SUSSEX AWAY (SCCU STAGE)
HASSOCKS
2 FEBRUARY 2002

The trip to Hassocks is a long one, but it invariably seems to bring out the best in the Essex U175 team.  Faced with a match where, following the earlier slip up away to Kent, a loss would have made retention of the U175 title unlikely, the side produced a convincing team performance to produce a comfortable victory by a margin of 10-6 which would have been even more convincing but for Martin McCall's unfortunate loss on time in the last game to finish. It is always good for morale in a key match to be ahead, and Terry Whitton put Essex in front following Ian Hunnable's draw when he reached a winning king and pawn ending. Sussex were never able to get back on level terms thereafter. Ian Reynolds soon doubled the lead against a fellow member of the Insurance Chess Club and although there were isolated Sussex successes at the expense of Paul Williamson and Marc Brazier, Bobby Payne (with an impressive French defence) and Neville Twitchell (becoming in the process the first Essex player to clock up 50 points for Essex U175s) each in turn restored the two point cushion.. Further wins by John White, who eventually returned material to reach an easily won rook and pawn ending, and Ken Clow, who finished with an attractive two bishop mate, stretched the visitors' advantage and Sid Kalinsky secured victory by drawing an ending that had appeared lost a few moves earlier. Essex seemed better in all 3 remaining games, but in the event only achieved 1½ points, with Peter Doye becoming the final Essex winner of the afternoon.

Victory against Kent on 23 February will now suffice to retain the SCCU championship with a match to spare and secure a quarter final against Devon.

Ian Reynolds v Michael Reddie

1.e4 c5 2.c3 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.Bc4 Qd6 8.Qb3 Nc6 9.Bxf7+ Kd8 10.Nc4 Qc7 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.cxd4 e6 13.Ne5 Bd6 14.Nxg4 Qxf7 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.Ne5 Qe7 17.0-0 Re8 18.Rfe1 h6 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Nf3 Rc8 21.d5 e5 22.Nd4 Rg8 23.Ne6+ Ke8 24.Rac1 Kf7 25.Rxc8 Rxc8 26.Qh3 Kg6 27.Nf4+ exf4 28.Qg4+ 1-0

Adrian Pickersgill v Bobby Payne

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 Qb6 8.Nf3 cxd4 9.cxd4 f6 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.0-0 Bd6 12.Re1 0-0 13.Nc3 Kh8 14.Na4 Qc7 15.Be3 Ng4 16.Ng5 Bxh2+ 17.Kh1 e5 18.Nc5 Qe7 19.Qd2 Nxe3 20.fxe3 Bg3 21.Rf1 Bg4 22.Nh3 Qh4 23.Nxb7 Bxh3 24.gxh3 Qxh3+ 25.Kg1 Qg4 26.Qg2 exd4 27.Nd6 dxe3 28.Nf7+ Rxf7 29.Rxf7 Bf2+ 30.Kf1 Qxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Ne5 32.Rxf2 exf2 33.Bc2 Rf8 34.Rh1 h6 35.Kf1 Ng4 36.Bd3 Ne3+ 0-1

John White v Stephen Blewitt

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.Qe2 Nf6 5.Nc3 Qe7 6.Nd4 a6 7.d3 Qe5 8.Nf3 Qh5 9.dxe4 Bb4 10.Bd2 Bg4 11.a3 Ba5 12.h3 0-0 13.0-0-0 Re8 14.Rg1 Bc8 15.g4 Nxg4 16.hxg4 Bxg4 17.Rg3 Nd7 18.Bh3 f5 19.Bxg4 fxg4 20.Nd4 Nf6 21.Ne6 c6 22.b4 Bd8 23.f3 cxd5 24.Nxd8 Raxd8 25.Qg2 d4 26.Nd5 Rxd5 27.exd5 Qxd5 28.Kb2 Rc8 29.Rxg4 Nxg4 30.Qxg4 Qc4 31.Qe4 a5 32.Re1 axb4 33.Bxb4 h6 34.Qg6 Qc6 35.Qe6+ Kh8 36.Qxc6 bxc6 37.Bc5 Rd8 38.Rd1 Rd5 39.Bxd4 Kh7 40.Rd3 h5 41.Bf2 Rf5 42.Rc3 Rf6 43.a4 Rf4 44.a5 h4 45.Bxh4 Rxh4 46.Rxc6 Rf4 47.Rc3 Rf5 48.Ra3 Rb5+ 49.Kc3 Rc5+ 50.Kb3 Rf5 51.Kb4 Rf4+ 52.c4 Kg6 53.a6 Rf8 54.a7 1-0

Terry Whitton v Alan Palmer

1.Nf3 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.c4 c6 5.0-0 d5 6.d4 Bd6 7.b3 Qe7 8.Bb2 0-0 9.Nbd2 Bd7 10.Ne5 Be8 11.f3 Bh5 12.Qc2 Nbd7 13.Nxd7 Nxd7 14.e4 fxe4 15.fxe4 Bg6 16.Qc3 Bb4 17.Qe3 Bxd2 18.Qxd2 dxe4 19.Rxf8+ Qxf8 20.Re1 Nf6 21.Qa5 Qd6 22.Qc3 Rd8 23.a4 c5 24.Rd1 cxd4 25.Rxd4 Qxd4+ 26.Qxd4 Rxd4 27.Bxd4 a6 28.h3 Be8 29.Kf2 Kf7 30.Ke3 Bc6 31.a5 Ke7 32.b4 g6 33.Bxf6+ Kxf6 34.Bxe4 Bxe4 35.Kxe4 e5 36.Kd5 Kf5 37.b5 e4 38.Kd4 e3 39.Kxe3 Ke5 40.Kd3 h6 41.Ke3 g5 42.g4 Kd6 43.Kd4 Kc7 44.Kc5 1-0

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