12 May 2002
Barry Chess Club’s 2001/2002 league season finally ended last week when its second team, the Camelots, travelled to play Pontypridd Un in a match which had been postponed from earlier in the year.
Camelots players had been keeping a wary eye on certain outstanding games between other teams in division 1 but these had been resolved in such a way as to ensure that their team was in no danger of relegation even if it should have failed to score any points in this match. Pontypridd on the other hand, having had a disastrous season, had been in line for relegation for some time and the fixture therefore seemed a fairly irrelevant affair in which neither club seemed inclined to field its strongest possible side.
An early draw was agreed on board 5 but as two players - who have understandably pleaded for anonymity - recruited from Barry’s third team, the Stauntons, utterly disgraced themselves on boards 3 and 4 with horrific blunders against weaker opposition it was left to team stalwarts Steve Cunliffe and Dave Parsons to restore some dignity on boards 1 and 2.
Dave scored a very quick win while Steve, with nothing depending on his result, agreed a draw in an interesting ending which may have yielded a further full point for Barry had it been required. Ponty therefore took the match by 3:2 and, with the exception of the two shamefaced guests from the Stauntons, most seemed fairly satisfied with this result as the Camelots should now finish in the top half of division 1 while their hosts ended the season with, what was for them, an all too rare victory.
The final positions of teams in all four divisions of the East Glamorgan Chess Association’s 2001/2002 league should be available next week.
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.