She’s been threatening it for some time. For the last few weeks the NLC’s own Vera Menchik has been quietly dispatching the best the Chess Circle has to offer – first taking down Captain ‘Hardicanute’ Chamberlain a few weeks ago and then seeing off Doctor ‘NRK104’ Kirby last week. And in between slaying those two she’s been topping the odd Hamilton Russell evenings too.
It is therefore no surprise that her no-nonsense, straightforward and direct brand of chess is paying dividends. On Wednesday 13 May she tied for first with Mister ‘Ndi78’ Iounnou with an impressive score of 3/4 in the new ‘Swiss System’ competition.
Games of the week
Each week, this journal’s Editorial Committee will present to the Chess Circle two online games from that week’s session that, in their esteemed view, display a particularly lively charm. Perhaps it will be a ferocious attack, or a dogged defence, maybe a catastrophic blunder or simply something that piques the Committee’s interest…
The first game of the week shows, once again, how online chess is tricky beast. Here is Mister ‘Ndi78; Iounnou, the hot favourite for the night, slipping up against Doctor ‘antquox’ Saldanha in an equal rook and pawn endgame. But for this Saldanha victory, Mister ‘Ndi78’ Iounnou would have gained a clear first place.
The second game of the week sees the Major wrestling with our Landsdowne Club guest Mister Steve Phillips. The Major is getting stronger every week and is turning out to be quite the wily player, as Mister Phillips found to his cost…
But as Miss ‘Leegunner1’ Widger is the star of this edition, it seems only right that a game of hers is shown. So for this week only convention is thrown to the wind, and a third game of the week given. Here she overcomes Mister ‘blo9981’ Bitty with a ruthless efficiency.