2008 John Holmes Memorial

The 2008 John Holmes Memorial attracted a small field of 8 players, enabling a round robin tournament to be held instead of the usual Swiss system event, with time controls of 90/40 -30/20.

Top seed is Jamie Brotheridge, with Club champion Patrick Cook relegated to second billing.

Rob Bailey met Tim Commons in a Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Black picked up 2 pawns early, but White demonstrated that greed is not good by winning anyway.

Jamie Brotheridge faced the improving Swytzar Swytzer in a Ruy Lopez, Berlin variation (made famous by Kramnik). An interesting, lively fight ensued before Black unnecessarily dropped his Queen late in the middle game. He did not survive long after that.

Newcomer Sharjeel Ansari faced Chris Segrave who played his usual Owen’s Defence (1. e4 b6). Black shed a piece early and White scored a routine technical win.

Patrick Cook played Michael Schreenan in a sort of Catalan Opening and was also heading for a routine win before livening up the game with a Queen sacrifice to reach a simple winning endgame.

Jamie Brotheridge versus Patrick Cook was the traditional showdown between these two great rivals. A Queen’s Indian Defence (yet again!), the first 15 moves were played quickly before the players settled down to an intense positional battle. White gained a lot of pressure and might have had a winning position, but Black did just enough to survive and a draw was the result.

The other pairings had to be rearranged to accommodate absent players.

From round 4, Michael Schreenan faced Tim Commons in a Ruy Lopez. Black won a pawn in the opening and established a firm grip on the position before ending the game with a stylish mating combination .

Also from round 4, Swytzar Swytzer faced Chris Segrave and surprised him with the Scotch. Showing his recent improved play, White built up a good position and then converted it into a winning position with an excellent combination. He took some time to finish off the Reserves champion, but the result was never really in doubt..

Sharjeel Ansari met Rob Bailey who tested White’s knowledge in the Sicilian. A sharp tussle ensued, typical of the Defence. White gradually obtained the initiative, then won a pawn. Turning down Black’s optimistic draw offer, White cleverly won another pawn before breaking into the Black King’s position. An excellent positional crush.

Patrick Cook versus Swytzar Swytzer was a Reti system where Black played the unorthodox Two Knights Tango (1.Nf3  Nc6 2. g3  Nf6). The game was short, sharp and brutal, with White muscling his way to a 24 move checkmate.

Sharjeel Ansari took on top seed Jamie Brotheridge in a mainline Sicilian Najdorf. The game was agreed drawn in unusual cicumstances when White’s phone rang and he needed to leave for work reasons. He had some initiative at the time.

From round 2, Chris Segrave versus Rob Bailey was the rare Alapin Opening (1. e4  e5 2.  Ne2  ..). Black produced a nice tactical trick to win a pawn in the opening. Undeterred, White came up with a neat trick of his own to win a piece and held it into the endgame where he offered a draw from a position of strength. Black grabbed it with relief.

Tim Commons versus Jamie Brotheridge, from Round 5, was a Caro-Kann. After a tactical skirmish in the opening, Black emerged a pawn to the good and an interesting queens and rooks' middlegame ensued. Black kept the initiative but then traded 2 rooks for queen and pawn to reach a tricky endgame. He was fortunate that White missed a probable draw by perpetual check when he dropped a rook and resigned immediately.

Swytzar Swytzer met Michael Schreenan, from Round 6, in a Petroff that quickly became a 4 Knights Opening. A wild and woolly game with ultra-sharp tactics was the result. Black dropped a piece but White neglected to castle and his King was caught in murderous crossfire and was mated on move 20.

Patrick Cook faced the strong newcomer Sharjeel Ansari and tested his knowledge in his favourite Larsen’s Opening. Neither player gained much from the opening, but in the middlegame White carelessly dropped a pawn. Good endgame technique enabled White to steer the game to a rook and pawn ending and a draw was the result.

Round 5

Sharjeel Ansari met Swytzar Swytzer and launched the old romantic King’s Gambit. White quickly won a piece and soon overwhelmed his opponent, finishing off the game with a neat checkmate.

The postponed Round 2 game Swytzar Swytzer versus Tim Commons was also played on the night. A Scotch game, it was quite even into the middlegame. White obtained some initiative, but a tactical error cost him a piece. He limped into the endgame hoping to reach a 2 Bishop’s versus 1 Bishop ending, but the pawns told and Black won efficiently.

Chris Segrave versus Michael Schreenan  was an Alapin Opening again. Black snatched a pawn in the opening but left a piece en prise shortly after. White took advantage of the error and was soon a piece for 2 pawns up. He made the material count and eventually won.

Rob Bailey faced Patrick Cook who opted for an Alekhine Defence despite White’s attempt to avoid it. A tense game ensued, with neither side gaining an edge, so Black accepted White’s draw offer in the late middlegame.

Jamie Brotheridge versus Rob Bailey, from Round 4, was played earlier in the week. A Sicilian via the French Defence, White typically went on the attack, sacrificing material for the iniative. Black’s defence proved adequate, and further material losses by White in the face of Black’s counterattack proved decisive.

Round 6

Patrick Cook faced the feisty Tim Commons who side-stepped a planned Catalan by launching an immediate assault on White’s castled King. To relieve the pressure, White gave up a piece for 2 pawns and gained a dangerous counterattack. Black blundered a piece in the process and went down rapidly from there.

Michael Schreenan versus Sharjeel Ansari, from round 2, was a Ruy Lopez. The game was played at lightning speed with White holding his own for some time, but Black’s superior technique gave him a comfortable win in the end.

Jamie Brotheridge versus Chris Segrave was an Open Sicilian. Black got tangled up in the opening and gave away a pawn. White quickly built up an attack and soon won a piece, and then the Black Queen as well, before finishing off his opponent with a checkmate.

Also on the night, the round 3 game Tim Commons versus Chris Segrave was played. Another Open Sicilian, once again White gained an advantage from the opening, establishing a firm grip on the game. Black’s efforts to wriggle out were fruitless and White won a good game.

Round 7

Michael Schreenan faced top seed Jamie Brotheridge in an open Sicilian. White kept it equal with sensible exchanges and made it to an even rook and pawns endgame, but lack of technical experience cost him the game.

Chris Segrave, the club Reserves champion, took on Patrick Cook, the club champion, with an English Opening. White managed to put up continuous stiff resistance, frustrating Black’s efforts to gain an advantage. Black declined a draw offer, but was still unable to find a winning edge, and sensing danger offered a draw himself, which was accepted.

Tim Commons met the tournament leader Sharjeel Ansari and played the Ruy Lopez, exchange variation. Black quickly obtained a dangerous attack against his opponent’s King, but White defended well and reached a double-edged middle game, before going on the attack himself and forcing Black to give up the exchange. The endgame was a clear win for White, but Black’s agile Knight took advantage of White’s lack of endgame technique and liquidated White’s last pawns to reach a draw.

Rob Bailey versus Swytzar Swytzer was a win on forfeit for White.

The last remaining game, Michael Schreenan versus Rob Bailey, from round 3, was also played. Another Sicilian via the French, Black’s experience proved enough for the win.

So, club newcomer Sharjeel Ansari wins the 2008 John Holmes Memorial.