Looking at the match sheet, Somerset were pretty big favourites on paper, with an average grade of 162 per board, compared with 154 for Gloucs. It looked like we should do well on the top few boards, and the bottom half dozen, whilst the middle boards were largely even matched. I should also mention, and no doubt I'll be corrected on this one, that we had Russell Barlow and Jerry Hendy who I believe were making their debuts in this match.

Upon arriving at the village hall, we discovered to our horror...no tea and coffee. Personally, I drink water so it wasn't a problem, but I got the feeling I was largely in the minority. Long story short, after trapsing through a few villages where the only business seemed to be a vets, we arrived back slightly late for the start of the game, but with tea and coffee in hand.

Take a quick guess which match finished first. Honestly, if I hadn't have been at the match, I'd have said Jack Rudd's as well. And I'd have been wrong. Board 10 was already well into an ending as I was sitting down to start my game. I think when they reached the time control at least one of the 2 players had more time then they started the match with. Normally one might question the wisdom of playing at such a speed, but given that Jerry bought home the win from a pawn up, I won't complain too much.

I believe it was Jack who's game finished next, winning an ending an exchange up, albeit not without a great deal of difficulty. This was shortly followed by a draw on board 14, which put us on 2.5/3.

Sadly the next game to finish was the first game to go against us. Peter Bending came up with a very nice sacrifice on e5 on the black side of a french defence, and brought home the point shortly afterwards.

This was followed by Andrew Gilmour heavily emphasising the risky part of Chris Purry's risky opening strategy, to score an impressive win and level the match score.

Around about this time, we had a rather strong spectator arrive, GM Matthew Turner. He had come to hand out some leaflets for his Millfield Rapidplay Tournament (this Sunday, held at Millfield School, funnily enough.)

My game was looking typically dull-as- dishwater, until my opponent sent his queen out commando style, only to regret it a few moves later, as it got trapped on the side of the board. I've annotated it below, but I'd advise skipping ahead to the last few moves, where it starts to get quite fun.

I must confess the next part of the report is a little difficult for me to write, so if anyone who was watching wants to help fill in the blanks here, please do. Essentially a flurry of results came in whilst I was analysing my game with my opponent in the other room.

When I arrived back from analysing my game, we were down 8-7, with one game left. I really don't envy the people in this situation- with everyone watching and the noise of tables, chair, sets etc getting packed away, it isn't at all easy. Nevertheless, the hero of the day was Tim Wallis, successfully converting an ending an exchange up, and securing the draw for Somerset.

So, 2 draws from the 2 matches so far, and next up is the big match- Somerset- Devon. Last season we scored our first match win against them in quite a number of years, sneaking home by the odd point en route to winning the league. I imagine they'll be out for some revenge this time around. The match is being played on Feb. 13th, at West Buckland Village Hall, near Wellington. Note the "near Wellington" part, as there is a West Buckland in Devon as well, I believe.

White: B. Edgell Black: J. Jenkins

1. Nf3 Nf6
2. g3 g6
3. Bg2 Bg7
4. 0-0 0-0
5. d4 d6

My opponent chooses to be the one to break the symmetry, and we're into a Fianchetto King's Indian.

I had a feeling I should go for d5 at some point here, I just wasn't especially confident with it, and so decided to vary from my usual play.

Black is, of course going for b5- b4. I could go for 9.e4 b5 10. e5, but I fancied the quiet life.

Honestly, not a good move. I think black should be fine after 9...a5, stopping me from getting b4 in and then concentrating on pushing on down the k-side. I knew this was bad, I just hoped that the surprise value of it levelled out against the objective weakness of it.

Of course 10.Qd3 Nb3 is probably perfectly acceptable for black.

I was expecting c5 straight away. I'm not sure black wants to put his bishop on b7, as it gets in the way of his b5 idea, and I also have the opportunity to block it out of the game with a well timed d5, e4 if necessary.

Ducking out of the way of any possible Nb4 ideas. Believe it or not I'd spotted something rather quite clever if I do say so, with this move.

I imagine my opponent was expecting me to repeat the position here with Nf3 Na5 Nd2 etc.

The point I'd worked out at move 14 was 16...cxd4 17. Nd5, when moving the queen allows me to take back on d4, and 17...Nxd5 18. cxd5 d3 19. Qxd3 Bxb2 20. Rxc6 when the control of the c-file along with possibly Nf3-d4-c6, gives me a clear advantage. However, looking back at it in the cold light of day 16...cxd4 17. Nd5 Qd8 18. exd4 Nxd5 19.cxd5 Nxd4 leaves black a pawn up. I may have some compensation, but it certainly wasn't what I was aiming for.

