Lincolnshire Chess Association

U120 Counties Competition Open Team (2013-14)

MCCU U120 Counties Championship Open
Position Teams Pl W D L Match Pts
1 Staffordshire 3 3 0 0 6
2 Nottinghamshire 3 2 0 1 4
3 Warwickshire 3 2 0 1 4
4 Lincolnshire 4 1 0 3 2
5 Worcestershire 3 0 0 3 0

MCCU U120 Counties Championship Match Results
Date Match Result
5 Oct Lincolnshire v Nottinghamshire 4½-7½
9 Nov Staffordshire v Lincolnshire 7-5
14 Dec Warwickshire v Lincolnshire 7-5
25 Jan Lincolnshire v Worcestershire 11-1

Lincolnshire v Nottinghamshire

Report from John Grasham

A very tight match was in progress in our first match against Nottinghamshire as they only outgraded us by an average of four points per board. Unfortunately it did not pan out that way. Quick defeats for Haydn Godfrey whose opponent overran his defences, Paul Chaplin and Joe Hamson whose king was exposed in the middle of the board left us with a mountain to climb. David Scott got us of the mark after his opponent chose to engineer an endgame with a bishop and rook against David’s queen but he could not stop David’s passed a pawn. Things got worse when Max Vasey lost out after losing a piece in the middlegame, Paul Fischer lost in a tight endgame and Gary Scott couldn’t force a win when a rook for two pawns up and had to settle for a draw. The match was over when James Wilson was overrun in the endgame. Draws for Chris Cumbers and Mike Dew who was two pawns down added respectability to the scoreline and wins eventually came for William Orr after his opponent blundered a bishop in the endgame and Philip Gutcher who came out a piece up in an incredible double edged middlegame and then overran his opponents position with his queen to force mate. Lincolnshire are next in action on the 9th November against Staffordshire.

Date: 5/10/13
Venue: The Lindum Group, Station Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln, LN6 3QX
Lincolnshire (Home team) Nottinghamshire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 B Mike Dew Barton-on-Humber 118 ½-½ Gary Bosworth Newark 119
2 W Gary Scott Louth 117 ½-½ Len Morrell Radcliffe & Bingham 117
3 B Chris Cumbers Grantham 110 ½-½ Andy Flint Ashfield 112
4 W William Orr Louth 105 1-0 Bob Garnett West Bridgford 112
5 B Max Vasey Grimsby 102 0-1 Mike Swanwick Nomads 110
6 W Joseph Hamson Scunthorpe 100 0-1 Andy Thompson Gambit 105
7 B Phillip Gutcher Grimsby 98 1-0 Ric Dawson Ashfield 103
8 W Paul Fischer Lincoln 97 0-1 Stephen Morley Radcliffe & Bingham 95
9 B Paul Chaplin Grimsby 96 0-1 Charlotte Attwood Radcliffe & Bingham 94
10 W David Scott Louth 90 1-0 Steve Swanwick Nomads 90
11 B Haydn Godfrey Lincolnshire Juniors 80 0-1 Bob Abrahart West Bridgford 88
12 W James Wilson Lincolnshire Juniors 75 0-1 Dorothy Blampied Radcliffe & Bingham 87
  4½-7½

Staffordshire v Lincolnshire

Report from John Grasham

Lincolnshire were set to field another strong team in their second match of the season against Staffordshire but unfortunately two players pulled out on the day. Luckily William Orr agreed to step in with only two hours notice and Callum Foard’s father Ian, who had transported him to the match agreed to play at the last minute. The bottom two boards were over very quickly with Ian Foard winning in his first ever game of competitive chess and Cameron Marnoch losing after making a mistake in the opening and things quickly escalated. Paul Fischer put us ahead after converting an endgame in which he had an extra knight and draws for Callum Foard and Will Taylor, a defeat for David Scott after being a piece up but not being able to hold on to it and a win for Frank Robinson who was playing out a drawn game until his opponent made a critical blunder meant that we were still ahead. However it was not to last, Chris Cumbers was forced to resign after being a piece down for most of his game and Mike Dew lost after giving away his queen. Henrieke van der Knijff had to settle for a draw in her first match in England despite being two pawns up and late substitute William Orr got a draw from three passed pawns down. This left Gary Scott needing to win to save the draw but his opponent was three pawns up and all over him and in the end a quick checkmate left us with our second defeat. However a tight match leaves me with confidence going into our next game with Warwickshire on the 14th December.

Date: 9/11/13
Venue: St Hilda's Church, Lingdale, East Goscote, LE7 3XW
Lincolnshire (Home team) Staffordshire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 B Mike Dew Barton-on-Humber 118 0-1 Mike Jarocki Brewood 118
2 W Gary Scott Louth 117 0-1 Denis Nesbitt Stafford 117
3 B Henrieke van der Knijff Lincolnshire 113E ½-½ David Molineux Bushbury 114
4 W Callum Foard Lincolnshire Juniors 111E ½-½ Bob Brodie Bushbury 112
5 B Chris Cumbers Grantham 110 0-1 Nicholas Wright Newcastle-under-Lyme 111
6 W Frank Robinson Spalding 109 1-0 Richard Wilkinson Walsall Kipping 111
7 B William Orr Louth 105E ½-½ Peter Evans Stafford 109
8 W David Scott Louth 100E 0-1 Paul Guest Brewood 109
9 B Paul Fischer Lincoln 97 1-0 Simon Jones Bushbury 104
10 W Will Taylor Lincolnshire Juniors 93E ½-½ Andrew Davies Brewood 103
11 B Cameron Marnoch Louth 75 0-1 David Buckley Bushbury 101
12 W Ian Foard Lincolnshire UG 1-0 Abby Sargeant Staffordshire 18
  5-7

