2006 Ulster Championship

The second instalment of the Summer Ulster Championship was again held in the peaceful surroundings of Belfast Boat Club. Three days entertainment, or blood sweat and tears, lay in wait for the competitors. For the first time in recent memory, and probably prompted by last year's appalling turn-out, the championship was declared open to all. Concerns were murmured about lack of quality and easy pairings. Only time would tell if these would be an issue.

The usual faces were to be seen lurking around the top of the entry list. The three outstanding favourites for the title, Messrs Clarke, Scannell and Waters, were no doubt eyeing each other's repertoires for their likely rounds 3,4 and 5 meetings, which surely would prove critical in the outcome of the final standings. Others seemed just happy to put in a good showing, which in the case of your author, with a disastrous 0/6 showing last year, was at the forefront of his thoughts.

Round one began punctually on Saturday morning. The schedule of two rounds per day for three days would provide ample time for both playing the games and relaxing in between, a rare luxury for those of us used to cramming three games per day in the usual weekender. There were no shocks in the early stages. The top boards, with their mismatched ratings, produced the expected results, if not in straightforward manner. Chris Kelly achieved a good, equal position against Tom Clarke on board one before going astray. Damien Cunningham, perhaps accepting his fate from move one, decided on a novel two pieces for four pawns sacrifice as black against Steve Scannell. If it had worked we would have been talking about it for years. Since we aren't talking about it, you will know the result.

Approaching the time control, suddenly the wisdom of allowing lower rated players into the competition was plain to see. Geoff Hindley, giving away nearly 500 rating points against Calum Leitch, was a full Rook up against his younger opponent. However, as nerves began to make their effect, Geoff first gave away his Rook, then any sort of advantage, and lastly the game. Next door on board five, David O'Donnell was making a small edge with White work as best he could against William Storey, however Black held a passed pawn in restraint remarkably well, and a draw was agreed. On board four, an unrecognisable Mark Newman went down badly with Black against Alex Beckett, winning the exchange but then proceeding to allow White the sort of attack we usually only dream about.

Waters-Lavery was the upset of the round.

This is the start of the fun and games. I had seen that Qc3 would embarrass the bishop slightly, but only thought of Nf5 on this move after I had played it. Apparently so had my opponent. Nf5 needs to be played now...
31.Qc3+
31.Nxf5+ Qxf5 32.Qc3+ Qf6 33.Qxb3
31...Kh7 32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.Nxf5 Rd3!
Deflecting the Queen away before picking up the Knight on f5, rather than having to deal with the check first, is a critical idea.
34.Bxe4 Rxc3 35.Rxc3
The point that was hard to see when playing 33...Rd3 is that picking up the Queen after the discovery does not come with check, allowing Black to play Rxc1 before picking up the knight - 35.Nfd6+ Kg7 36.Rxc3 (36.Nxf7 Rxc1+ 37.Kg2 Kxf7)
35...Kh8 36.Nh4 Ba4 37.Bxc6 bxc6 38.Nd4 Qa2!
The last remaining critical move. White's position is not co-ordinated enough to allow defence from the White Queen. Whites Queenside pawns will soon fall.
39.Ne2 Qa1+ 40.Rc1 Qxb2 41.Re1 Bb5 0–1

Mark Newman bounced back from round one disappointment, dispatching David O'Donnell efficiently. Other major news was that Alex Beckett could expect a top board calling after crushing William Storey to move onto a maximum two from two.

Very crunchy. Black does not want to be saddled with easy to attack pawns, so finds a way to swap them off without allowing horrible doubled f pawns.
17.hxg4 fxg2 18.Bxg2 Qg6 19.Nhf3 0–0–0
I decided against capturing on g4. Rdg1 with all sorts of threats of penetrations by the rooks into Black's position was easily worth giving up the weakling for. Better to wait for another opportunity.
20.Nh4 Qxg4 21.Bh3 Qe2!
The point. Now unless White plays Bf1, ...Qb5 will allow Black's Queen to escape to relative safety and shore up the Queenside.
22.Bf1 Qh5
This is a risky looking ploy. The immediate Nf5 with a discovery on the Queen doesn't look much at the minute, but it hangs in the air.
23.d5 Ne5 24.Qa5
I could see the not too subtle threat of Bxa6 coming. The point being that allowing anything other than perpetual by fleeing the King to the Kingside via Kd7 allows the Nf5 tactic. Difficult to see from this position if it will amount to anything.
24...Bg4 25.Bxa6
Amazing. Tom plays it anyway, despite giving up the Rook on d1. I'm wondering now if there is a way to flee to Kingside and perhaps give back some of White's large investment of material.
25...Bxd1 26.Bxb7+ Kxb7
26...Kd7 27.Qb5+ Ke7 28.Nf5+
27.Qb5+ Kc8 28.Qa6+

