3 Feb 2002
First Round Triumph For Barry Over Welsh Chess Cup Holders Teams from Barry Chess Club participated in five matches last week - three on home turf at the Witchill Hotel, one at Aberdare and another at Neath.
The first engagements were on Monday evening when the Barry Gambits entertained North Cardiff A in division 3 of the East Glamorgan league and the Barry Camelots likewise played hosts to Caerphilly Kings for a division 1 fixture.
The dictionary definition of a gambit is something which is given initially to obtain a later advantage but members of Barry’s fourth team seem lately to be placing far greater emphasis on the ‘giving’ than the ‘obtaining’. The Gambits’ generosity knew no bounds as they presented North Cardiff with wins on all boards of the match! Although the Gambits had already seemed destined to return to division 4, this 5:0 defeat was almost certainly the final nail in their relegation coffin. Hopefully some pride can yet be restored with match wins before the end of the team’s very poor season.
In direct contrast, the Barry Camelots have been acquitting themselves well during their first season in division 1 of the league but Barry’s second team faced another stern test against Caerphilly Kings on the same evening. Camelots’ captain, Allan St. Clair, unashamedly maintained that his early defeat on board 4 had spurred his team on to greater efforts as the hosts hit back with a draw from Nigel Ralphs on board 2, a win from Dave Parsons on board 3 and a further point claimed on time after a nerve-wracking scramble on board 5. From his adjourned board 1 game Steve Cunliffe holds excellent chances of adding another point to the 2½ already scored by the Camelots and this fine result will further strengthen the team’s position within the premier division.
Wednesday evening saw more division 1 action when the Bosons visited Aberdare. The journey proved well worthwhile as Barry’s first team netted two wins and two draws from the four games which were completed on the night. A further win is expected from one remaining game which will be sent for adjudication and a final score of 4:1 in the Bosons’ favour is fully anticipated.
Barry’s fourth league match of the week, a division 4 fixture, also took place on Wednesday. Barry’s fifth team, the Saracens, and their guests, the Llantwit Major Dragons, have between them this season probably collected more duck eggs than Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and both sides were hoping not to enhance their already unenviable records. Scoring three wins and two draws to notch up a healthy 4:1 victory, the Saracens were visibly relieved to halt their recent disastrous run of results and, for the moment at least, the spectre of the league’s wooden spoon will no longer loom quite so menacingly in the team members’ consciousness. The final contest of the week took place on Thursday evening when Barry B, a cup side of four players also entrusted to the eternally optimistic captaincy of the aforementioned Mr. St. Clair, travelled to Neath where they faced current holders, Nidum Liberals, in the first round of this year’s Welsh Knockout Cup. Allan duly inspired his side in the manner which had already proved successful earlier in the week by losing board 2 of the match but again Steve Cunliffe on board 1 and Dave Parsons on board 3 rose to the occasion by beating their opposite numbers. Alec Wood chipped in a draw from board 4 and, to the surprise of many pundits, the 2001 champions were out of this year’s cup.
A Barry Chess Club committee may wish to discuss this novel style of leadership with Allan before it is endorsed as official club policy as it anticipated that there would be an embarrassing excess of members with the necessary qualifications to become a team captain.
Barry Chess Club meets every Wednesday evening at 7:45 p.m. on the first floor of the Witchill Hotel, Barry Road while a variety of chess information including the latest club, league and cup match details can be obtained by visiting the club's web site at www.barrychessclub.org.uk.