WARWICKSHIRE (BCF SEMI-FINAL)
BEDFORD MODERN SCHOOL
16 JUNE 2002

It was rather difficult to ignore the fact that this match, against defending champiomns Warwickshire who can demolished the Essex top order in last season's final, took place during the World Cup. Having deliberately arranged it for the Sunday in order to avoid a clash with an England match, the captains put back the start to 2.15 in view of the large number of players watching Ireland v Spain in the television room. Play got underway despite the game going into extra time although a number of Essex players seemed to spend a significant part of the next 40 minutes away from their boards. When the conclusion of the penalty shoot-out meant that everybody could concentrate exclusively on the chess, Essex emulated the English first half performance against Denmark the previous day by establishing a 3 - 0 lead, thanks to Ian Reynolds, Paul Williamson and Bobby Payne.

Encouraging though this start was the majority of positions on the remaining boards seemed to favour Warwickshire, and the first reverse came on board 14 after Dominic Allen found himself unable to castle. Although George McNally restored the 3 point cushion by winning a rook and pawn ending with 5 pawns against 4, Warwickshire kept plugging away and in among a number of draws scored further successes at the expense of David Millward and Peter Doye, leaving Essex one up ten minutes from the end with 5 games still in play.

The turning point came on board 16, where Josiah Lutton found himself the exchange down. As the material reduced to rook and pawn against knight and pawn there seemed some chances of salvaging a half point, when suddenly the Warwickshire player blundered his way into a knight fork on his king and rook. Josiah had no problems in wrapping up the game in short order thereafter. Essex now had breathing space, and draws by Neville Twitchell and Ken Clow saw the County reach the 8 point mark which would, in the absence of a golden goal or penalty shoot-out provision in the rules, see the match at worst won on board count. Dave Pearse now agreed a draw in a double-edged ending where he had an extra piece against advanced pawns, and Ezra Lutton made it a family double (and an excellent father's day for Arnold) by outplaying his opponent when a blocked up King's Indian finally opened up in the last few minutes of the session.

Paul Williamson v Keith Escott

1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.c3 Bg7 5.Nh3 0-0 6.Qb3+ d5 7.Nd2 c6 8.Nf3 Ng4 9.Bf4 h6 10.Bxb8 Rxb8 11.Nf4 g5 12.Nd3 e5 13.Nfxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 f4 15.gxf4 gxf4 16.0-0-0 Bf5 17.c4 Qg5 18.Bf3 Bxd3 19.Rxd3 dxc4 20.Qxc4+ Kh8 21.e6 Rfe8 22.Rdd1 Qf5 23.Rhg1 Qxe6 24.Qxf4 Be5 25.Qh4 Rf8 26.Rg4 Rf6 27.Kb1 Qf5+ 28.Be4 Qxf2 29.Qxf2 Rxf2 30.Rd7 Rxe2 31.Rh7# 1-0

Bobby Payne v Malcolm Hunt

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bg5 Bf5 4.e3 h6 5.Bh4 g5 6.Bg3 Nf6 7.Bd3 Bxd3 8.Qxd3 Qd7 9.Nc3 Nh5 10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Bg7 12.Qe2 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Ng7 14.0-0-0 c6 15.e4 e6 16.exd5 exd5 17.Ne4 0-0-0 18.c4 Qe6 19.cxd5 Rxd5 20.Rxd5 Qxd5 21.Rd1 Qxa2 22.Qd3 Qe6 23.Nc5 Qe7 24.Qh3+ Kb8 25.Qa3 Re8 26.Rd7 Qxe5 27.Rxb7+ Kc8 28.Qxa7 Qf4+ 29.Kb1 Re1+ 30.Ka2 Qc4+ 31.Nb3 1-0

Colin Searle v Ian Reynolds

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 c5 4.c3 b6 5.e3 Bb7 6.h3 Bg7 7.Be2 d6 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.Nbd2 0-0 10.Rc1 Re8 11.Nc4 Rc8 12.a4 Ne4 13.Nfd2 Nxd2 14.Qxd2 Nf6 15.f3 Nh5 16.Bh2 Bh6 17.g4 Nf6 18.Rf2 Qd7 19.b3 Qc6 20.Bf1 cxd4 21.Qxd4 Bg7 22.Qd2 Nd7 23.Bg2 Nc5 24.f4 Qc7 25.Bxb7 Qxb7 26.Qd1 Nxa4 27.Nxd6 exd6 28.bxa4 Rxe3 29.Qxd6 Bf8 30.Qd2 Bc5 31.Kf1 Qh1+ 32.Bg1 Qxh3+ 33.Rg2 Rf3+ 34.Ke1 Re8+ 0-1

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