Bd	Kingston A	Grade	Result	Richmond B	Grade
1	Rowson, David J	188	0 - 1	Malam, David	200
2	Foley, John P	182	½ - ½	Heaton, Robert J	191
3	Scrimgour, Alan	178	½ - ½	Stimpson, Philip M	179
4	Clegg, Chris RA	161	½ - ½	Smart, Michael R	175
5	Way, Julian M	168	0 - 1	Shepley, Julien M	178
6	Maxwell, Neil	164	½ - ½	James, Richard	173
7	Roche, Peter J	162	1 - 0	Kreuzer, Christopher RL	169
8	Inwood, Kenneth FH	161	½ - ½	Thursby, Richard C	154
			3½-4½

Match Report by John Foley
Kingston were level with the Richmond second team after Monday night’s match with one game unfinished. Richmond are a very strong club as reflected in the fact that the top board of their second team is graded 200ECF. Chris Clegg, the Thames Valley League team captain served as his own reserve and stepped up to board four at 8 p.m. by which time his selected had not arrived. Most of the games concluded within the time control. Only the top two boards offered entertainment value right through to the end. Given that board one is adjourned, comment on that position is prohibited. Board two was a rare clubnight endgame played at speed because the players agreed to finish on the evening. Quickplay finishes do not do much for one’s nerves, but they are a practical option.
Postscript: David Rowson resigned his game without resumption on 1/12/09.

Board two: Robert Heaton v John Foley
A knight and pawns endgame: black playing up the board.

The point at which notation ceased
Black has just played Ke5-f4 to support the passed pawn and get closer to the black queenside pawns Since there were less than five minutes on the clock, black’s recording of the game ceased at this point. What follows is reconstructed.

39. h5 gxh5 40. gxh5 Nf5

The knight stops the advance of the kingside pawns.

41. b4?! (Better was 41.Kb5 to attack black’s pawn chain. The move played slightly displaces the king and delays a tempo.) 41… cxb4 42. Kxb4 e3

The e-pawn is becoming a threat. How to stop it? Robert Heaton goes for the radical solution which is the best chance given that it eliminates black’s passed pawn, retains his dangerous kingside passed pawns and meanwhile the king can go after the remaining black pawns.
43.Nd5+ Ke4 44.Nxe3 Kxe3 45. g4

This is definitely not the position you want to have when the flag on your clock is rising up!
45… Nd6 46. g5 a5+ (need to push the king back while the knight creates a barrier) 47. Kc3 Kf4 48. g6 Nf5

At this point, White offered a draw which was immediately accepted, with some relief. In this position, perhaps white might have tried 49.g7! Only one move saves the game. 49… Nxg7?? loses immediately.

50. h6! The pawn cannot be stopped. Therefore Black is forced to play 49… Nh6.