Horsham KO team well beaten by Uckfield

KO Captain Mark Broom reports:

On Wednesday November 12th Horsham went to Uckfield to play in the Knockout Cup, a handicap tournament. The score a team needs to win varies depending upon the total grading difference between the teams. I had selected a team based upon the likely composition of the opposition and was pleased to see that while we outgraded our opponents, we only needed to win 2.5-1.5, with a draw meaning that Uckfield would win. Sadly, this was the only thing that went to plan that night!

All four games were tight and competitive. My game on top board was a complex English opening and I had one chance for a significant advantage, but after I missed it, my opponent played well and I had to settle for a draw. On board 2, Rob was on the black side of a Slav and gained an advantage, but chose the wrong plan and ended up in a good knight vs bad bishop endgame which was a smooth conversion for white. On board 3, Ian’s English opening led to a cramped middlegame, but as the board opened up, he seemed to have a positional edge. In time trouble though, the game became increasingly wild and his opponent managed to promote a passed pawn. On board 4, John had black in a Ruy Lopez and was initially fairly even. His opponent developed activity on the queenside, but Johns' kingside attack led to a rook and pawn endgame which was winning with the right plan. Short of time, he chose the wrong plan which led to a draw.

The match could have gone either way, but the final scoreline was convincing. Well played to Uckfield.

Uckfield v Horsham

1. Arran Airlie (B) 1917 1/2-1/2 Mark Broom 2138

2. Michael Stockham 1724 1-0 Rob McDonald 1838

3. Joseph Wright 1737 1-0 Ian Edgson 1785

4. Brian Stockham 1587 1/2-1/2 John Marshall 1715

[Total grades 6965 and 7476, difference 511]