2014-2015

Bronowski Trophy Competition Cross Table for Season: 2014-2015 – Report date: 1-Jul-2015
	1	2	3	4	MP	GP
1 Legal	****	7½	6½	7	3	21
2 Insurance	4½	****	7	7½	2	19
3 Commercial	5½	5	****	7	1	17½
4 Banks	5	4½	5	****	0	14½

At the start of the last fixture, Legal had only to score 5½ Game Points to head Insurance, with whom Legal were level on MP. Naturally, Legal took nothing for granted and closed out their campaign by beating Banks 7-5 to win back the Silver Knight. Congratulations to Steven Coles and the Legal squad on a faultless campaign.

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Match Details for Season: 2014-2015 – Report date: 13-May-2015
Bronowski Trophy Competition
Played 03 Mar 2015
Banks had White on odds
Banks	v	Insurance
Peter Andrews 180	½-½	Julian Farrand 177
Julien Shepley 178	1-0	Julian Warren 177
Jon Underwood 180	1-0	Ian Calvert 176
David J Wilson 179	0-1	Geoff Marchant 176
Akanksh Vashisth 175	0-1	Ian Hunnable 172
Douglas Hogan 163	0-1	Nick Faulks 169
Andrew Hebron 165e	0-1	David Sedgwick 169
Johan Rydahl 165	1-0	Martin Page 162
Vikram Kamath 153	0-1	Philip Staniland 160
Brendan Whitworth 149	1-0	Anthony Kent 150
Nathan Pesin 140e	0-1	Paul Barclay 149
David Tidmarsh 134	0-1	Mike Wiltshire 133
	4½-7½
Report by Anthony Kent I believe we have not defeated the Banks for 6 years. With the welcome addition of Julian Warren and Geoff Marchant of Legal and General, and Banks missing a couple of their stronger players, it represented a good opportunity to turn the tables.Ian Hunnable’s strong kingside attack in the French Defence and Philip Staniland’s Dutch gave us two wins, but we were pegged back on boards 2 and 3, Ian Calvert not being able to prevent being mated before queening a pawn. Nick Faulks had a queen and numerous pawns for two rooks, and the imminent coronation of his second queen finished the game. I lost a pawn endgame by a tempo (been told I could have drawn). Julian Farrand was material down and in difficulties, but secured a surprise draw on top board. Wins for Paul Barclay and Mike Wiltshire secured the points. Geoff Marchant was last to finish, with R, B, N, P versus R advantage, eventually queening the pawn and winning.
Played 25 Mar 2015
Legal had White on odds
Legal	v	Insurance
Feliks Kwiatkowski 209	½-½	Julian Farrand 177
David Guthrie 199	1-0	Julian Warren 177
Steven Coles 180	½-½	Ian Calvert 176
Kevin Millward 176	1-0	Ian Hunnable 172
Howard Waterman 161	½-½	David Sedgwick 169
Russell Campbell 160	½-½	Martin Page 162
Andrew McGuinness 157	½-½	Philip Staniland 160
John Tobisch 156	1-0	William Diffey 154
Steven Walsh 155	0-1	Paul Barclay 149
Jonathan Sachs 150e	1-0	Anthony Kent 150
Max Mallin 147	0-1	Jeremy Law 142
Howard Mather 140e	1-0	Tony Paish 133
	7½-4½
Report by Steven Coles Legal managed to win 7½-4½ in the end against competition leaders Insurance, although the match was closer thanthescoreline suggests.Highlights for Legal  were: Dave Guthrie’s first win for a while in this competition after several near misses – he won a piece and converted comfortably; Howard Mather’s win, making the best use of two minor pieces against a rook in the middle game; JohnTobisch coming out on top in a complex strategic game to conclude  with a mate in a double rook ending; Jonathan Sachs keeping control of a complex closed Sicilian with some impressive strategy and tactics, and winning a piece and the game in a rook and bishop ending; and Kevin Millward who was last to finish at the very end of the evening – he had been pressing throughout his ending, but with time very short on both sides, the game fluctuated both ways before he won a piece with a Knight fork and forced mate in the last few seconds. An interesting feature is that all the decisive games in this match, 7 games out of the 12, were won by Black. So if my winning the toss and choosing White on the odd boards worked out well, it was in a paradoxical way. Not least, thanks once again to Simmons and Simmons for the use of their superb venue and for their generous hospitality, and to Mieke Botes for all her invaluable assistance, which is always much appreciated. As someone said last night, the playing conditions would match that of any international tournament. Comments by Anthony Kent This match was closely fought with draws initially for Ian Calvert, David Sedgwick and Martin Page. Our two wins came from Paul Barclay, with a lively Albin Counter Gambit, and Jeremy Law in the Grünfeld Defence. Late on, with the match still in the balance, I got caught by a ‘tactic’ in the  Grand Prix Attack. Ian Hunnable and his opponent both went for broke in a tense Rook, Knight and pawns ending time scramble. Ian won a pawn, but unfortunately missed a Knight fork, losing in the final seconds.
