10 Feb 2002
Inter-club chess matches often involve unusual team line-ups and last Monday evening’s division 1 match between Barry’s first team, the Bosons, and its second team, the Camelots, was no exception.
Where two or more teams have fixtures on the same evening, notwithstanding other relevant factors, the policy of Barry Chess Club is that team seniority will decide which captain(s) have first choice of available players. With some members otherwise engaged on the evening and the Camelots’ captain himself being involved in an adjourned game the Bosons enlisted all of the division 1 ‘regulars’ who were available to face a Camelots team consisting of players from the division 2 Stauntons and the division 3 Gambits. The results, as expected, were heavily in favour of the Bosons although some games have been adjourned and it appears that the ‘substitute Camelots’ have good chances of avoiding a whitewash.
Normal service was resumed on Wednesday evening when the Camelots and the Stauntons both sailed under their true colours.
The Camelots travelled to the Cardiff Bishops for a match in which they had good chances of obtaining a reasonable score but some bad play resulted in a very unsatisfactory 3:2 loss. Although Barry’s second team is still in a reasonably comfortable position it can ill afford too many repeats of this performance if it is to maintain its division 1 status.
All of the Barry Stauntons’ remaining matches are crucial if they are to occupy one of the three promotion berths in a keenly contested division 2 and the visit of Bridgend A provided another lively encounter. Draws were agreed in two of the games which were completed on the night with Bridgend winning a third to lead by 2:1 at the conclusion of play. The visitors have since resigned one of the remaining adjourned games so scores are currently level leaving Barry to press a slight edge in the final game and, hopefully, convert this to a further point for a hard fought and very welcome 3:2 victory.
Normality unfortunately returned in more ways than one on Wednesday when, in the second home fixture of the evening, the Barry Saracens entertained Caerphilly Rooks in a division 4 match. Having had the rare opportunity of being able to field a full side for a good win in its previous match, Barry’s fifth team reverted to only four players for this contest. Two wins, a draw and the default allowed Caerphilly a 3½ : 1½ victory which will serve to install them even more securely at the head of the division.
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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.
10th. February, 2002, Kevin J. Gandy