Williamson Shield and
Henderson Cup 2000

The Williamson Shield was played on the 30th September and 1st October at the Staff Common Room, Queen's University, Belfast. In recent years, a second tournament for Intermediate and Junior players has usually been run alongside it. For the first time, however, the winner of this subsidiary tournament was to receive a trophy - the Henderson Cup. First competed for in 1988, the Cup was awarded to the winner of the Intermediate section of the no-longer played City of Belfast Championships (which had 6 player all-play-all sections). The UCU Committee decided the Henderson Cup should be revived, to be played for alongside the Williamson Shield.

In the Williamson Shield, Nicholas Pilkiewicz won his first four games, but after losing in the fifth round to Timothy Douglas, he was only half a point clear going into the final round. The top two pairings in round 6 were
Pilkiewicz (4) - Michael Holmes (3)
Douglas (3.5) - Adrian Skelton (3.5).
Pilkiewicz managed to get a well-supported pawn to f6 against the defending champion Holmes, and despite the latter's efforts to wriggle free, managed to secure the win and first place. Douglas and Skelton had a hard-fought game which lasted right to the end of the session, with Skelton losing on time.

In the Henderson Cup two players, John Strawbridge and Stuart McConaghy entered the final round half a point ahead of their nearest pursuers. They were paired against each other, with McConaghy eventually getting the better of a rook and 5 pawns each endgame. In the battle for the minor placings there were a couple of late reverses. Ron Henderson allowed a perpetual check, when two pieces up. Meanwhile Tony Parker had a winning endgame against Norman McFarland, when he overlooked a mate in one.

1.g4 d5 2.Bg2
If Black plays 2...Bxg4, White will play 3.c4 to be followed with Qb3 and pressure on the b7 and d5 pawns. White will, at least, regain his pawn.
2...Nc6 3.h3 e6 4.c4 Nf6 5.b3 Be7 6.Bb2 0–0 7.e3 b6 8.d4 Bb7 9.Nd2 Nb4 10.Qb1 c5 11.a3 Nc6 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Ne2 Be7 14.Nf4 h6 15.Rg1 Rb8 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.cxd5 exd5 18.Bxd5
Michael admitted that there was an element of bluff in the exchange sacrifice.
18...Ne7
18...Bxa1 19.Qxa1 Nb4 (threatening Nc2+) 20.axb4 Bxd5 takes the sting out of White's threatened g5.
19.Bxb7 Rxb7 20.Ra2 Rd7 21.Rc2 Re8 22.Ke2 Be5 23.Nh5 Nd5 24.Ne4 Bh2 25.Rgc1 Qe7 26.Rc8 Be5 27.Rxe8+ Qxe8 28.Rc4 Rc7 29.Rxc7 Bxc7 30.Qd3 Qxe4
Forced. If Black defends the knight with e.g. Qe6 then 31.Qxd5 Qxd5 32.Nf6+ forces a won ending for White
31.Qxe4 Nc3+ 32.Kf3 Nxe4 33.Kxe4 Bd6 34.a4 Kf8 35.Kd5 Bc5 36.Ng3 Bb4 37.Nf5 Be1 38.f3 Bd2 39.e4 g6 40.Nd6 1–0
White's pawns are all safe from the Black bishop, while Black's queenside pawns are at the mercy of white's king and knight.