Worcestershire Chess Association

If you have corrections or know scores of other matches in this season, please contact Ray Collett

 

Hagley defeat trophy holders and win the final President Peter Kitson, left, presents the Wheatley Memorial Cup to Tony West for the Hagley team

 

Round 1
Worcester City (home) - Malvern (away): Worcester won 3½ - 2¾
Greenlands, Hagley, Kidderminster I and Kidderminster II and Redditch had byes.

Quarter Finals
Worcester (home) - Hagley played 7 April Hagley won 5 - 3 on handicap
Headless Cross (home) - Kidderminster I (away) played 23 March Kidderminster won 4 - 2¾
Greenlands - Bye

Semi-Finals
Greenlands - Hagley Hagley won 4½ - 4 on handicap
Redditch (home) - Kidderminster II (away) Kidderminster won 4½ - 3

Final:

Kidderminster - Hagley played 20 May Hagley won 3 - 2

 

 

Worcester City - Malvern		Quarter final	KO Cup
Board	Home team	Score	Away team
1 2 3 4 5 .	Steve Mellor (181) Peter Kitson (171) Ed Osbourn (157) Ray Collett (153) Andrew Farthing (144) Handicap (806-738)/50 = 1¼	0 - 1 1 - 0 ½ - ½ 1 - 0 1 - 0     0 - 1¼	Brian Turner (185) Geoffrey Herbert (173) John Knee (153) Tony Shaw (130) Barry Stone (97) .
	Result	3½ - 2¾	Played 3 February
Match report from Ray Collett. Although Malvern did not bring a full strength side, they appeared to have sufficient talent at the top end to topple Worcester and get revenge for recent losses to Worcester in the County League. Worcester had to score at least 3½ points to proceed in this team handicap tournament. The match started dramatically when Worcester's Andrew Farthing won after just 8 moves and 20 minutes play. The top board also finished early with a win for Brian Turner to even the match score. The remaining three games went to the end. Peter Kitson (Worcester) was first to finish. Board 3 players arrived at a queen and multi-pawn ending where Ed Osbourn's (Worcester) active queen was balanced by an exposed king. In the quick-play ending Ed lost a pawn, and scrambled a draw. In the last game to finsh, Malvern's Tony Shaw had converted a promising middle game position into a minor piece ending where his king was well positioned to support an advanced passed pawn. In the quick-play ending, Worcester's Ray Collett benefited from a mistake that allowed him to create an outside passed pawn. This pawn pinned down Tony's knight. Worse was to follow in the time scramble when another poor move allowed Ray to defend his pawn's queening square. The Malvern player ran out of time and Worcester were victorious. [Commentary on board 3 corrected 15 Feb].

Headless Cross - Kidderminster 1		Quarter final	KO Cup
Board	Home team	Score	Away team
1 2 3 4 5 .	Ashley Davis Glenn Cox Mark Hore Terry Radford Ronald Thompson Handicap	0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 0 0 - 1 1¾ - 0	Maurice Bissell Frank Pickett John Chester ?Mike Kitchen Clive Billinge .
	Result	2¾ - 4	Played 23 March
Match report from Lawrence Wheatley.

Worcester City - Hagley		Quarter final	KO Cup
Board	Home team	Score	Away team
1 2 3 4 5 .	Steve Mellor (181) Ed Osbourn (157) Ray Collett (153) Andrew Farthing (144) Roger Yates (102) Handicap (737-582)/50 = 3	0 - 1 0 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 0 1 - 0 0 - 3	Craig Evans (167) Andrew Moore (148) Graham Wyle (115) Julian Taylor (79) Bill Sitch (73) .
	Result	3 - 5
Match report from Ray Collett. Although Hagley won the toss, they chose to have white on even boards. The evening started predictably enough with Worcester gaining points on the three lowest boards after about two hours play. Worcester's captain had a scare when his opponent sprang a combination to win a central pawn with a knight sacrifice. Fortunately for Worcester the ensuing exchanges led to white getting a pawn on e7 and Collett was able to defend the pawn and protect its queening square. The top two boards played to the end with the two Worcester players eventually losing on time. On board 2, Hagley captain Andrew Moore looked to have a disadvantageous rook and minor piece ending. His opponent was down on time and his position deteriorated as the players entered a rook and pawn ending. At the flag fall, material was equal and the position drawn. On top board, Steve Mellor's king was under severe pressure, but Hagley's new player Craig Evans, had only five minutes left to press home the attack whereas Steve Mellor had forty minutes left. Craig decided to pass up the chance to win the exchange and Mellor's king had to run from b1 to g4 across a rapidly disintigrating central field. By the end, both players were moving instantly, both having less than a minute on their clocks. Steve's flag fell first to give Hagley a victory on handicap .

Hagley - Greenlands		Semi-final	KO Cup
Board	Home team	Score	Away team
1 2 3 4 5 .	Andrew Moore (148) Peter Owen (88) Michael Reitenbach (80) Bill Sitch (73) Tony West (66) Handicap (625-455)/50=3½	0 - 1 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 3½ - 0	Laurence Wheatley (152) Ian Truscott (136) Ian Ellis (137) Brian Allsop (107) John Lloyd (93) .
	Result	4½ - 4	Played 15 April
Match report from Laurence Wheatley and Andrew Moore. A close match!!

Redditch - Kidderminster		Semi-final	KO Cup
Board	Home team	Score	Away team
1 2 3 4 5 .	David Spowart (129) Derek Abraham (121) Ian Clack (119) Giles Stanton (114) Michele Clack (106) Handicap (705-589)/50=2½	0 - 1 0 - 1 0 - 1 ½ - ½ 0 - 1 2½ - 0	David Close (152) Maurice Bissell (151) Mark Riley (145) Tim Yates (130) John Gittus (127) .
	Result	3 - 4½	Played 11 May 2011
Match report from Controller.

Kidderminster - Hagley		Final	KO Cup
Board	Home team	Score	Away team
1 2 3 4 5 .	John Wrench (169) Maurice Bissell (152) Mark Riley (145) John Chester (144) Paul Thomas (121) Handicap (731-721)/50= 0	½ - ½ ½ - ½ 0 - 1 ½ - ½ ½ - ½	Craig Evans (167) Jim Friar (163) Andrew Moore (148) James P Friar (130) Greg Voskanian (113) .
	Result	2 - 3	Played 20 May
Match reported by Jim Friar.