Norfolk and Suffolk Cup Final

IAN WALLIS has kindly provided the following report on the Final of the Norfolk and Suffolk Cup, when Suffolk winners Ipswich faced Norfolk’s Broadland Chess Club, on 28 May, in Ipswich.

“It was a very close match, despite Broadland turning up with a stronger than expected team.   Grading-wise the teams were evenly matched, however I thought with the given board orders Broadland were favourites.   Ipswich won the toss and had White on odds.

Mine was the first game to finish.   I played an inferior line in the opening and gave my opponent an advantage which he duly converted.   Nick was next, taking a draw in a balanced position but one that could have gone wrong if playing too hard to win.

Shaun obtained a winning position with a neat combination that forced a win of the queen for two minor pieces.   The result was never in doubt although his opponent stubbornly played on to the end, no doubt not wanting to resign for the sake of the team.   I’m sure he would have resigned earlier in an individual game.

This left the match evenly poised 1½ – 1½ with three games to go.

Silas on top board was being outplayed despite putting up valiant resistance.   Steve was gradually improving his position and had a slight edge but with plenty for both sides to play for.   Graham‘s game was still unclear.

Steve finally obtained a better position and went on to checkmate.   We were ahead for the first time.

Silas resistance ran out and he resigned.   So. with the match all square again the result hinged on the final game.   A win, or a draw, would give victory to Ipswich as the first tie-break rule for this competition is, rather unusually, board elimination rather than board count.   Had it been board count a draw would have favoured Broadland.

Both players were down to a couple of minutes.   Graham had sacrificed his last minor piece for some pawns and was playing R + 4/5 against R + N + P.   And then catastrophe; with at least a draw in sight he stumbled into a mate in the middle of the board.   Thus Broadland won the match 3½-2½.”