A poor move by black. For the reasons stated at move 10, black wants his light-squared bishop on the c8- h3 diagonal, rather then the a8-h1 diagonal, and this moves blocks the bishop off down this diagonal. 16...Bd7 was a better option.

Compare the position with the one after black's 12th move, and the only changes have been white playing Rac1 and e3, and black playing Qd7. Funny to think that the game ends in 6 moves time.

Black had a plan in mind starting with 16...Qd7, but it simply doesn't work. This move provokes white into playing e4, which is a move I'd have probably played at some point in the near future anyway.

1-0

*****************************************************************

5th December 2009 - friendly - ....... Somerset v Dorset 9.5 - 6.5

*****************************************************************

17th October 2009 ....... Somerset v Hampshire 8.0 - 8.0

Somerset- Hampshire match report.

I thought that after stepping down as match captain last season, I could enjoy some nice relaxing chess with none of the stress. Not yet at least. I was stand-in captain for the day.
This was the first match of the season, with Somerset defending the South West County Championship that they won last season, and hoping to build on our pre-season success in the WECU Jamboree. Roger Morgan is our new captain for this season. Sadly he was unavailable for the match, but nevertheless deserves a lot of credit for agreeing to captain and organise the teams. Not an easy job, but very much an essential one for Somerset chess.
When we arrived there was a slight problem. Namely Somerset hadn’t brought their 8 boards and sets. Hmm… not the best of starts to a season. As it turned out we were fortunate that Jim Fewkes could drive back to Yeovil, which was only about 30 minutes at most away, and for 8 of our players the match started about an hour later then anticipated.
Apologies to the people who were left waiting, and equally so to Hampshire chess.

When the match started it was difficult to tell exactly how close the match was, and there were no Hampshire grades written down, but from the few Hampshire players whose grades I could remember, it looked like a close match. I think Hampshire probably had slightly the stronger players towards the bottom, but at the same time any match where we have someone of Jack Rudd’s strength not on top board is always a good sign.

The match started fairly badly for us. Chris Strong won a couple of pawns but in return his opponent gained a strong attack, and finished with a flourish. The next game to finish was mine. Playing as black 12… Kg6 wasn’t exactly part of the plan, but it held together okay. We reached a position with R+ opposite coloured bishops where there was very little in the position, and I got offered a draw. I have to admit at this point when I looked around at the other games I was more then a little worried, but ultimately I decided I lacked the Arkell-esque grinding skills (for anyone unaware, Keith Arkell is an English GM who’s ground out more dull positions then the result of the planet combined) necessary to get anything from the position and agreed the draw. The next game to finish was Jack Rudd’s. The way Jack plays the positions after 1.e4 e5 2.d4 would probably cause me to switch openings if we ever played, and he scored another impressive victory. As Jack’s opponent put it after the match “I thought I’d avoid playing you on board 2”.

There was a fairly long delay before the next few results came in, before a flurry of results shortly after the time control. Chris McKinley’s piece sacrifice for 2 pawns looked visually very attractive, but ultimately it turned out that looking good was all that Chris’ extra 2 pawns did, and after the extra bishop gobbled them up, it was goodnight Vienna in short order. John Kilmister, Michael Cooper, Kells Stanton, and Kevin Paine all put up decent fights against higher grade opposition, but ultimately succumbed. On the plus side Chris Dorrington managed to beat a very strong opponent with black, Geoff Berryman ground out a tough endgame, and Jonathan Latham, David- Painter Kooiman, and Colin Stanton all got excellent wins as well, whilst Jim Fewkes held a slightly worse position to get a draw.

In case you wonder why having described the first few matches in so much detail, I’ve then summarised most of the remainder of the matches in barely a couple of sentences, I kind’ve decided to play 5 minute games rather then pay any attention to the match for a fair while after my game finished. Moving swiftly on…

When I went back to the playing hall it was dead level at 7 all, with 2 games remaining. I thought Gerry Jepps was winning; I can’t remember if it was an exchange up or a full piece, but he was material up at least. His opponent tried a rook sacrifice. It was either a moment of inspiration or desperation, and fortunately for us it turned out to be the latter. Gerry brought home the win shortly afterwards.