28...Kb8
OK, so chicken Black decides to offer draw and believe his illustrious opponent. Lets have a look...28...Kd7 29.Qb5+ c6 This counter sacrifice was the only line I looked at while considering offering a draw. (29...Ke7 30.Nf5+ Kf7 31.Rxh5 (31.Rxd1 Bh6 32.Qf1 Bxd2+ 33.Rxd2 Qf3) 31...Bxh5 Materially, Black has it all in his favour. However, a4, a5, a6... it doesn't take too many moves to charge White's a pawn up the board.) 30.dxc6+ Nxc6 31.Qb7+ Ke6 32.Rxd1 Qxh4 33.Qb3+ Ke7 34.Qb7+ Rd7 35.Qxc6 Bh6 36.Qd5 Bxd2+ 37.Rxd2 Qe1+ 38.Rd1 Qe3+ 39.Kb1 h5
½–½

Waters-Beckett was a Falkbeer Counter in a King's Gambit that went to an endgame with an easy win for White. Scannell kept himself in the hunt with a clinical win against Newman's trademark KIA, and Nicholson quietly moved into contention with a win over Chris Kelly. Elsewhere, O'Donnell made very heavy work of pushing over Monaghan from a very advantageous position.

Round five was critical is setting up who was to battle it out for the Championship. Clarke, playing Black, defended his lead against Waters, the game ending in a draw. For a long time it seemed that White held a significant advantage, but any pull soon evaporated and the correct result ensued.

Lavery-Scannell saw Black desperate for the win to haul himself back into contention and he took considerable risks to unbalance a sterile position. First a draw, then a White win seemed likely. Then a horrible blunder handed Scannell the full point and a chance of an amazing comeback.

56.fxe5??
Complete suicide. I had mentally prepared 56.dxe6 e.p. fxe6 57.Re3 followed by either capture or a quick c5. [56.dxe6 fxe6 57.Re3+ Kf2 58.c5 (58.Rxe6 Kxg3 59.Rxd6 Rd2+ 60.Ke5 Rxd6 61.Kxd6 Kxf4 62.c5 g3 63.c6 g2 64.c7 g1Q 65.c8Q) 58...e5+ (58...Rd2+) 59.fxe5 dxe5+ (59...Rd2+ 60.Rd3 dxe5+) 60.Ke4 Rc2 61.Rb3 Re2+ 62.Kf5]. I had appreciated the deflection away from the rook by the first pawn check...
56...dxe5+ 57.Kxe5 ...
but not the second after 57.Ke4 f5! Attempts to give up the rook under favourable circumstances just don't work. A swindle!
57...Kxd3 58.d6
58.c5 Kc4 59.c6
58...Kxc4 0–1

John Nicholson won again, rather easily against Calum Leitch to move into the joint lead. With one round to go, he was a win away from adding to an impressive four championships gained in the 1970s. The rest of the field were working hard to achieve a good finish and final position, with some early casualties, notably O'Donnell and Newman, making a strong showing in the latter stages.

In the final round, Nicholson-Waters turned out to be rather one sided. After a speculative attack, White was soon beaten back, and penetration by Black's Queen and Rooks spelt early trouble. Resignation soon followed. With Waters in the box seat with 4.5, it was a nervous wait to see if the only game which mattered for the title ended in a result which allowed Waters to tie for first, or see him denied his debut Championship.