Warwickshire v Lincolnshire

Report from John Grasham

After defeat for the first team last week it was up to the U120 team to ensure that Lincolnshire had participation in the knockout stages of the county championships this year but they knew only a win would do against a strong Warwickshire side. Paul Chaplin gave Lincolnshire a good start after putting a rook en prise to attack his opponent’s queen only for her to ignore it completely allowing the queen to be taken. Mike Dew had an early defeat after losing two pawns in the opening and Chris Cumbers and Paul Fischer agreed early draws in complex positions. Defeats for Callum Foard after he was a piece down in the endgame, Cameron Marnoch who couldn’t stop both his opponents passed pawns and Will Taylor who kept losing pieces until he had none left put us on the brink of defeat. However a win for Dan Denton who checkmated his opponent on his first appearance for the county and draws for James Irwin who was a pawn up and Phil Gutcher who was two pawns down left us needing to win the final two matches. Andrew Watson hung on grimly but wasn’t able to get anything left us with a defeat but William Orr again appearing as our super sub battled on for 30 minutes after all the other games had finished to claim a consolation win after a pawn sacrifice led to him trapping his opponent’s rook. Lincolnshire’s final match of the season is against Worcestershire on the 25th January.

Date: 14/12/13
Venue: Memorial Hall, Melton Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BD
Warwickshire (Home team) Lincolnshire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1 W Dennis M Horsley Solihull 117 1-0 Mike Dew Barton-on-Humber 118
2 B Roger Ball Shirley 113 ½-½ James Irwin Lincoln 115
3 W Ray Bettam Chelmsley Wood 110 1-0 Callum Foard Lincolnshire Juniors 111
4 B John Hodges Solihull 110 ½-½ Chris Cumbers Grantham 110
5 W Graham Gee Warwickshire CA 109 0-1 William Orr Louth 105
6 B Peter J Hughes Warley Quinborne 108 1-0 Andrew Watson Louth 106
7 W Steve Hotchkiss Warwickshire CA 108 ½-½ Philip Gutcher Grimsby 98
8 B Rob Anderton Solihull 106 ½-½ Paul Fischer Lincoln 97
9 W Pauline Woodward Warley Quinborne 106 0-1 Paul Chaplin Grimsby 96
10 B Bill Dixon Boldmere St Michael 103 0-1 Dan Denton Lincolnshire 95
11 W Geoff Harman Worlsey 104 1-0 Will Taylor Lincolnshire Juniors 93
12 B Gary M Wickett Kynoch 102 1-0 Cameron Marnoch Louth 75
  7-5

Lincolnshire v Worcestershire

Report from John Grasham

Lincolnshire's final game of the season was a dead rubber against Worcestershire but the team were keen to get the result that recent performances had indicated. Just before the match the Worcestershire captain informed me that they were defaulting the bottom two boards so Will Taylor and Cameron Marnoch were left without a game but we started 2-0 up. Phil Gutcher agreed a draw early on but little did he know what was about to unfold. David Scott was first to finish after his opponent carelessly left a back rank mate and wins for James Irwin and Callum Foard soon followed. Paul Fischer's extra pawn in a rook endgame proved crucial in his win and all of a sudden the match was ours with five games still being played. However it still got better for Lincolnshire. Dan Denton won after being the exchange up in the endgame and his opponent's knight couldn’t stop his passed pawn. Chris Cumbers was a pawn up but with no way through he agreed a draw. Gary Scott's opponent resigned after he threatened two different checkmates which couldn't both be defended and William Orr's opponent resigned after he broke through on the queenside and there was no escape for the exposed king. Frank Robinson was last to finish but fought back from a pawn down to two pawns up in the endgame and slowly ground down his opponent in an 80 move plus marathon and she resigned when she couldn't stop his remaining pawn from queening. This left Lincolnshire with an unbelievable 11-1 win but with no chance of reaching the knockout stages I hope this form can be taken into next season.

I would again like to thank everyone who played for the team this year, especially those who provided transport and look forward to captaining the team again and welcoming both new and returning players for next season.

Date: 25/1/14
Venue: Thurmaston Old School, Melton Road, Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BD
Lincolnshire (Home team) Worcestershire (Away team)
Board Colour Name Club Grade Score Name Club Grade
1   William Orr Louth 105 1-0 Peter Seeley Redditch 116
2   Gary Scott Louth 117 1-0 Michele Clack Redditch 116
3   James Irwin Lincoln 115 1-0 Richard Collett Greenlands 115
4   Callum Foard Lincolnshire Juniors 111 1-0 Giles Stanton Redditch 114
5   Chris Cumbers Grantham 110 ½-½ Penny Wood Solihull 110
6   Frank Robinson Spalding 109 1-0 Maureen Clark Halesowen 109
7   Philip Gutcher Grimsby 98 ½-½ Paul Thomas Kidderminster 108
8 Paul Fischer Lincoln 97 1-0 Terry Pountney Kidderminster 104
9   Dan Denton Lincolnshire 95 1-0 David Smith Redditch 100
10   David Scott Louth 100 1-0 Tony Taylor Halesowen 93
11   Will Taylor Lincolnshire Juniors 93 1-0 Default    
12   Cameron Marnoch Louth 75 1-0 Default    
  11-1