This left us with board 14- Stan Hill against John Wiseman. After blundering a pawn in the opening, Stan had put up impressive resistance, but a pawn is as they say a pawn, and John won out in a Knight and pawn ending.

So Somerset’s season begins with a hard fought draw. I’ve included my game below which you’re willing to use any which way you see fit. It’s not as interesting as I made it sound, but it’s short at least, so you won’t get too bored playing through it. Anyone else who wants to send me a copy of their game, I’m happy to annotate it, and add it to this report.

Board 3, Somerset- Hampshire

White: A. McDougall Black: B. Edgell,

1. e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 Nf6
Yup, the Berlin defence. It’s an invitation to be bored really. The main line goes 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 and then a few coma- inducingly dull hours of endgame fun.
4.Nc3
One of the many ways of avoiding the coma. This transposes into the 4 knights opening.
4... Bb4
0-0 Bxc3?!
I guess not strictly an error, but having shown I’m quite content to spend an afternoon playing a dull position, why change strategy?
5… 0-0 6.d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Qe7 followed by Nd8- e6 is the main line.
bxc3 Nxe4
Sad to say I was already on my own at this point. I play 1…e5 in reply to 1.e4, have done so for a while, but don’t know the theory to one of the more common white openings beyond move 6. Wee bit embarrassing.
Qe2
Already the position’s a bit difficult for black. I probably should’ve opted for 7…Nf6, when both 8. Nxe5 and 8 Bxc6 look pretty good for white, but I can at least hope to get away with castling and then worry about how to deal with those 2 pesky bishops. My choice was, to put it bluntly, a bit thick.
7…Nd6
Okay. I had seen that after Qxe5+ Kf8 was forced, and it all looked rather ugly indeed, yet I played it anyway. I guess I was hoping to drag my opponent down to my level of familiarity with the position rather then a position he’d seen countless times previously. Which is much more of an excuse then a rational reason.
8. Bxc6 dxc6
9. Qxe5+
Hitting g7, so my reply’s forced.
9….Kf8
All looks rather horrible doesn’t it? I’m down on development by a long way, the king on f8 looks weak and blocks in the rook on h8, whilst white’s bishop can come to a3, the knight to e5 or g5 and the Rook to e1 in swift order.
10. Re1 f6
Not a move I particularly want to make. It does seem to invite the knight into e6 via g5 or d4, but I have to get the rook across to the e-file fairly quickly.
11. Qf4 Kf7
This encourages white to carry on the idea of bringing the knight into the attack, but it’s the only way of bringing the rook on h8 into the game.
12. Ng5+?!
I think white may have missed, or possibly missed the strength of, my next move. 12. Ne5+ looks like a better option. 12. Ne5+ Kg8 13. Nc4 Here Fritz recommends 13… g5, which I think you’d have to be made of metal to even consider. I was planning to grovel with 13…b5 and then after 14. Nxd6 cxd6 15.Ba3 Kf7 16.Bxd6 Be6 we’re in opposite coloured bishop territory. White’s extra pawn certainly gives him an edge, but I think it’s going to be very difficult to win it all the same.
12…Kg6!! 13. Ne4
Of course d4 just loses the knight on g5, as the queen is protecting the pawn, so the knight has to move. 13. Ne6 Bxe6 Rxe6 Kf7 is fine for black. White could play 13. Nf3, admitting Ng5 wasn’t the wisest move. Not sure I have much better then Kf7 repeating, when white could play Ne5+.
13… Nxe4
14. Rxe4 Qd6
I’ve only got the queen and the king off the back rank, and yet my king’s safe as houses. It’s a funny old game.
15. Qe3?!
Not the best square for the queen after my reply. Either h4 or f3 were better squares.
15…Bf5!
The clever little point here is that after 16. Re7 Qxe7! 17. Qxe7 Rhe8 the back rank threat means white has to give up the queen as well as the c2 pawn afterwards.
16. Rd4 Qe5
16…Rae8 is an idea when 17. Rxd6 Rxe3 18. Rxf6+ gxf6 19. dxe3 Bxc2 leaves us in another opposite bishops position, where ironically my active king gives me the slightest of edges.
17. Qxe5 fxe5
18. Rb4 b6
19. d3
Here I was offered a draw and spent a while thinking about it, more based on how I thought the match was going then the position. I can play on here and barring anything horrific shouldn’t lose, but at the same time I couldn’t think of a decent plan to make any head-way.
0.5-0.5

*****************************************************************