Played 25 Mar 2015
Commercial had White on odds
Banks	v	Commercial
Daniel Lindner 194	½-½	Peter Ackley 190
Jon Underwood 180	0-1	Nick Briggs 189
Julien Shepley 178	1-0	Andrew Gilfillan 185
Ian Heppell 175	1-0	Nigel Fleming 179
David J Wilson 179	0-1	Martin Crichton 176
Douglas Hogan 163	½-½	John Bass 173
Johan Rydahl 165	0-1	Peter Jaszkiwskyj 169
Neil Davies 155	½-½	Paul Barasi 168
Brendan Whitworth 149	1-0	Bertie Barlow 165
David Tidmarsh 134	½-½	Steven Barr 156
Terry Skippen 101	0-1	Peter Morton 155
Martin Lake 106	0-1	Hassan Mugalu 145
	5-7
Played 29 Apr 2015
Legal had White on odds
Commercial	v	Legal
Peter Ackley 190	0-1	Jonathan Rogers 2169
Andrew Gilfillan 185	0-1	Feliks Kwiatkowski 209
Nigel Fleming 179	0-1	David Guthrie 199
Martin Crichton 176	½-½	Peter Hasson 187
Andy Hayler 174	½-½	Steven Coles 180
John Bass 173	½-½	John Foley 179
Peter Jaszkiwskyj 169	½-½	Kevin Millward 176
Paul Barasi 168	½-½	Howard Waterman 161
Bertie Barlow 165	½-½	Russell Campbell 160
Stephen Macdonald-Ross 157	1-0	Andrew McGuinness 157
Steven Barr 156	½-½	John Tobisch 156
Peter Morton 155	1-0	Jonathan Sachs 150e
	5½-6½
Report by Steven Coles As the 6½-5½ scoreline suggests, this was a close match. The result only became clear at the very end, in the last few minutes of the session, when several games were decided – draws on boards 5, 7 and 8, and a win on board 2, to give Legal the match by the narrowest of margins. The teams were close in grading terms on most boards, although Legal had the edge in this regard on the top three boards.  This was borne out in the results, Jonathan, Feliks and Dave winning their games. An unfortunate mobile phone incident on board 12 earlier in the evening meant that Legal lost one game with a winning position on the board. Jonathan though he had switched his mobile off, but clearly hadn’t done so properly. Maybe the Bronowski rules should provide for a warning, as in the London League, instead of an automatic loss? Thanks to Mike Smith and Commercial for hosting the match. With the last two matches to take place on 12 and 13 May, this year’s Bronowski Competition remains delicately poised, and Legal, Commercial and Insurance all have chances of winning it.
Played 12 May 2015
Commercial had White on odds
Commercial	v	Insurance
Nick Briggs 189	½-½	Roger de Coverly 190
Michael Brown 182	½-½	Laurence Ball 179
Nigel Fleming 179	½-½	Julian Farrand 177
Philip Gregory 175	½-½	Julian Warren 177
John Bass 173	½-½	Ian Calvert 176
Peter Jaszkiwskyj 169	½-½	Geoff Marchant 176
Paul Barasi 168	½-½	Ian Hunnable 172
Bertie Barlow 165	½-½	Nick Faulks 169
Stephen Macdonald-Ross 157	0-1	Martin Page 162
Steven Barr 156	½-½	Philip Staniland 160
Mark Ashley 128	0-1	Paul Barclay 149
Mike Smith 125e	½-½	Anthony Kent 150
	5-7
Report by Anthony Kent The first four games drawn were Messrs  Warren, Marchant, Staniland and Kent. Ian Calvert held a same coloured Bishop and pawns ending under some pressure. Nick Faulks was the exchange up, but under time pressure arrived at a drawn ending, each player with a promoted pawn. Laurence Ball was two pawns down but with strong queen side counter play – another draw. Ian Hunnable appeared to have a winning attack along his opponents back ranks. However, his opponent had a resource to meet this and Ian had to take a perpetual check. Paul Barclay (11 seconds left) and his opponent (5 seconds left) were struggling to meet the first time control with several moves remaining. Paul’s opponent blundered the exchange and his flag fell. Roger de Coverly had some initiative in a rook and pawn ending, but was thwarted in everything he tried to win. Martin Page’s game was last to finish, going the full time distance. A Queen, Rook and Bishop each, with Martin having a Knight versus his opponent eventually gaining five pawns in compensation. Martin’s win on time secured the match.
Played 13 May 2015
Banks had White on odds
Legal	v	Banks
Feliks Kwiatkowski 209	0-1	John Carlin 208
Tom Farrand 203	1-0	Daniel Lindner 194
David Guthrie 199	1-0	Julien Shepley 178
Peter Hasson 187	½-½	David J Wilson 179
Steven Coles 180	1-0	Douglas Hogan 163
Kevin Millward 176	½-½	Johan Rydahl 165
Russell Campbell 160	½-½	Andrew Hebron 165e
John Tobisch 156	½-½	Vikram Kamath 153
Max Mallin 147	½-½	Doug Blythe 160
Jonathan Sachs 150e	1-0	Rohan Krishniah 137
Steven Walsh 155	½-½	Erika Orsagova 136
Howard Mather 140e	0-1	David Tidmarsh 134
	7-5