Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay ChessTournament Round 4

The problem with being graded higher than most of the field, is that you always get the up float to the higher group if there is an odd number of players with the next highest score, but you never get the down float to the lower group. So there was me after three rounds and running third from last out of 24 players and expecting to be on board eleven, to find myself on board nine against a competent player.

The Kings pawn game started well for me and I was able to squeeze out if the opening and into the middle game with equality. My Bishops done a good job of controlling a few diagonals and with a central Knight I was able to go the exchange up for a Knight and pawn to Rook. With the added bonus of winning back the pawn quickly and being able to force the Queen and Bishops off the board. This let me into a won double Rook against Rook and Knight ending which cancelled down even better to a Rook v Knight ending. I kept my head in Round four, and even though I was stuffed after the lovely SUNDAY lunch in Tanygroes, I still managed to gobble up a few Kings side pawns and cancel out my Rook for his Knight to leave a won King and Pawn endgame.

Phew, thank you Colin, I needed that.

Colin Denham 1672 v RBA 0-1

1.5 / 4

The other news brought to me at lunch, is that my travelling companion James Cook managed a draw in Round 3 when his opponent failed to prosecute checkmate with a double Bishop and King v King endgame. So I suppose that the learning outcome after this Round and the Round 3 news; is that endgame knowledge is extremely important.

James Cook, 12 May 2013