One of our tenets in the NLC is the need to avoid whitewashes. Whitewashes aren’t good. A 6-0 defeat in particular looks like a team of middleweights who’ve wandered into a heavyweight contest by accident and been thumped. It’s important to keep a semblance of a contest even if you’re outclassed. We have our pride.
The NLC was thus perturbed by the RAC team which turned up at Whitehall Place. It’s never a good sign when Natasha Regan (Women’s International Master) is on Board 2. It’s even worse when Richard Hughes (double winner of the Ming Vase) is on Board 6. Had the RAC seen the league table? Was there the faintest doubt that the Libs weren’t tail end Charlies but had found some chess playing skill on the way from the Embankment? Things didn’t look good.
The Libs played well under the circumstances. All matches went into the second hour, but the dominoes kept falling. Under the circumstances it was time for a bit of Boycott. Doctor Kirby showed a steadfast ability to ignore reality, a superior opponent, the losses elsewhere and the phalanx of pawns advancing towards him to battle to a drawn ending. A 5.5 to 0.5 defeat, but honour saved.
Board 1
After losing the toss, Doctor Kirby had Black against the 2090 Elo rated Chris Gant. The opponent sidestepped the intended Nimzo-Indian with 3 g3. Rather than defend the Catalan (3…d5) and its nagging pull, the Doctor headed for the Modern Benoni with 3…c5. The opponent got a King’s Side attack moving, but Doctor K always had compensation on the Queen’s Side and a defendable position. White couldn’t find a killer blow and with three minutes left each agreed a draw.
Board 2
Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) faced a very difficult task against Women’s International Master Natasha Regan on Board 2. He was White against a Sicilian defence which quickly left theoretical lines. Our legal star followed his usual plan of castling Queen’s Side and launching an attack on the other flank. A lesser opponent would have crumbled, but Black smashed up white’s pawn structure, gained pawns and then dug in with accurate defence including major pieces on the 6th rank to stop an incursion. Mister Giffin’s attack never quite got there.
Board 3
Young Master Jacobs had Black against the dangerous Wayne Clark. As you go up the ladder, the opponents get better prepared. Wayne Clark played a Vienna Game with 3 f4 and effectively ended up with a good King’s Gambit position with mobile centre pawns and quick development. The Young Master was ground down by the advancing army.
Board 4
Mister Ioannou was another to experience a hardier class of opponent than usual in Henry McWatters. It was a hard battle in a Queen’s pawn opening with White fianchettoing the King’s Bishop. White made a pawn break on e4 which led to exchanges. Black had a centralised position and gradually drove White back.
Board 5
Miss ‘Vera’ Widger had Black against RAC captain Rob Matthews. The RAC skipper is known to play a Stonewall with White. Vera was doing well with Rob Matthews having to respond to her attack until she blundered a piece and then fell into a knight fork which won her Queen.
Board 6
Mister Widdicombe had White against the ever-dangerous Richard Hughes. The thing with Richard Hughes is that you think you’re winning, until suddenly you realise you’re not. Mister Widdicombe was going well and invading the opponent’s position when the wheel turned and things started going backwards.
Dinner
And so to dinner. The RAC are always a friendly bunch and it was great to welcome them back to Whitehall Place. The kitchen came through again with two choices for each course. Getting food was one thing, but keeping it was a bit harder. Natasha Regan had to reclaim her starter after a Dining Room mix-up led to it being taken away. It was the only thing the RAC lost all night.
