He’s been coveting the top spot for years. Season after season he’s had to resign himself to merely Board 3, whilst all the time harbouring the fierce desire to play top Board for the Libs. Jealously eyeing those above him in the Board order, he’s wondered what more he had to do to reach the blessed plane of top board status.
But now all those endless hours of opening theory, rook endgame practice and tactics puzzles [sub-editors, please check this] finally paid off for Mister Ioannou, when Captain Giffin KC MA (Oxon) stepped aside against the Hurlingham on 17 October to let Mister Ionnou’s take the hallowed first spot.
His life dream is fulfilled. He may now die contented.
The scores
Mister Ioannou didn’t miss his chance, seeing Stephen Quartermain off in just twelve minutes.
Here’s the game:
Said the Lib Board 1 after the game: “Board 1 against Stephen Quartermaine was very serious. He panicked because he was using time and made a silly move with his pawn on b6 and Bishop to b7. He also moved his King to h7. The trade of off his Queen for my 2 rooks was probably a tactical error too. The reason I know all this is because he insisted on having a post mortem after the game! He kept telling me I didn’t use the textbook opening of “such and such variation”. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I barely know the names of the pieces, let alone the openings!!”.
Keeping true to the tradition of NLC amateurism. Well done Mister Ioannou. (And by the way Mister Ioannou, ‘B’ is for Bishop, not the Knight (that’s the proper name for the horsey piece). Just try to remember for next time you write down your moves…)
The other games saw Captain Giffin KC MA (Oxon) go down to the tricky Michael Yeoh
Doctor Saldanha, on Board 3, powered through against Philip Fleury.
And NLC Chess debutant Miss Yu won her very first match as a Lib by bettering Gavin Graham.
So NLC 3 – 1 Hurlingham. A decent night’s work.
Dinner
Quail followed by Octopus? Err…
But whatever’s on the menu, it always leaves our guests smiling. The wine helps.
