Sax B Do the Double!

02/05/23

Saxmundham came within a whisker of doing the ‘double double’ on Tuesday with both teams contesting their divisional Rapid Play Cup finals. This involves teams of four playing a double round match with a time limit of 25 minutes each per game with a ten second increment.

Saxmundham A4 – 4Ipswich B
1Simon Wilks20780 – 1
½ – ½
Yaroslav Orishko2000
2Malcolm Lightfoot1756½ – ½
1 – 0
Simon Riley1680
3John Feavyour19781 – 0
0 – 1
Les Jones1693
4Sam Gaffney16831 – 0
0 – 1
Thomas Sheat1650

The A Team had an intense struggle with Ipswich B with the advantage swaying back and forth. Sax edged the first round 2½ – 1½ with Sam and John’s wins making up for Simon’s loss on board 1 with Malcolm drawing his game. The scores then reversed in the second round with Sam and John losing, Simon drawing and it needed Malcolm’s win to keep the loss to 1½ -2½, thus tying the match 4-4. Unfortunately the tie break favoured Ipswich.

Saxmundham B6 – 2Clacton
1Mike Usher17671 – 0
1 – 0
Marek Ciorga1597
2Matthew Lawes-Wickwar18621 – 0
0 – 1
Melvin Steele1560
3Hugo Brown17371 – 0
0 – 1
Warwick Estlea1394
4Lee Osmon14171 – 0
1 – 0
Andrew Todd1394

Sax B were playing Clacton and things got off to a flying start with a 4-0 clean-sweep in the first round. However, things didn’t continue so well in the return when first Hugo lost, followed shortly after by Matthew, and with Mike having dropped a whole Rook it looked like there might be a complete reverse. Luckily, he still had enough pieces to complete a deadly attack on my opponent’s King, and Lee romped home to his second win and we had a comfortable 6-2 result.

Another Poor Show

25/04/23

Saxmundham1 – 3 (R 2 – 2)Ipswich
1Mike Usher17971 – 0Simon Riley1704
2Matthew Lawes-Wickwar16360 – 1 (R 1 – 0)Yarolsav Orishko N/K
3Hugo Brown13280 – 1Les Jones1732
4Lee Osmon13230 – 1Piotr Dolwka1527

Another hard day at the office for the Sax U1800 team, losing to second place Ipswich at Benhall last night. Mike managed to win on top board but the other three, Matthew, Hugo and Lee, were all heavily out-rated and duly lost. Two more matches left but it’s going to be hard to avoid the wooden spoon.

NB. The result was later revised to 2-2 after it was deemed that the Ipswich Board 2 was ineligible to play as he was clearly stronger than 1800.

Poor U1800 Form Continues

18/04/23

Saxmundham1½ -2½Bury St Edmunds
1Mike Usher17971 – 0Steve Lovell1849
2Dominic Carter1646½ – ½Mark Heffer1685
3Matthew Lawes-Wickwar16750 – 1Robert Jones1690
4Lee Osmon13280 – 1Danny Harrison1629

The League may have finished but Saxmundham have still a few games to play in the U1800 Cup. On Tuesday Sax played host to top-of-the-table Bury, who out-graded us on every board. The 1½ – 2½ defeat was not surprising but a bit closer than last time. Dominic was first to finish with a draw on Board 2 but then Lee tragically blundered away a won ending on 4. Mike had a good win on top board (revenge for his loss in the first leg) which left Matthew, who fought long and hard, but ultimately in vain, to save the match.

Sax B Bag the Div 3 Title

12/04/23

Woodbridge B2 -2Saxmundham B
1Alan Lewis15510 – 1Mike Usher1797
2Daniel Such15681 – 0Dominic Carter1646
3Bernard Ross13461 – 0Matthew Lawes-Wickwar1675
4Harry Elman13600 – 1 (DEF)Lee Osmon1328

The B Team’s League campaign came to a rather disappointing end on Wednesday night after a 2-2 at Woodbridge. Sax started with a free point due to a default on board 4, and after Mike won on top board we were looking good. However, as the evening wore on the tide turned against both Dominic and Matthew, and they both went down fighting. Although the result moved Sax B to the top of the table, we still had to wait and see if either of the two Bury teams could overtake us…..

In the event, Bury C lost 3-1 to Bury D the following night, so Bury C fell a point short. Bury D could now overtake us with a 4-0 win in their last game, but they to fell short, drawing 2-2 with Felixstowe.

So Sax B win the Division 3 title, and promotion to Division 2, to match the A Team winning the Division 2 title and promotion to the top flight. Congratulations to all involved.

