A small and select online gathering this week, with Mister Widdicombe nobly at his desk protecting the health of the nation, and others perhaps starting to dream of real life encounters over the board once more. But a gang of five stalwarts gathered to fit in five or so games apiece.
The evening turned into a ding-dong battle for top spot between Miss Widger and Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon), with Mister Iounnou uncharacteristically out of form, and Mister Bitty unlucky not to trouble the scorers on this occasion despite taking several matches into complex middle games on even terms. Somewhere in the middle was Captain Chamberlain, who despatched Mister Iounnou and Mister Bitty, but in his two encounters with Miss Widger enjoyed all the success of Mike Atherton facing Glenn McGrath in the 1990s.
The crucial Giffin-Widger encounter was a 93 move epic, with Miss Widger ahead most of the way but ultimately trying too hard to win and exchanging into a lost ending. Despite Miss Widger’s last round win, her rival then hung on for the draw against Captain Chamberlain who was unable to find a way through as the clocks ticked down, leaving Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) a rather fortunate short head in front of the field.
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…
This week’s games showcase the two faces of Captain Chamberlain – unsuccessful blitzkrieg, followed by ultimately triumphant trench warfare.
The first game is his wild first encounter with Miss Widger, in which the balance swings back and forth before the Captain’s position falls apart with all the suddenness of an England batting collapse.
This second is a much longer war of attrition against Mister Iounnou, although that description hardly does justice to the speed with which Mister Iounnou maanges to get through his moves. Emerging a pawn up in a rook ending, Captain Chamberlain keeps a cool head to win the resulting pawn race.
And as a final game, the Editorial Committee didn’t feel able to mention a 93 move game in passing without including it in the report. It’s a rumbustious affair. And suitably for a match report pulling on some military themes, the game was decided by a trebuchet.