“What,” asked Adam Smith, “can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience?”.
The answer is obvious – a decent game of chess followed by a good dinner. Whilst the founding father of economics may not have known this, the NLC chessplayers of Whitehall Place are in no doubt.
But it would be wrong to think this meant that economists had nothing to teach Liberals. Far from it. As was proven when the London School of Economics sent their best and brightest to play the NLC in a friendly on Monday 03 February.
It can’t be denied: they took us back to School. In a six board match the students won 4.5 to 1.5. A culinary draw on board 6 meant that it was down to Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) to save Liberal pride.
This was the first friendly for the NLC to be held against non-Hamilton Russell opposition, and perhaps marks the beginning of a broadening out of NLC opponents. The LSE lads were very welcome indeed, fine opponents and excellent dinner company. We were glad to host them.
Here’s how it went.
Board 1
How many times has it been written that the NLC Board 1 is a tough job? If you’re lucky you might scrape a draw against a tough opponent. But when a 200+ opponent sits down across the board even a half point looks like victory. Doctor Kirby wasn’t aiming for great victory but rather survival. Alas, after 33…Kh8 it was over, as white will push through on the h file. A respectable performance nonetheless from the Lib board 1.
Board 2
It was John Maynard Keynes’s view that “There is no harm in being sometimes wrong – especially if one is promptly found out”. It was wrong of Captain Chamberlain to play 19…Bxe4 and he promptly found out. But we must agree with Keynes , against opposition rated also rated 200, there really is little harm done.
Board 3
The game of the night on Board 3. Fresh from his time trouble disaster at the MCC Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) was keen to do it all over again…
After the 19…e5 central thrust things began to get very complicated in the congested centre, with multiple variations and move order swaps to calculate. Swaps ensued, and after 20.Qg3 white seemed to have come out much the better, and after 28…Qd8 29.Rd2 it should have been white’s game. But an unwise 31.f4 push from white opened the diagonals to his king and put things back on a level footing. Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) smelt blood and and after further 37.Qe3 slip from white he was a rook up. That would have been fine but learned counsel found himself with only 1m 34s with which to present his closing arguments, compared to white’s 3m 01s. A draw offer was declined by white and Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) was taking the team right back to the MCC pavilion…Could he see it through? White pressed on, time ticked down on both clocks, but after the exchange of queens both players had a minute left, with black a rook up. White offered his hand. Lib blushes spared. Time trouble conquered. Well done Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon). Steady nerves under great pressure.
Board 4
Doctor Saldanha has had a career in finance, managing investment portfolios and heading global risk management teams and now lectures in financial modelling. So he knows his way around an economics textbook. But it didn’t help his chess that night as LSE student ruthlessly identified the weakness in Doctor Saldanha’s position and exploited it to force the win.
Board 5
Our Good Friend Mister Taylor dug deep on Board 5. White came at him hard, and kept coming, with a queenside squeeze and a constant harrassing of the black queen with the white knight. Mister Taylor dodged and weaved but eventually the student landed a plum blow.
Board 6
Board six had was a roller coaster. Mister Sharland was nearly lost outright when Felix Marshall took his queen, only to recover his position by investing hard in an attack with his minor pieces. By the end Mister Sharland had managed to promote a pawn and so was well up, whereupon the dinner bell rang, and an honourable culinary draw was agreed.
Dinner
There’s no chess without dinner, and tonight was no different. Determined to show the LSE the best of things the two teams settled down for an excellent and refreshing dinner.
It has become, rather regrettably, a semi-regular feature of this journal that Doctor Kirby has to affix a ‘comments box’ addendum to match reports that provide the details of the night’s menu. This dinner is sadly no different. Scallops? Then chicken? Then something in a glass for desert?
Plenty of wine though – that recollection is clear. Followed by some whiskies at the bar and Mister Widdicombe shamelessly playing the recruiting sergeant…
And that brought to a close the first ever NLC v London School of Economics chess match. We hope the LSE enjoyed themselves, and look forward to playing them again soon.
Now back to the long slog of Hamilton Russell action.
Instead of playing 25…Bf8, computer says Qc7 and I’m actually up. It was the logical move after exchanging the rooks but faced with the knights banging around my front door I went into defensive mode. Qc7 looking to penetrate to c2 was the better option. After that everything went a bit wrong – 26…hg5 is just daft, I could probably have got away with g6, Nf6 being met with …Nxf6 and hopefully the Bf8 bishop holds the door shut.
Scallops in a good sauce, then Chicken Harissa with vegetables (including lovely roasted sweet potatoes) and then Trifle (in aforementioned glass).