This agreeable annual match is always a friendly and well-contested occasion. As usual, most of the games, and therefore the match, could have had a very different result! Well played all.

Board 1. After missing a chance to win a piece in the opening, White fell into a wicked trap.

[Event "EJCC vs TBGS"]
[Site "HSC"]
[Date "2013.02.08"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Blackmore, Joshua"]
[Black "Keat, Sam"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[PlyCount "64"]
{After missing a chance to win a piece in the opening, White fell into a
wicked trap.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Bc4 $2 {A pawn sacrifice?} 4...
h6 $6 {Waste of time here.} (4... Nxe4 $1 {
is perfectly safe. Take centre pawns if you can!} 5. Qe2 d5 6. Bb5 6... Bc5 $1
) (4... d5 $5 {is a good idea for Black.}) 5. d4 5... Bd6 $6 {Looks awkward.
How is Black planning to develop the Bc8? And it is awkward, as it provokes
some very concrete threats from White.} (5... exd4 6. cxd4 d5 (6... Nxe4)) 6.
dxe5 $1 6... Nxe5 $4 (6... Bxe5 $1) 7. Nxe5 $1 7... Bxe5 8. O-O $4 (8. f4 $1
8... Bd6 9. e5 $1 {wins a piece}) 8... Nxe4 $6 {This looks very risky now,
with Black uncastled and both pieces undefended. (Loose Pieces Drop Off, says
John Nunn.)} 9. Qd5 $6 {Natural, but not the best choice.} (9. Re1 $1) (9. Qh5
$1) 9... Qe7 $5 {
At this point, Mr.Thynne whispered, "I bet the game goes 10.Qxe4 Bxh2+..."} 10.
Qxe4 $4 (10. Re1 $1 {still wins for White.} 10... f5 11. f4 $1 (11. f3 $4 11...
Bxh2+ $1) 11... Bd6 12. Qxf5 $1) 10... Bxh2+ $1 {Winning a Queen, and a bet!
The rest of the game has a couple of interesting tactics, but the result was
not really in doubt.} 11. Kxh2 Qxe4 12. b3 O-O (12... d5 $1 {
wins a piece, the Bishop is embarrassed for squares.} 13. Bb5+ c6 14. Ba4 b5)
13. Ba3 Re8 14. Nd2 $4 14... Qf4+ $1 15. g3 Qxd2 16. Bb4 d5 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18.
Bxd5 c6 19. Bc4 Be6 20. Bxe6 Rxe6 21. Rb1 Re5 (21... Re2 22. Bc5 $2 22... b6 $1
{and again a Bishop has run out of squares.} 23. Bd4 c5 24. Be3 Rxe3) 22. Bd6
Re2 23. Bc5 Rae8 (23... b6 $1) 24. Kg2 Qd2 (24... Rb2 25. Rbd1 Ree2) 25. Rbc1
$4 25... Qd5+ 26. Kg1 Qxc5 27. b4 Qd5 28. Rcd1 Qc4 (28... Qf3) 29. Rc1 29... h5
{Black hits on a decisive plan.} 30. Kg2 h4 31. gxh4 Qxh4 32. Kg1 R8e6 1-0

Board 2. After a murky opening, White lost the exchange. In trying to force a win, Black gave back the exchange, but missed a win or two in the endgame.

