WARWICKSHIRE (BCF SEMI-FINAL)
BEDFORD
7 JUNE 1997

    ESSEX   WARWICKSHIRE    
Board Colour Home team Grade Score Away team Grade Score
1 B Paul Williamson 173 1 Keith Escott 170 0
2 W Roy Heppinstall 174 ½ G Davies 166 ½
3 B Larry Marden 173 ½ Martin Smyth 165 ½
4 W David Millward 172 ½ R T Farley 163 ½
5 B Peter Doye 166 ½ D Price 162 ½
6 W Sid Kalinsky 166 ½ Colin Searle 162 ½
7 B Terry Whitton 165 1 Colin Green 161 0
8 W Colin Ramage 163 1 Wiatt Ropp 160 0
9 B Neville Twitchell 162 1 Karl Foreman 157 0
10 W Andy King 159 1 J Broadmore 155 0
11 B Ken Clow 158 ½ Joe Soesan 155 ½
12 W Andy Hartland 155 0 Geoffrey Stokes 153 1
13 B Ray Purse 154 1 R Greatrex 150 0
14 W Richard Weeber 154 0 Ian Fisher 145 1
15 B Roberto Waldteufel 152 ½ Arthur Kent 144 ½
16 W Mark Weighell 151 1 B Briscoe 134 0
  TOTAL - Home 10½ TOTAL - Away

Essex were pleased to be drawn against Warwickshire in the semi-final, since this meant that the match would take place at the neutral venue of Bedford, instead of on Warwickshire's home territory of Birmingham had the clash been delayed until the final. What they had not anticipated was that a number of the Warwickshire regulars would have preferred to play in the Midland Open Championship, giving Essex a grading advantage on all boards. Essex started well with Andy King, Paul Williamson, Colin Ramage and Terry Whitton all winning to establish a commanding 5 - 1 lead. There were enough good positions on the remaining boards for the captain to feel confident, and although Warwickshire clawed their way back to 5½ - 3½ there were no further defeats for Essex. 3 further wins were chalked up, but it was Peter Doye who having missed a win on the last move before the time control agreed a draw to send Essex into the final.

Keith Escott v Paul Williamson

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Nd7 6.0-0 f6 7.exf6 Ngxf6 8.Nh4 Bd6 9.Nxf5 exf5 10.Bd3 Ne4 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qh6 Qb6 13.c3 0-0-0 14.f3 Nef6 15.b4 Bxb4 16.Be3 [16.cxb4 loses to 16...Qxd4+] 16...Bf8 17.Qg5 Qb2 18.Nd2 Qxc3 19.Bxf5 gxf5 20.Rfc1 Qd3 21.Nf1 Rg8 22.Qh4 Re8 23.Rd1 Qe2 0-1

Colin Green v Terry Whitton

1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 d5 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.e5 Ne4 6.c4 Bc5 7.Qxd5 Qxd5 8.cxd5 Bxf2+ 9.Ke2 Bb6 10.Be3 Nd7 11.Nc3 f5 12.Bxb6 Nxb6 13.Rd1 0-0 14.Rd4 Rd8 15.Ke3 Nxc3 16.bxc3 h6 17.c4 Kf8 18. Be2 c5 19.Rd2 Re8 20.h4 g6 21.e6 Kg7 22.Ne5 Bxe6 23.dxe6 Rxe6 24.Kf4 Rae8 25.Bf3 Rxe5 26.Rc1 R8e7 27.Rd8 Re8 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Bxb7 Re2 30.a3 Kf6 31.Kf3 Rd2 32.Ke3 Rd4 33.Bd5 Rxh4 34.Rc2 Rd4 35.Bg8 g5 36.Kf2 f4 37.Ke2 h5 38.Kf2 g4 39.Ke2 Kg5 40.Kf2 h4 41.Be 6 Re4 42.Bd5 Rd4 43.Be6 g3+ 44.Kf1 Rd3 45.a4 Nxa4 46.Ra2 Nc3 0-1

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