawns each in quite a closed position. Time ran down, and with about two minutes left each, Mark accepted Neil's draw offer.

L to R: Jim Shemilt, Dave Hewitt, Steve Smith, Bill Cook, Neil Irving, Graham Anderson (missing: Shivan Murdochy)

Thanks to Steve for providing the game and analysis below, where Steve was Black against Graham Kerr.

[Event "Badgers Brook v Stirling"] [Site "Badgers Brook CC"] [Date "2017.05.15"] [Round "F"] [White "Kerr, G"] [Black "Smith, S"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. Qg4 Qc7 { the most aggressive reply. Black's king side pawns disappear, but he gets one back plus active chances on the queen side. } 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 Bd7 12. Qd3 dxc3 13. Rb1 Nf5 14. Nxc3 a6 15. g3 Rc8 { leaving the king in the centre, but if 0-0-0 white can play 16 Qxa6 since if 16 .. bxa6 17 Bxa6 forces Qb7 and white has gained two pawns } 16. Bd2 Na5 { Everything is fairly standard so far. I'm doubtful about white's next couple of moves. } 17. Bh3 { the bishop never gets into the game } 17... Ne7 18. Kd1 Nc4 19. Rb3 b5 20. Ne2 Nc6 21. Re1 Rh8 22. g4 { Black should now play N6xe5 23 dxe5 Rxh3 similar to the game } 22... N6a5 23. Rb1 { now white loses decisive material. He had to play Bxa5, but after Qxa5 my computer gradually increases black's advantage as it looks futher ahead } 23... Nxd2 24. Kxd2 Rxh3 25. Qxh3 Qxc2+ 26. Ke3 Rc3+ { White resigns. } 0-1

11 May 2017 - Under 1500 Cup

Cumbernauld v Stirling
Ronnie Wallace Derek McAteer Steven Monaghan Daniel McAteer Steven Gentleman	1460 1330 1284	½ - ½ 1 - 0 0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1	1474 1454 1449 1387 1243	Dave Hewitt Gordon Allcock Brad Duthie Craig Manson Tom Wallace
		1½ - 3½

Dave Hewitt writes:- A tight and exciting cup final. Stirling went ahead early on due to Brad's quick win against Steven M courtesy of a Bxf7+ tactic, and the lead was extended after Tom beat the other Steven in a very sharp-looking game. Things looked good for Stirling at this stage, but Derek won an exchange against Gordon and duly converted the win, so that put things very much back in the balance. I'd perhaps been better for a while against Ronnie but lost my way a little against good defence and we found ourselves in drawish territory but without either of us being able to offer due to the match situation.

Meanwhile Craig and Daniel were having a right old scrap on board 4, with Craig having passed pawns and back-rank threats but starting to run short of time. I kept shuttling across the room to see what was what, and was relieved when a N exchange led to a clear win for Craig as he was able to queen two pawns in quick succession and then deliver mate with two minutes left on his clock. With the match now decided, Ronnie and I immediately shook hands and we all went home.

Thanks to Cumbernauld for their hospitality and good sportsmanship in a match that could have gone either way - a Cumbernauld win on board count was a distinct possibility for a while. Stirling thus win the u1500 cup for the the eighth time in the past ten seasons. This one was particularly nice for the club to win, on behalf of David Brodie who is still the u1500 captain but has been absent due to illness this past while as most of you will know - I've been acting as his stand-in.

L to R: Brad Duthie, Tom Wallace, Craig Manson, Gordon Allcock, Dave Hewitt

Thanks to Tom for providing his game.

[Event "U1500 Cumbernauld v Stirling"] [Site "Cumbernauld CC"] [Date "2017.05.11"] [Round "F"] [White "Wallace, T"] [Black "Gentleman, S"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. b3 e6 4. Bb2 d6 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nf6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. e5 Nd5 9. c4 Qa5+ 10. Nd2 Nb6 11. exd6 Bxd6 12. Bxg7 Rg8 13. Bh6 Be5 14. Qh5 Qc3 15. Rd1 Bb7 16. Be3 Rg7 17. Qh4 Nd7 18. Bf4 Bf6 19. Qh5 a6 20. Bd6 Rc8 21. c5 Be5 22. Bc4 Bxd6 23. cxd6 Nf6 24. Qh4 Rxg2 25. Kf1 Rg4 26. d7+ Kxd7 27. Ne4+ Ke8 28. Nxf6+ Kf8 29. Nd7+ Ke8 30. Qxg4 Rd8 31. Qg8+ Ke7 32. Qg5+ Ke8 33. Nf6+ Ke7 34. Ne4+ Qf6 35. Qxf6+ Ke8 36. Qxd8# 1-0

A couple of games

Thanks to Dave and Tom for providing the games below. The first is Tom as White against Scott Dickson of Grangemouth, from the recent Under 1500 Cup match. It's a strange case of when doubling rooks on an open file doesn't bring the expected result.

[Event "Under 1500 Cup - Grangemouth v Stirling"] [Site "Grangemouth CC"] [Date "2017.04.19"] [Round "SF"] [White "Wallace, T"] [Black "Dickson, S"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. h3 c5 5. d4 Nc6 6. Be2 Qb6 7. c3 Nh6 8. O-O Nf5 9. Re1 Be7 10. Ne5 cxd4 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. cxd4 O-O 13. b3 Bf6 14. Na3 Bxd4 15. Be3 Bxe3 16. fxe3 Nxe3 17. Qc1 Nc2+ 18. Kh1 Nxe1 19. Qxe1 Re8 20. Qf1 a5 21. Bh5 Ra7 22. Re1 Rae7 23. Bxf7+ Kf8 24. Be6+ Rf7 25. Qxf7# 1-0

 

 

This second game is from the recent Stirling Congress, Dave's round 4 clash as Black against Andrew Sutherland. When Andrew sat down at the start of the game Dave noticed a big book of tactical puzzles on top of his bag - so he endeavoured to get Qs off as soon as possible!

[Event "Stirling Congress"] [Site "Stirling"] [Date "2017.04.30"] [Round "4"] [White "Sutherland, A"] [Black "Hewitt, D"] [Result "0-1"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Bg2 c6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Nd7 7. O-O Be7 8. a3 O-O 9. Qc2 f5 10. e4 Nxc3 11. bxc3 fxe4 12. Qxe4 Nc5 13. Qc2 Qd3 14. Ne1 Qxc2 15. Nxc2 e5 16. d4 Bf5 17. dxc5 Bxc2 18. Be3 Rad8 19. Rac1 Bd3 20. Rfd1 e4 21. Bh3 Be2 22. Be6+ Kh8 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Bd4 Bf6 25. Re1 Bf3 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Bf5 Re8 28. Rc1 Kg7 29. h4 Rb8 30. Re1 Re8 31. Rc1 Rd8 32. Re1 Rd5 33. Bxe4 Re5 { White resigns. } 0-1

Stirling Congress

Congratulations to Dave Hewitt, who won the Challengers section of the Stirling Congress last weekend with an unbeaten 4/5.

Dave, on the right, receiving his prize from organiser Gary McPheator.