LONDON LEAGUE 2001/2
For the latest league tables and detailed match results, refer to the London League website by following this link.
DIVISION 2 FIXTURES
| Date | Opponents | Venue | |||
| 27/9/01 | Wimbledon 1 | Golden Lane | 5½ | - | 4½ |
| 7/11/01 | Woodbridge | Golden Lane | 5 | - | 5 |
| 26/11/01 | Phoenix | Golden Lane | 6½ | - | 3½ |
| 13/12/01 | Richmond | Golden Lane | 3 | - | 7 |
| 30/1/02 | Albany | Golden Lane | 4 | - | 6 |
| 13/2/02 | Kings Head 2 | Exmouth Arms | 6½ | - | 3½ |
| 25/2/02 | Hackney 2 | Golden Lane | 5 | - | 5 |
| 14/3/03 | Streatham 2 | Golden Lane | 4½ | - | 5½ |
| 25/3/02 | Metropolitan 2 | Golden Lane | 4 | - | 6 |
| 18/4/02 | Cavendish 2 | Cavendish | 1 | - | 9 |
ID Hunnable v PC Rutland
W&W1 v Phoenix - Board 5 London League Division 2
26.11.2001
ECO A31
1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 d6 6.
e4 Bd7 7. Be2 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bc6 9. f3 e5!? {9...g7 and ...Bg7 is the more orthodox
choice. The text makes for an interesting game that usually
favours White.} 10.
Qd3 {So as to counter
...Qb6 with Be3. If Black plays 10...Nh5 I play 11 g3. 10 Qf2 was
probably objectively best, but I preferred the Q on the d-file.}
10... h6 11.Be3 Be7 12. O-O
g5 13. Rad1 {I asked
Black afterwards what his plan was on the K-side. He said he was
just trying to frighten me! In a sense, it worked, because
this is probably the wrong rook. But I reserved the KR for the
f-file in the expectation of a subsequent ...g4 that never came.}
13... Qd7 14. b4
{Taking advantage of the compromised
black bishop to expand on the Q-side.} 14... b6 15. a4
Rd8 {Not 15...Bxa4 16
Nxa4 Qxa4 17 b5. After the text, I have 16 a5 and if
16...bxa5 17 b5 Ba8 18 Ra1 (told you it was the wrong rook)
18...Qc7 19 Ra2 Rd7 20 Rfa1 Bd8. But the resulting position is
rather a long way off, and Black does not necessarily capture on
a5, so I chose to prepare the Q-side advance first.} 16. Ra1 Rb8 17. Rfd1
{The intent of this move was to tie
the black KB to the defence of the d-pawn, rather than leave it
free to cover b6 after ...Bd8. But I overlooked that this allows
Black the opportunity for 17...a5. However, after 18 b5 he has
perhaps one backward pawn too many, but even better is 18 bxa5
bxa5 19 Nb5.} 17...
O-O {He said he was
hoping to get away with not castling!} 18. b5 Ba8 19. a5 Qc7 20.axb6 axb6 21. Ra6
Nd7 {Missed that. I
shall need to chop the knight when it arrives on c5.} 22. Rda1 Nc5 23. Bxc5 dxc5
{I was expecting 23...Qxc5+ but the
lure of an open file and getting rid of his backward d-pawn
proved to strong! Black offered a draw with this move, which I
did not find difficult to decline.} 24. Na4 {Simply threatening Nxb6 due to the overload on the
Rb7.} 24... Bb7 25.
Ra7 {I had initially
intended 25 Rxb6 as 25...Ra8 is met by 26 Rxh6, but how do I
proceed after 25...f6 (say)?} 25...
Rfd8 {Or 25...Ra8
when I have to play 26 Rxa8 as 26 Nc3 allows 26...Bxe4! 27 Rxc7
Rxa1+ 28 Qd1 Rxd1+ 29 Bxd1 Bd8 30 Rd7 Bf5 when Black has escaped
with and extra pawn and the bishop pair.} 26. Qc2 Rd4 27. Nc3 Qd8 28. Nd5
{It got there eventually!} 28... Bxd5 29. exd5 Bd6?
{I thought Black had to play 29...Rf4
to stop the incursion Qf5.} 30.
g3 Qc8? {And here, surely ...Qf6.} 31. Bd3 Qd8 32. Bh7+ Kf8 {At this point, I realised 33 Rxf7+ is
probably the correct, and winning, continuation, but I had no
time to verify it, with barely a minute to the time control, so
chose something more prosaic. The rook sac wins: 33 Rxf7+ Ke8
(33...Kxf7 34 Qg6+ Kf8 35 Qg8+ Ke7 36 Qg7+ Ke8 37 Bg6 1-0) 34 Qg6
winning.} 33. Qf5 Qe8?
{33...Bc7! mounts a stronger
resistance and I might have been ruing my missed opportunity if
Black had found his!} 34.
Bg6 {34 Qf6 is even
stronger.} 34... Be7
35. Rc7 Rxc4 36. Raa7 Rc1+ 37. Kg2 {Black almost played 37...Rc2+ but stopped himself
in time. Adjournment then intervened, and after considering his
sealed move for a few minutes, resigned. There is no defence to
captures on e7 then my Q and B move in for the kill.} 1-0.
Benson,M - Philpott,J W&W1 v Albany, London League Division 2, 30.01.2002
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.Bf1 Nf6 12.c5 h6 13.Qb3 Kh7 14.a4 f4 15.Ba3 g5 16.h3 Ng6 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.Rac1 Ne8 19.Rc2 h5 20.Rec1 g4 21.hxg4 hxg4 22.Ne1 g3 23.f3 Qb6+ 24.Kh1 Rh8 0-1
DIVISION 4 FIXTURES
| Date | Opponents | Venue | |||
| 3/10/01 | DHSS 1* | Golden Lane | 7½ | - | 2½ |
| 23/10/01 | GLCC | GLCC | 5 | - | 5 |
| 15/11/01 | Battersea 2 | Golden Lane | 6½ | - | 3½ |
| 5/12/01 | Kings Head 4 | Exmouth Arms | 6½ | - | 3½ |
| 24/1/02 | Capablanca | Golden Lane | 4½ | - | 5½ |
| 21/2/02 | Metropolitan 3 | Bishopsgate Institute | 4 | - | 6 |
| 4/3/02 | Dulwich Plough | Golden Lane | 5 | - | 5 |
| 5/4/02 | London Deaf | London Deaf | 5½ | - | 4½ |
* DHSS withdrew from the League on 13 November, and this result does not count towards the final league positions.
Venues are located as follows:
Golden Lane - Community Centre, Golden Lane Estate, Golden Lane, London EC1. Nearest tube Barbican.
Exmouth Arms - 1 Starcross Street, London NW1 2HR (nearest tubes Euston, Euston Square and Warren Street - all less than five minutes walk)
Bishopsgate Institute - 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2. Nearest station Liverpool Street.
Cavendish - Milman Street Community Centre, Millman Street, London WC1.
GLCC - Civil Service Recreation Centre, 1 Chadwick Street, London SW1
London Deaf - 38 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1. Nearest station Victoria.