For a long while, it seemed that Scannell-Clarke would be a slow crush by White. As time ticked by, more on White's side than on Black's it has to be said, the game gradually wore down to a won, but by no means easy, Queen and pawn endgame for White. However, time was a factor, and as they got closer to the end, it was soon Black's six minutes against White's 1 minute 40. With the scoresheets tucked away, checks flashed across the board. When it seemed that a draw was most likely there was an amazing double blunder. Firstly, a skewer of White's King and Queen forced White to give way. However, instead of moving the King to protect the Queen, White moved towards his precious passed pawn. With the White Queen suddenly unprotected and hanging, a collective and very audible gasp was emoted. But that was nothing compared to the reaction to Clarke's chess blindness when he refused the free Queen, and with it the outright Championship. Instead, another check followed, White lived to fight another day, and indeed a few moves later forced Queens from the board and won the game. Waters and Scannell were tied for first with 4.5

A typically messy position for Black. All things being equal, make sure you get a well supported advanced centre pawn; all other considerations, such as getting mated, are secondary.
31.Bf3 Bxf3+ 32.Kxf3 dxc3 33.exf6+ Kd8 34.Rad1 Rf4+
34...Nd5 35.c6 Qd6 36.Rh8+ Rf8 37.Rxf8+ Qxf8 38.Rxd5+ Kc7 (38...Kc8 39.Qg7 Qe8 40.Qd7+ Qxd7 41.cxd7+ Kd8 42.f7) 39.Qg7+ Qxg7 40.fxg7 Rb8 41.Rc5
35.Kg3 Rd4 36.Rh8+ Ne8 37.Rxe8+ Qxe8
37...Kxe8 38.Qg8+ Rf8 39.Re1+ Kd8 40.Qxf8+ Kc7 41.Qg7
38.Rxd4+ Kc8 39.Kf2 c2 40.Rc4 Qd7 41.Qxg5
41.Qg8+! Kc7 42.Qxg5 Rh7 43.Qf4+ Kc8 44.Rxc2
41...Rh7 42.Qf4 Qd3
Threatening 43...Rh1
43.f7
43.Rb4 Rh2+ 44.Qxh2 Qd2+ 45.Kg3 (45.Kf3 Qxh2 46.f7 Qh3+) 45...Qe3+ 46.Kh4 Qh6+ 47.Kg3 Qe3+
43...Rxf7 44.Rb4 Rb7
44...Rc7 45.f6 Qc3 46.Rc4 Qd3 47.g5
45.Rxb7 Kxb7 46.f6

There now seems no prospect of Black winning the game. However, in Queen endgames, it can be difficult to avoid perpetual Queen checks and make progress, making White's two pawn advantage minimal.
46...Qc3 47.f7 Qxc5+ 48.Kg3 Qc3+ 49.Kh4 Qh8+ 50.Kg3 Qc3+ 51.Kh4 c1Q 52.Qxc1 Qxc1 53.f8Q Qc4
53...Qh1+ 54.Kg5 Qd5+ 55.Qf5 Qxa2 56.Kf6
54.Qe7+ Kb6 55.Qf6+ Ka5 56.Qf5+ Ka4 57.Qd7+ Ka3 58.Qxa7+ Kb2 59.Qf2+ Ka3 60.Kg3 Qc7+ 61.Qf4 Qc5 62.Qd2 Qe5+ 63.Kh4 Qh8+ 64.Kg3 Qe5+ 65.Kf3 Qf6+ 66.Ke3 Qh6+ 67.Kf3??
In White's words during the post-game analysis 'I was desperate to maintain the g pawn'
67...Qc6+??
Black's post-game analysis is unprintable!
and eventually 1–0

In other news, strong finishes from O'Donnell and Leitch allowed a good showing on the final standings, although his average rating of opponents meant that O'Donnell lost rating points. Contrary to this, Lavery, who finished a full point below on 3, gained a considerable number of rating points, thanks to strong showings against the higher rated players; such is the way of open tournaments.

It can be agreed that the tournament, from the neutral's point of view, was a great success. The allowing in of lower rated players did not diminish the competition in any way. Not only did they produce fighting chess throughout, but in one or two spectacular cases, the results matched the fighting qualities and not the rating predictions.

As for the winners, they showed two facets of life in general; those that attack and go for the win usually get rewarded with their just desserts, and luck generally favours the brave.