2007 NSW
Country Reserve Team Champions
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Blayney Win on Tiebreak24th May, 2007 It took a tiebreak to decide the outcome, but Blayney Chess Club celebrated victory in their match against Bathurst. Bathurst cleaned up the bottom half, Blayney fought back to take the honours on the top boards to tie the match at 3-3. With the tiebreak system emphasizing wins on the higher boards, this meant that Blayney were narrow victors in another keenly contested Bathurst v Blayney encounter. With the match format growing to six boards, with plans to expand to seven boards, the incentive is there for everyone to improve their game, as every individual game becomes crucial for the team. Team matches are a great concept, as the players get to play other players in a format where they are not just competing for themselves, but as part of a team, an often-neglected aspect of competition in the modern age. The match began with everyone in good spirit after enjoying some refreshments courtesy of the Bowling Club and Akehurst’s Bakery. Blayney got off to a bad start, as our Board 5 player, Brian Patten, yielded to some big match nerves in his first ever tournament style game and committed a blunder early in his game. Everyone realised that his opponent, Karl Matiszik, was too experienced and wily to lose with the big advantage he had, so we had that dismal feeling of going down 1-0 very early. Then things worsened as Garry Mann succumbed to the ‘bug’ that has currently befallen many of the townsfolk. After making a courageous decision to play despite that impending feeling of what was coming, Garry had to admit defeat to both his opponent, Jamie Davidson, and the fact that he wasn’t in a fit state at all. Therefore, with wins on Boards 4 and 5, Bathurst was now 2-0 up. We looked to be a chance of regaining some ground on Board Six as David Rogerson and Evan Stroeve were engaged in a spirited game that is typical of juniors. Aggression at all costs seems to be their motto. This can be a bit daunting for conservative types, but is truly entertaining as they willingly walk the precipice of disaster in their quest for a knockout blow. Alas, our player, David, was the first to slip, and Evan quickly pounced on the opportunity for Bathurst to go 3-0 up. Then the tide turned, the much-anticipated clash on Board 1 between Fritz Van der Wal and Slavko Kocic produced the fireworks that everyone expected. Fritz seized upon some minor errors by Slavko to go on the offensive. Slavko tried valiantly to find some salvation, but Fritz’s attack was irresistible, and Blayney finally put a point on the right side of the column. On Board 2, Phil Bourke had taken an early advantage, but had to withstand some spirited counter play from Naum Todoroski. Then the advantage grew and Phil converted a nice game into a win and the match now stood at 3-2 in Bathurst’s favour. With the match result now hinging upon the Board 3 clash between Blayney’s Col Parsons and Bathurst’s John McLoon, everyone’s attention focused on that game. They were intent on maintaining the tension in the room, as they used every minute of their allotted time in determining the victor. Col had a winning advantage, but John was utilizing his forces well, making Col’s task as difficult as possible. Col played a fine endgame to secure the much needed win for Blayney and tie the match at 3 games each. In chess, tied matches are decided on a tiebreak system of removing the bottom results until one team is the winner. On this occasion, this favoured Blayney. After four matches, the score now stands at 2 matches apiece, with an individual game score of 9 pts each. Which emphasizes how evenly contested these matches are and why they are becoming keenly anticipated events within both clubs. With all players looking for much needed practice before the Blayney Open Chess Tournament in September, the possibility of playing two more Team Matches before that event is being pursued with early July and late August being investigated as possible dates for these clashes. For More Information Contact: |
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