Our first win! Even without the point from 'super-sub' Ray Shepherd, we had a draw in the bank, and that would have been a good result too.
So, well done all round. In both other games there was a big chance for our side early on - so make sure you think right from the start, don't 'warm up' during the game!
{A bit of a tired performance by White: Black picked up pawns every few moves and went into an endgame four pawns ahead. There were a couple of chances to hit back, and the one on move 8 might have given a very different result. Look at every check and every capture, every move!}3. d4 is the move most likely to cause problems. Have a look at this page: http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/lessons-philidors-defence
[Event "EJCC vs Seaton "]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.11"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Royle, James"]
[Black "Porter, Les"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C50"]
[PlyCount "104"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 2... d6 {
Philidor's Defence, which requires very careful play by Black}
3. Bc4 Nc6 4. d4 (4. Nc3) 4... Bg4 5. Nc3 $2 (5. c3 $1 5... exd4 6. cxd4 Nf6 (6...
Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Nxd4 8. Qxf7#) 7. Nc3 Bxf3 8. gxf3) 5... Nxd4 6. Qd3 Nxf3+ 7. gxf3
7... Be6 $2 8. Nd5 $2 (8. Bxe6 $1 8... fxe6 9. Qb5+ $1 9... c6 10. Qxb7 {
hits straight back, and Black looks worse.}) 8... Nf6 9. Bg5 Be7 10. f4 c6 11.
Nc3 h6 12. Bh4 O-O 13. O-O-O (13. Bxe6 $1 13... fxe6 14. fxe5 14... dxe5 {
messes up Black's pawns, and} 15. Qc4 $1 {
asks a good question: how are you going to defend e6?}) 13... exf4 14. e5 dxe5
15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Qe4 Qc7 17. Bd3 g6 18. h4 Bf5 19. Qf3 Bxd3 20. Qxd3 Rad8 21.
Qe4 h5 22. Qf3 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Bxh4 24. Ne4 Rd8 25. Rh1 Be7 26. Rg1 Kg7 27. Ng5
(27. Qxh5 $1 {
If I have the position right, this was a little chance to hit back.}) 27...
Bxg5 28. Rxg5 Rg8 29. Rg2 (29. Qxh5 $1) 29... Qd6 30. b3 Qd5 31. Qh3 Rd8 32.
Rh2 Qd1+ 33. Kb2 Rd2 34. Qc8 {Is this the right position?} 34... Rd8 $4 (34...
Qxc2+ $1 {forces mate} 35. Ka3 Qxa2+ 36. Kb4 Rd4+ 37. Kc3 (37. Kc5 Qa5#) 37...
Qd2#) 35. Qxb7 Rd7 36. Qb4 $2 (36. Qxc6) 36... Qd4+ 37. Qxd4 Rxd4 38. c4 e4 39.
Kc2 e3 40. fxe3 fxe3 41. Re2 Rd2+ 42. Rxd2 exd2 43. Kxd2 h4 44. Ke2 g5 45. Kf3
f5 46. b4 g4+ 47. Kg2 h3+ 48. Kh2 f4 49. c5 (49. a4) 49... Kg6 50. a4 Kf6 51.
b5 Ke7 52. a5 (52. b6 axb6 53. cxb6 Kd7 54. a5 c5 55. a6 Kc6) 52... cxb5 0-1
{Black never really got going and eventually forgot about a threatened piece; White actually had a chance to win a piece on move 6!}
[Event "EJCC vs Seaton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.05.11"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Whittington, Reece"]
[Black "Marsh, Brian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A40"]
[PlyCount "85"]
1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5
3... Na5 {A Knight on the rim is dim!} (3... Nce7 4. e4 4... Ng6 {
and Black can get sorted out}) 4. e4 b6 5. Bd2 Bb7 6. Nf3 (6. b4 $1 {
traps the offside Knight}) 6... f6 7. Bxa5 $2 {
This swaps your better Bishop for an awful Knight.} (7. b4 $1 {was still on!})
7... bxa5 8. Nc3 a6 9. Qb3 Rb8 10. Qa4 c6 11. Be2 Bb4 12. O-O Bxc3 13. bxc3 Ba8
14. Rab1 Rxb1 15. Rxb1 Ne7 16. Qb3 {Not bad, but there was something better!} (
16. d6 $1 16... Ng6 17. c5 $1 {and Black's Bishop is buried, while White's
Bishop can suddenly see the open road.} 17... Nf4 18. Bc4 {
then you can start mopping up with Rb6}) 16... Ng6 17. Qb8 Qxb8 18. Rxb8+ Kf7
19. Rb6 Nf4 20. Kf1 cxd5 21. cxd5 Rc8 22. Rxa6 Bb7 23. Rxa5 (23. Ra7 $1) 23...
Rxc3 24. g3 Rc1+ 25. Ne1 25... d6 $4 {
I guess Black forgot that you were attacking the Knight.} 26. gxf4 exf4 27. Ra7
Rc7 28. Ba6 {You gave this a "?" but I don't know why!} 28... Rc1 $4 (28...
Bxa6+ $1 29. Rxa6 $1) 29. Rxb7+ Kg6 30. Rd7 h6 31. Rxd6 Kg5 32. Rc6 Rd1 33. Bd3
Ra1 34. d6 Kh4 35. d7 Kh3 36. d8=Q Kxh2 37. Rxf6 gxf6 38. Qxf6 Rxe1+ 39. Kxe1
Kg2 40. Qxf4 (40. Bf1+ {is one move faster!}) 40... h5 41. Bf1+ Kh1 42. Qf3+
Kh2 43. Qg2# 1-0