Braunstone Chess Club

Match Report – Steve's bad day

Steve hadn’t had a bad day at work it was just one of those days where he felt he hadn’t really achieved anything. His boss had been off sick and most of his work colleagues seemed to be feeling poorly. Steve went home and prepared his tea before his friend John came to call. They drove to the Braunstone Civic Centre. Steve didn’t say much but John told Steve at length how he had got very cold on a train and bus journey the previous Thursday and how he was now also feeling poorly. When they arrived at the Civic Centre the room they went to was full of young people playing chess. Steve was delighted to see this. “How encouraging for the future of chess that all these young people are playing chess”, he thought. After the young people had left Steve’s friend Paul wished them good luck for the evening, but Steve thought he may not have been entirely sincere in his comments.

A chess match was then held in the room and Steve played one of the most inept games of chess he had ever played in his entire life. One day the full horror of this debacle may be revealed but Steve thought the world might not be ready for such displays of gross incompetence. At eight o’clock he decided to stop playing chess and went to the bar. There Steve found a Bombardier who would keep him company. His mood was not lightened however by the incessant seventies disco music that seemed to be the preferred choice of the lady behind the bar. “There is only so much of the Real Thing and the Tramps that one can take,” thought Steve. Steve had checked the football scores and noticed his team was winning but this joy was short-lived as he realised his phone company would charge him heavily for the data download.

Steve was soon joined by another friend of his, Vinny. Vinny had lost a piece fairly early in his game of chess and had decided to join Steve in the bar. Curiously, Vinny had also found a Bombardier to be friends with. After talking for some time about chess and music and other things Steve and Vinny decided to go back into the room where all the nasty things had happened earlier and were just in time to see their other friend Barry dissecting the still quivering corpse of another chess game. Apparently it had taken over twenty moves before any pawns had left the board in Barry’s game. It had got complicated and Barry had decided he didn’t like chess either. Their other friend Roy was still playing. Roy liked chess but on this night he too did not win.

Steve accepted a lift home with his friend John. All in all it had been a most annoying day. Report by Steve Barlow.

Match Report – the giantkillers

The second team went over to Heathcote Arms on Tuesday night to face the runaway league leaders who were unbeaten this season and came away with a fine victory by 3 - 2. First to finish was Jez, who noticed his opponent Graham had a forced mate in 3, so he offered him a draw which was accepted. Graham was non too pleased when this was pointed out to him! Then Paul had his revenge over Raj, to whom he had lost the week before, winning a piece and then the game. Next to finish was Mike who simplified into a bishops of opposite colour endgame. Dave won nicely against Mike Cowley and Tony was last to finish having been under the cosh for some time. A great result which puts us only 2 points behind the leaders. Report by Mike Salisbury.

Match Report – Who are we?

As we lurch into the second half of the season it is worth noting that the fourth team have used 10 players, had three captains and still not managed a single point. Only two people have actually won matches playing for the fourth team despite better performances for other teams in the club. When a football team struggles this pattern of continual change is often seen. The only thing we have not done is sack the manager and this is because we have no idea who he is.

But we are not a football team, nor even a sporting team. If you can drink a pint whilst playing something then it isn’t a sport. Although it may be more fun. There needs to be some identity that the team can relate to; a badge; a slogan; a team song or uniform. Any badge would have to feature a king couchant with dropped flags. Our slogan could be “honore unt lossus” – whatever that means. You can pick your own song because you probably know where I’m going with this. It has been suggested that a focus group be set up or some team bonding event be held – paintballing anyone? It is clear that the team as a sum of its parts is defaulting to the most inconsistent elements of those parts. When one player has a storming game and accidentally stalemates an opponent somebody else throws away a winning position to maintain the equilibrium.And so to the match. We lost. Report by Steve Barlow.

Match Report – New Year

For many people the beginning of January brings fresh hope, resolutions and an opportunity for change and a new start. There is a clean slate in front of you upon which you can write your own destiny, putting past mistakes and disappointments behind you and forging ahead with renewed purpose towards your goals.

Meanwhile we were playing chess. Tony was first to succumb on Board 1 and then Toby resigned on Board 3. Steve got into a tight corner and ran out of chessboard on Board 4 but Cyril managed to prolong his match sufficiently to confuse his opponent and a draw was agreed on Board 2. The opposition were a strong team but tand-in non-playing captain John, despite a rousing Henry V type speech at the beginning, which I must have missed, was unable to inspire his players on to greatness. Maybe it is the Chinese New Year when a change of fortunes will occur. Look out Kirby Castlers 1 on 31st January. Report by Steve Barlow.

Match report - late Christmas presents

The first team extended the Christmas season into January by gifting Wlliowbrook the match on Tuesday night. First to finish was Dave who agreed a quick draw, the John succumbed to Ray's king side attack. Mike had a promising position but had to bale out with perpetual check after it seemed to go wrong. But not to worry, Jim and Paul both had winning positions - or so it seemed. However they both went astray and had to conceed draws and the match was lost. Two points lost and the chances of catching the leaders now looks as likely as Liverpool FC apologising! Report by Mike Salisbury.

Click here for the December 2011 match reports.