14 July 2002
After a period of inactivity at Barry Chess Club some members creaked back into action recently for two cup matches.
The Welsh Chess Union Knockout Cup finals, in which Barry have acquitted themselves well over the last four years winning the under-1500 plate in 1998, the open plate in 1999 and 2000 and the under-1800 cup in 2001, were held at Llanishen leisure centre on the weekend before last.
This year the club was represented by a team playing against Castell Nedd B in the under-1500 plate but things got off to a bad start for Barry when one of their number suffered an attack of tonsillitis on the night before the match. Matters looked pretty grim when Castell Nedd scored a full point on board 1 to add to their default award from board 4 but Barry hit back with a win on board 3 and now needed a further win in the one remaining game to steal the trophy on board count. A gruelling struggle ensued but as the pieces slowly disappeared from the board Barry's chances of a victory became ever more remote. As was to be expected, Barry refused every offer of a draw until only Kings remained on the board at which stage there was no option other than to split the point for Castell Nedd to take the match by 2½ :1½ and lift the trophy for 2002.
Barry's record in the East Glamorgan Summer Knockout Cup has also been very good recently as teams from the club have won this trophy for the last two years.
On Tuesday evening Barry A travelled to play North Cardiff A, a team which they heavily outgraded, in this year's quarter finals of the competition. With the match well under way, Barry appeared comfortable on all four boards but North Cardiff had their tails up for this one and were not going to go down without a fight. The visitors developed a distinct advantage on board 1 so, with no cracks apparent elsewhere, a draw was agreed on board 4. Lee Davis, playing on board 2 for Barry, had that afternoon set a new club record for travelling the longest distance to get to a chess match and his effort was duly rewarded with a win leaving boards 1 and 3 still in play. Somehow North Cardiff managed to pull a rabbit from the hat and stole board 1 but Barry's board 3, immersed in his own fairly complicated game, saw only that the game had been completed and mistakenly assumed that his team mate had produced the goods and converted his previous advantage into a win. Believing that a half point would now suffice for Barry to win the match he extended his hand only to be taken somewhat aback at the enthusiasm with which it was shaken. His opponent had been aware of the actual result in the top game and was only to pleased with a 2:2 verdict which allowed North Cardiff to progress to the semi-finals on board count!
Club members are now being encouraged to take up flower arranging in order to provide displays for Barry's trophy cabinet which otherwise seems destined to remain rather bare this year.