B Team’s Lead Cut After Surprise Inter-Club Derby Draw

Peter Kitchen writes.

Shrewsbury C sprang a surprise by holding their high-flying B team compatriots to a 1.5-1.5 draw – breathing fresh life into the Shropshire Online Chess League division two title race.

The B’s had looked on course to maintain their three-point lead at the top of the table after Ivor Salter eased to victory over Richard Vernon on bottom board.

But despite Stephen Priestley holding a stable edge over Tony Purser in the final game on board two, a costly misjudgement allowed Purser to crash through on the kingside, securing a victory for the C team that squared the match.

The result cut the B team’s lead over Telepost C at the top of the division to two points, while the C’s ended a run of two successive defeats to stay in lower mid-table.

The match had started with a quiet draw on board one. The experienced Norman O’Connor has proved a tough nut to break down for many higher-rated players this season, including drawing comfortably with first teamer Peter Kitchen in the club championship recently. He was at it again here, holding the balance with the black pieces to secure a swift share of the spoils against Mark Smith.

Salter was quickly in command on bottom board, winning a pawn early in an offbeat opening against Vernon and making further material gains when allowed to march his e-pawn through the centre of the board. Vernon resigned on move 38 with checkmate unavoidable and imminent.

That left the B’s needing just a draw on board two to secure the match. Playing a Bird’s Opening, Priestley amassed a phalanx of pawns in the centre of the board and set about trying to press home his space and positional advantage. But consecutive blunders on moves 30 and 31, as he tried to attack Purser’s king on the queenside, allowed his opponent to break through on the other side of the board.

Within four moves, Priestley was forced to resign as his scantily-defended king was facing execution at the hands of Purser’s queen, rook and bishop. A dramatic turnaround – which could yet have ramifications in the title and promotion race.

Both sides are due to face Telford A next, with the B’s the “away” side in the week starting March 14 and the C’s “at home” two weeks later. Telford have so far played just four games and won three of them, and could overhaul the B’s at the top of the table, if they win their two games in hand.

Full scores:

Shrewsbury B 1.5-1.5 Shrewsbury C (C team had white on odd boards)

1.Mark Smith 0.5-0.5 Norman O’Connor

2.Stephen Priestley 0-1 Tony Purser

3.Ivor Salter 1-0 Richard Vernon