Saved by the bell
An incident from the last 4NCL weekend:
White has built up a promising position and is closing in on the Black king, no doubt confident of impending victory.
Black, the higher-rated player, realises the danger and using the old adage, a wing attack should be countered by play in the centre, plays:
16. … f6?? This is a fatal weakening, better to wait it out and try to swap further material with 16. … Ba6. 17. h5! Threatening 18. Ng6+ hxg6 19. hxg6+ Kg8 20. Rh8+! Kxh8 21. Qh3+ Kg8 22. Qh7 mate.
17. … Qf7 The best Black can expect is to emerge the exchange down. 18. Ng6+ Kg8 19. Nxf8 Nxf8 20. h6
White has a significant advantage now and is patiently waiting to see how Black intends to continue the struggle…
However, White is suddenly lost 0-1.
How did that happen?
Black was saved by the bell, White’s phone to be precise; it rang and White lost!
We all know we have to turn off phones before a match; the tournament controller may even remind everyone of this. However that doesn’t guarantee that it will happen. Fortunately it didn’t affect the result of the match. White’s team won convincingly without his help.
and that is why you shouldn't have your phone in an important match like the 4NCL. It should have been kept in somewhere like a suitcase in your or someone's car or at reception!
Chris D
His captain should have warned him!
;-P
TL
Wonder who his captain was…??
Hi All,
It is not the captain's job to tell his players to follow the rules of chess although a general reminder to silence mobile telephones should be given to all players before the start of play.
I cannot understand why some people are so addicted to their mobile telephones that they cannot turn them off for the short period of a 4NCL match.
The penalty is well known having been applied at Grandmaster level.
If need be it takes just a few seconds to remove the battery from a mobile phone and then there is no chance of it making any form of noise whatever.
So the player had a won game and then threw it away by his own disregard for good chess ettiuette
.
I hope his captain gave him a good slice of tongue pie!.
David Green
He was the captain…