Tiverton 2.5 Newton Abbot 1.5 (Mamhead Cup)

Thanks to Ivor Annetts for this and the following report:

Tiverton entertained Newton Abbot at Blundell's School on Saturday 27th March in the last match of the season in the Mamhead Cup (Devon County Chess Association, Div. 2).

On board 2 Ivor Annetts (Tiverton) White encountered Stephen Schofield's Centre Counter. Ivor came out of the opening with the initiative, squandered it, came close to losing a piece, but eventually agreed a draw with most pieces exchanged and the position symmetrical.

On board 1, Simon Bartlett (Tiverton) in a 'sort of Catalan' won a pawn and the exchange after his opponent, teenager Robert Thompson, overpressed. Eventually with major piece pressure on White's second rank, Robert was forced to concede.

On board 3, John Morrison retained the gambit pawn and a reasonable position against Adrew Kinder's Smith-Morra gambit. Unfortunately John overlooked a one move trick that lost a piece and then he had to fight hard to save the game. Eventually with a Bishop and two connected passed pawns against a bishop and night and one pawn Andrew was forced to concede the draw with only three minutes left on his clock.

On board 4, Keith Atkins lost the initiative in a classical French Defence against John Allen. But Keith managed to eliminate Black's dangerous white squared bishop and then won a central passed pawn. John managed to blockade this on the sixth rank and, in a queen and pawn ending, a draw was agreed.

Tiverton has done well in this competition with 3 wins and 1 loss. Unfortunately they must take second place to Exmouth who achieved three wins and a draw.