Suffolk Chess

The solution to the Mate in Six position (Friday 11 January) is:

1. Qxg7+    Kd8
2. Nf7+    Ke7
3. Nxh6+    Kd8
4. Qg5+    Re7 (if Qe7 then Nf7#)
5. Nf7+    Ke8
6. Qg8#

No one provided an answer to this one.

The solution to the Four-move poser (Monday 14 January) is:

1. Nf3    Nf6
2. Ne5    d5 (Black's first two moves can be transposed)
3. Nc6    Nfd7
4. Nxb8    Nxb8

Congratulations to Silas Peck and Ian Wallis who both emailed correcr answers!

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In the Games section, you'll be able to play through an excellent win by Ian Wallis in the recent 4NCL match.

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The 'impossible' problem:

"From the starting position, construct a game where Black checkmates White on the 5th move by taking a rook." your answer to me (Bob Jones).

A couple of years ago, members of a chess club in Kent didn't let a few inches of snow get in the way of their club championship match:


Thinking of postponing your league match this week?

Here's an unusual one. The following position arose after each player had made four (legal) moves, White moving first of course.  Can you work out what these moves were?

Just back from the 4NCL matches at Daventry, where there were some excellent results for the Suffolk-based teams.

Before the start:

In Division 2, Anglian Avengers 1 (including Ed Player, Shaun Munson, Mark Gray, Adam Taylor and Steve Gregory) won both their matches.  On Saturday they won 5 - 3, and on Sunday thrashed the opposition 7 - 1. Unfortunately they had lost, albeit narrowly, the first two rounds back in December, so now lie mid-table with 4 match points.

Division 2:

In Division 3, top of the table Anglian Avengers 2 (Tim Lunn, Richard Lamont, Phil Hopkins, David LeMoir, Ian Wallis and Mike Cook) scored 9½ points over the two matches, winning 4½ - 1½ and 5 - 1, with no individual losses.

But their performance was matched by the Iceni team (John Feavyour, Alan Downham, Steve Ruthen, Paul Botham, Bob Jones and Colin Roberts), who were also unbeaten over the 12 games.   They won their two matches 5½ - ½ and 4 - 2.

Pretty amazing to have 24 games with no losses!   Anglian Avengers 2 are the only team to have won all four matches.

The third local team in this division, Anglian Avengers 3 scraped a win on Saturday 3½ - 2½, but came a cropper on Sunday, losing 1 - 5.   The Sunday team contained three 'Pecks': Silas, Dad Steve and brother Isaac (who only started playing chess a few weeks ago!).   Sadly, all lost.  The team now lies in 32nd place in the league table.

Division 3

(top teams out of 38):

Silas Peck has sent in this position, from the second round of the current Ipswich Chess Club Championship.   Silas was playing Black against Tim Lunn (White, to play).


Silas lost this game, on time, but Tim in this position missed a mate in six.   It's not too difficult.  But can you spot it without setting out the pieces on a board?

A month ago, I asked for a volunteer to become Under 18 Team Manager.  Now, Steve Peck, father of promising junior Silas, has stepped forward to say he is prepared to take on the role, for this year at least.

The ECF Under 18 County Championships will be held at the end of June (either 29th or 30th), somewhere in Hertfordshire.  Steve now needs to get commitment from our best juniors if we are to compete with the other counties, many of which have some strong players.

As soon as the date and venue are confirmed, Steve will be in contact with all juniors graded over 100.   In the meantime, if any of these happen to read this, and are prepared to commit now, will they please contact directly?

We now have Team Managers for the Under 18s and the Under 11s.  Perhaps Junior Chess in the county is about to spring back into life?

In the County u160 matches last Sunday, Suffolk's Andrew Shephard recorded a quick win against a lack-lustre Cambridgeshire opponent, forcing resignation in just 19 moves.   You can view the game in the Games section on this website.

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No one has yet provided a solution to Monday's 'Five Queens' problem.   If there's no response by tomorrow afternoon, I'll publish the answer then.

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Finally, a reminder to let me have any interesting games or positions that crop up.   If I'm to continue to post something every day, I need your support!

In tonight's Division 2 match between Adastral Park and Bury St Edmunds B, Adastral's Board 1 Ed Kirkham managed to con his higher-graded opponent into a draw.   Two pawns down with a piece en prise, Ed played ...Nd2 in the following position:


After a brief think, Bury's Rob McCorry took the bishop on a6, only to be hit by ...Re1+ and ...Nf1+.   Perpetual check!

League matches in the second half of the season don't start until tomorrow, so in the meantime, here's another problem for youto solve....

On a 5 x 5 chessboard, place five White queens and three Black pawns in such a position that no pawn can be taken.

The County Under 160 team played two matches today at Newmarket, winning both.  The win against previously unbeaten Cambridgeshire was the highlight, whilst a weakened Norfolk team were soundly thrashed.

RESULTS:

(AM)  Cambridgeshire  7½ - 8½  Suffolk
(PM)  Suffolk  10½-5½  Norfolk

Andrew Shephard, Ed Kirkham and John Peters scored 2/2.
Sam Brennan, Rob Harden and Mark Bettley scored 1½/2.

The full results can be seen on Dave Wild's website.

The other matches finished Norfolk  4 - 12  Hertfordshire; and Hertfordshire  7 - 9  Cambridgeshire.

This means that after two rounds, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk share the lead on 6 match points (three wins each out of four).   Cambridgeshire have 36 game points, compared to Suffolk's 35.

The final matches take place on Sunday 3 March, when Suffolk play Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.