[Event "EJCC vs TBGS"]
[Site "HSC"]
[Date "2013.02.08"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Kelly, Edmund"]
[Black "Milne, James"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B06"]
[PlyCount "113"]
{After a murky opening, White lost the exchange. In trying to force a win,
Black gave back the exchange, but missed a win or two in the endgame.} 1. e4 g6
2. d4 d6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Be3 e6 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O 8... b6 {
This 'Hippopotamus' system is usually played with Knights on d7 and e7.} 9. Qd2
$6 9... Ng4 $1 10. h3 $6 {
Forces Black to play a move he was going to make anyway!} (10. Bg5 $1 {
keeps the Bishop} 10... Qe8 11. h3 Nf6) 10... Nxe3 11. Qxe3 Bb7 12. Rad1 a6 13.
a4 Qe7 14. b3 Nb4 15. Rfe1 d5 16. exd5 (16. e5 $1 {squashes both enemy Bishops.
} 16... c5 17. Ne2) 16... Bxd5 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Qe4 $2 18... Nc3 $1 19. Qh4 $2
{Drops a pawn, but a poor idea even if it didn't lose a pawn.White is losing,
so should keep pieces on. Piece swaps help the winning side, pawn swaps help
the losing side.} 19... Nxd1 20. Rxd1 Qxh4 21. Nxh4 Bxd4 22. Bxa6 $2 {
Makes things worse!} 22... Rxa6 $4 (22... Bf6 $1) 23. Rxd4 Raa8 24. Nf3 Rfd8
25. c3 (25. Rc4 $1 {White is losing, so should keep pieces on.}) 25... Rxd4 26.
Nxd4 c5 27. Ne2 Rd8 28. b4 cxb4 29. cxb4 Rd2 30. Ng3 Rb2 31. a5 bxa5 32. bxa5
Ra2 33. Ne4 Rxa5 34. Nf6+ Kg7 35. Ng4 Ra1+ 36. Kh2 Ra2 37. f3 Re2 38. Kg3 f5
39. Nf2 $4 39... Kf6 (39... f4+ $1 {undermines the Knight.}) 40. Nd3 h5 41. h4
Rd2 42. Nf4 e5 43. Nh3 Rd3 44. Ng5 e4 45. Kf2 exf3 46. Nxf3 46... Rxf3+ $2 {
Black is still winning, but this gives White hope.} ({
Black can clear a square for the King to advance} 46... f4 47. g3 (47. Ng5 Kf5
48. Ke2 Re3+ 49. Kf2 Kg4) 47... Kf5 48. Ke2 Ra3 49. gxf4 Kxf4 50. Ng5 Kg4) 47.
Kxf3 Ke5 48. g3 Kf6 (48... f4 $1 {is the way through:} 49. gxf4+ Kf5 50. Kg3
50... Ke4 $1) 49. Kf4 Ke6 50. Kg5 Kf7 51. Kf4 Kf6 52. Kf3 Ke5 53. Ke3 Kf6 54.
Kf4 {First threefold repetition.} 54... Kg7 55. Kg5 Kf7 56. Kf4 Kg7 57. Kg5 {
White correctly claimed a draw by threefold repetition of position. It's
repetition of position, not moves, so it doesn't matter if you don't repeat it
three times in five moves.} 1/2-1/2

Board 3. After some scrappy play, Black emerged a piece ahead, but allowed his Knight to get sidetracked and his King exposed. All credit to White for making trouble!

[Event "EJCC vs TBGS"]
[Site "HSC"]
[Date "2013.02.08"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Sanders-Wyatt, Ben"]
[Black "Hafstad, Leif"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[PlyCount "125"]
{After some scrappy play, Black emerged a piece ahead, but allowed his Knight
to get sidetracked and his King exposed. All credit to White for making
trouble!} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d3 {Doesn't set Black any problems.} 3... d5 (
3... Nf6) 4. Nc3 (4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Nc3) 4... d4 5. Nd5 $2 {
Already losing a pawn.} 5... Be6 $1 6. Bd2 (6. c4 $1 {fights harder.}) 6...
Bxd5 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. Be2 O-O-O 9. O-O Nf6 10. Bg5 e4 11. dxe4 Qxe4 12. Bxf6
gxf6 13. Nd2 Qg6 14. Bg4+ f5 15. Bh5 Qh6 (15... Qf6 $1) 16. Bxf7 Bd6 (16... d3
$1 {Making use of the Rook and enemy Queen being on the same file.}) 17. h3 Bf4
18. Nf3 18... Qg7 $2 {Dropping another pawn.} 19. Be6+ Kb8 20. Bxf5 {White is n
ow a pawn ahead, but it's often worth giving up a pawn to open lines against
the enemy King, if the opponent has castled on the opposite side.} 20... Rhg8
21. Nh4 Rdf8 (21... Qg5 $1 {
forks the pieces - Loose Pieces Drop Off says John Nunn.}) 22. Be6 Rh8 23. Qf3
23... Qf6 $1 {Finally forking the loose pieces.} (23... Bh2+ $5 {
wins the Queen for Rook and Bishop and Pawn, which is about equal.}) 24. Qg4
24... h5 $1 25. Qe2 Qxh4 26. Bd5 Qe7 27. Qb5 Qd6 28. c4 a6 29. Qb3 29... Na5 {
As usual, a Knight on the Rim is Dim! The Knight plays no further part in the
game.} 30. Qa4 b6 31. Rfe1 31... c6 {These loosening pawn moves give White
hopes of a perpetual check (or mate) later in the game.} 32. Bf3 Re8 33. Rxe8+
Rxe8 34. Bxh5 Re5 35. Bg4 Qe7 36. g3 Re1+ 37. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 38. Kg2 38... Bc1 $4
39. Qc2 $4 (39. b4 $1 {gets a perpetual if not mate! If Black's pawns were on
the second rank, he would be fine.} 39... Nb7 40. Qxc6 Qxb4 41. Bf3 $1 41...
Nc5 42. Qa8+ Kc7 43. Qc6+ Kd8 44. Qd6+ Kc8 45. Bg4+ Kb7 46. Qe7+ Kb8 47. Qd8+
Ka7 48. Qc7+ Nb7 49. Bf3 {and mate follows on b7.}) 39... b5 40. cxb5 axb5 41.
Qf5 Qe8 42. Bh5 Qc8 43. Qe5+ Qc7 44. Qe8+ Kb7 45. Qe1 $1 45... Bxb2 46. Bf3 Nc4
47. Qb4 $1 47... d3 $4 (47... Kb6) 48. Qxb5+ $1 48... Qb6 49. Qxc4 d2 50. Qf7+
Ka6 51. Be2+ Ka5 52. Qf5+ c5 53. Qd3 Qb4 54. Qd8+ (54. Qa6# $1 {
was an improvement!}) 54... Ka4 55. Qa8+ Qa5 56. Bd1+ Kb4 57. Qb8+ Kc3 58. Qb3+
Kd4 59. Qxb2+ Qc3 60. Qb7 Qc1 61. Qd7+ Kc4 62. Bb3+ Kc3 63. h4 {(time)} 1-0

