All posts by Mart Renders

TL66 :: R8 Playoffs time

TheRejoicingTeam_PerspicaciousStratagems 2-2 LightSpartans
23703 michelleblue vs marjohn 1/2-1/2
23704 Troisvierges vs Valiantangel 1-0
23705 giswinger vs cjldx 1/2-1/2
23706 Chebein vs clarinetref 0-1

John had black on board one and played the Alekhine defence in which he prepared a subvariation.The game soon came in drawish waters and a draw was then agreed upon.

Mart played 1.Nc3 which he prepared just in case his opponent had found improvements on their first game.He consolidated on the king side and then advanced his b pawn opening up lines.His opponent soon blunderd a bishop and resigned.

Christophe played an open game and soon got a good position and came up in material.A struggle in the middle game led to a pawn up in the ending, but he couldnt convert his material advatange into a full point.

With 2-1 in our favour Chris played the last game with white.He started attacking fiercely but forgot the bisop on f6 and lost his rook.He then started an all out attack which led to even more material losses and soon resigned.The final 2-2 result gives our oppponents the play off championship as they were higher ranked and only needed a drawn match.

During T66 we never lost a match and the champion never beat us so let that be a consolation

TL66 :: R7 – Caissa loves the Spartans

ChessboardDwellers1 1-3 LightSpartans
23655 Oakwell vs marjohn i/2-i/2
23656 Troisvierges vs HaStudent 1-0
23657 bretantonio vs cjldx 1/2-1/2
23658 Chebein vs GreatSachin 1-0

On the last round nothing seemed at stake anymore.

Board 1 John agreed with his opponent to an unplayed draw since the outcome of the match was already known and also to secure the half point in case of a tie for the second place.

Board 2 Mart had prepared a kings gambit where white played Bc5. With the correct strategy white developed pressure and black spent ages of time thinking.When he tried to combine his pieces were misplaced and black had to accept heavy material losses.He then decided to throw the towel in and resigned.

Board 3 Christophe encountered a fierce middle gambit and defended carefully.He came a pawn up and played a knight vs knight ending until move 74 before accepting a draw.

Board 4 Chris played d4 and an early h4 attacking black’s g6/Bg7 structure. After trading the rooks on the h-files his attack shifted towards the queen wing where black had weakened the white squares. A vicious attack emerged where white won a piece in the complications. When black countered with his queen he forgot the white bishop on a6 that kicked the black queen of the board by capturing backwards.

Meanwhile our competitors were not doing as well as expected so we gained a play off seat unexpectedly.We will now face TheRejoicingTeam_PerspicaciousStratagems in the same line up as round 2 with the same colors.

TL66 :: R6 – Tales of the unexpected.

LightSpartans 2-2 EyeOfTheTigran:TheGaze
23591 marjohn vs vmp 1-0
23592 ChessWJ vs Troisvierges 0-1
23593 cjldx vs OliverIsaac 0-1
23594 TwilightShifter vs Chebein 1-0

John played his usual 1.c4 which was met with f5 and a Leningrader set up.For a while the position remained closed but after e4 John got some static targets to focus on.He planted a knight on e6 and his opponent got scared and sacrificed a rook for it.He then doubled rooks on the c-file and invaded with heavy material occupying the 8th rank and threatening mate.Black had to give the queen to avoid that from happening and John soon converted the win.

On board 2 Mart failed to keep the tension on the board in the opening and his opponent offered a draw after exchanging all the pieces.Although the position was very drawish, Mart had the better pawn structure and decided to play on.Trading the pawns on the kingside gave Mart a winning edge in the technical pawn endgame, which he converted in a win.

On board 3 Christophe played the white side of a Caro Kann exchange and managed to pressurize his opponent and to win a pawn.After trading pieces, a queen ending emerged where Christophe was still a pawn up.When white advanced his f pawn his king was suddenly driven into a mating net on the side of the board.

On board 4 Chris played an active system against 1.Nf3 and tried to open the f-file after fianchettoing his g7 bishop.After sacrificing the exchange he tried to occupy the second rank with his rook.Unfortunately his queen could not participate quickly enough in the attack and after exchanging the queens white’s free e-pawn and the exchange were too difficult to handle so Chris resigned.

Outcome of the battle is yet another 2-2 draw which does not qualify the Spartans to play for the championship.So lets make Rd. 7 a fun round and lets play without fear.

 

 

TL66 :: R5 – The tension mounts……..

TheRangers_RioGrande 2-2 LightSpartans
23523 NokiaTwenty vs Troisvierges 0-1
23524 cjldx vs jfrl 1-0
23525 ernestho vs Chebein 1-0
23526 LordTyraad vs mccannj 0-1

Mart prepared a Blumenfeld gambit in which he got a strong pawn centre.He could invade on b2 with one of his rooks and exert pressure.After a counter attack one of his knights jumped in at d4 and white gave the exchange.The remaining centre pawns came avalanching down and white also sacrificed a bishop.The black d-pawn then became unstopable and white resigned.

Christophe prepared for a sicilian dragon with an early h4 thrust.He castled queenside, exchanged some pieces and grabbed the d-pawn.Leading in development and coordination, he could dicatate matters and get into a better rook ending in which he showed impeccable technique to get the well deserved win.

Chris played an unusual system with black and castled queenside.He tried to create counterplay on the king wing by sacrifcing his g- pawn.The plan backfired and all white’s pieces came swarming to the king.Chris lost oads of material and soon resigned.

Dino played the London system against 500 rating points more.His opponent had prepared an active setup.White’s king wing remained undeveloped and black won a piece.With the d-pawn threatening to advance Dino had to give even more material and decided to call it a day.

TL66 :: R4 – Not the best result

LightSpartans 2-2 EyeOfTheTigran:TheGlare
23455 marjohn vs Aromas 1-0
23456 kliszek vs Troisvierges 0-1
23457 Chebein vs herrahuu 0-1
23458 NeoNunes vs LordTyraad 1-0

On board 1 John played his favorite English opening and got two minor pieces for a rook after his opponent tried to combine.In the middle game he parried all the threats and managed to bring his d pawn forward and black had to give more material.Now being two minor pieces down he resigned.

On board 2 Mart found an improvement for black of a round 2 game of his opponent.He could occupy the second rank with his rooks.After exchanging all the remaining pieces a won pawn endgame resulted for Mart.

On board 3 Chris opened 1.d4 and 2.a3. After a bishop sacrifice on f2 the white king had to wander across the board being chased by the queen, two knights and a bishop.After the dust had settled white was two pieces down and resigned.

On board 4 a well prepared Dino managed to stymie his opponents opening initiative.However an invading knight on c5 cost him a bishop.In the middle game he lost an exchange and with the pressure mounting on his king Dino had to exchange his remaining rook leaving him in a lost endgame.

All in all we drew against the lowest team which wasn’t what we had hoped for.