U1800 Cup nightmare continues

04/04/23

Saxmundham½ – 3½Manningtree
1Mike Usher17970 – 1Robert Stephens1712
2Matthew Lawes-Wickwar16750 – 1Simon Webber1700
3Hugo Brown13320 – 1John McAllister1659
4Lee Osmon1328½ – ½Adrian Sanderson1497

The Under-1800 Cup is proving to be a graveyard for the club, which is anchored to the bottom of the table after a thrashing from visitors Manningtree.  Lee saved the whitewash with a solid draw, but Hugo lost in short order and Matthew let slip a winning endgame. On top board, although Mike lasted 52 moves, he was effectively lost after 14 moves when he played two moves ‘the wrong way round’ which just blundered a pawn and ruined his position. 

We are the Champs!

30/03/2023

Bury C1½ – 2½Saxmundham A
1Adam John1922½ – ½Malcolm Lightfoot1881
2James Pack18740 – 1John Feavyour1831
3Steve Lovell18610 – 1Sam Gaffney1837
4Robert Jones16881 – 0Lee Osmon1336

Congratulations to the Sax A Team on a thrilling win over Bury B to clinch the Division 2 Championship, and promotion to Division 1 for next season. Despite not being able to field our strongest team, and being outranked on every board, we still managed to triumph on the night. Wins on Boards 2 & 3 by John and Sam, with Malcolm holding the draw on top Board, made up for Lee’s loss on 4, and sealed a memorable night for the club. Now let’s hope the B Team can match this success!

B Team stutter again

21/03/23

Saxmundham B2 – 2Felixstowe B
1Mike Usher17861 – 01616Gary Hemsworth
2Dominic Carter1644½ – ½1576Mark Weidman
3Matthew Lawes-Wickwar1697½ – ½1380David Robertson
4Lee Osmon13360 – 11308Trevor Wright

The B Team slipped up again last night, only drawing with bottom-of-the-table Felixstowe B, who we really should have beaten easily. All the games were well contested. Mike’s win on top board was soon cancelled out when Lee, who was winning, walked into a mating net. Matthew was doing well but after a costly mistake was lucky to get the draw. Dominic likewise started well but gradually the tide turned and he was also happy to take the draw when it was offered.

The result  leaves Sax B tied at the top with Bury C, so it will all go down to the last round matches next month. Sax are away at Woodbridge whilst Bury C play club-mates Bury D.

Sax A finishing strongly

14/03/23

Saxmundham A3½ – ½Manningtree B
1Simon Wilks19161 – 01757Graeme Jones
2Malcolm Lightføot18811 – 01719Robert Stephens
3John Feavyour1831½ – ½1697Simon Webber
4Sam Gaffney18371 – 01674John McAllister

Sax A notched up another convincing win, this time against Manningtree B – a result that lifts them to the top of the Division, just half a point ahead of Bury B, who they play in the deciding match on Thursday.

Sax B Stumble

07/03/23

Saxmundham B2 – 2Ipswich C
1Mike Usher17861 – 0Tom Gordon (DEF)1500
2Dominic Carter1644½ – ½Thomas Sheat1500
3Matthew Lawes-Wickwar16970 – 1Piotr Dolewka1509
4Lee Osmon1336½ – ½Adam Wilson1446

Sax B had a disappointing 2-2 draw with Ipswich C on Tuesday, despite the visitors only arriving with three players, thus gifting us a default on top board. Sadly, we couldn’t capitalise on that, with Lee and then Dominic getting no traction in their games and having to settle for draws. This left Matthew pressing hard, but at the eleventh hour he fell for a trick that lost a Rook, and had to resign on the spot.

The result leaves us in second place in the table, two points behind Bury C but with a game in hand. So it’s shaping up for a tight finish to the season.

Sax A close in on top

28/02/23

Saxmundham A3½ – ½Sudbury
1Simon Wilks1921½ – ½Robert Sanders2021
2Malcolm Lightfoot18861 – 0Andrew Donnelly1796
3John Feavyour18421 – 0Andrew Last1520
4Sam Gaffney18511 – 0Sam Kerruish1469

Sax A earned a comfortable win over Sudbury at Benhall on Tuesday.  Simon held the draw comfortably on top board, settling for a perpetual check. Malcolm built up a small plus but his opponent managed to simplify and seemed to be headed for an even endgame when Malcolm managed to trick him to clinch the win. John had a smooth victory on board 3 and Sam also won, having gained an advantage, he survived a mutual time scramble to bring home the full point.

So Sax A stay in second place but close the gap on Bury B (who lost at Manningtree) to just 1½ points with two to go. These two are well ahead of the field so it looks like it will come down to a thrilling last match showdown at Bury at the end of the month.