Board 4. Rather a slow start by both players; a quick break in the centre might have upset Black. The game was decided by an amazing double blunder on move 30.

[Event "EJCC vs TBGS"]
[Site "HSC"]
[Date "2013.02.08"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Hwang, Ethan"]
[Black "Kubiak, Jakub"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C50"]
[PlyCount "113"]
{Rather a slow start by both players; a quick break in the centre might have
upset Black. The game was decided by an amazing double blunder on move 30.} 1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 3... h6 {
Oh dear, there must be a better idea than this!} (3... Nf6 $1) (3... Bc5 $1) (
3... d6) (3... Be7) (3... Nd4 $5) 4. O-O Nf6 5. Nc3 5... a6 {A second Dreadful
Little Rook's Pawn Move. Again, almost any other move is better.} 6. d3 (6. d4
$1 {tries to open up lines while Black is so behind in development.}) 6... Bc5
7. Qe2 7... d6 {
We've arrived in an Old Stodge position, where the Rooks are unable to develop.
} 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. Qxe3 (9. fxe3 $5 {Makes the position unbalanced. Perhaps
White can do something with the Rook on the half-open f-file.}) 9... O-O 10.
Nd5 Be6 11. Rfe1 b5 12. Bb3 a5 13. c4 bxc4 14. dxc4 a4 15. Bc2 Bxd5 16. exd5
Ng4 17. Qe2 Nb4 18. Rac1 (18. Bf5 $1 18... Nf6 19. a3 Na6) 18... Nxa2 19. Ra1
Nb4 20. Bf5 (20. Bxa4) 20... Nf6 21. Qd2 21... Qb8 {Black's pieces aren't
working very well, so the extra pawn doesn't matter much here.} 22. b3 $2 22...
Re8 (22... a3 $1) 23. Reb1 e4 (23... a3 $1) 24. Nd4 (24. bxa4 $1) 24... Nd3 25.
bxa4 25... Qa7 $6 26. Nc6 Qc5 27. Qc3 $4 (27. Bxe4 $5 {wins a pawn but...}
27... Nxe4 28. Qxd3 28... Qxf2+ {...loses one back}) 27... Qxf2+ $1 {
This time it's a fork.} 28. Kh1 Qxf5 29. Rf1 Nf4 30. g3 30... Qh3 {We now get
fine example of both sides looking at only a small part of the board.} 31. gxf4
$4 31... Ng4 $4 {Now White takes a look around at last.} 32. Qxh3 $1 32... Nf6
33. a5 e3 34. a6 e2 35. Rfe1 Ne4 36. Qf3 Nd2 37. Qd3 Ne4 38. Rxe2 Nc5 39. Rxe8+
Rxe8 40. Qc2 Ra8 41. a7 g6 42. Qc3 Ne4 43. Ne7+ Kf8 44. Qh8+ Kxe7 45. Qxa8 Kf6
46. Qh8+ Kf5 47. a8=Q Kxf4 48. c5 Kf3 49. Rf1+ Ke2 50. Qaa1 Nd2 51. Qe1+ Kd3
52. Qf6 Ne4 53. Qf3+ Kd4 54. Qexe4+ Kxc5 55. Rc1+ Kb6 56. Qb3+ Ka7 57. Qea4#
1-0