Matvii's first win saves captain Maurizio's skin

Cannock & District League Division 4

Captain Maurizio Baravalle's last-minute withdrawal due to work commitments gave youngster Matvii a chance to rise to the occasion, and he did so in a spectacular win, turning a potentially lost result into a drawn 2-2 match against Norton Canes in Cannock Division 4.

Matvii Sudenko was asked at very short notice to step in as White on Board 4 and did so with great enthusiasm. He got off to a great start, building a massive lead in development, which allowed him to initiate an attack against his opponent, also a junior. His opponent's kingside was ripped apart, which only encouraged Matvii to increase the pressure. Eventually, his opponent could not hold his position together and it crumbled.

Next to finish was Isaac Adams, also White on Board 2. Isaac began well but missed his opponent's threat and was caught with a fork. He was forced to sacrifice his bishop for a positional advantage, but the compensation was not enough to overcome the material deficit. Isaac fought well but ultimately resigned.

Stuart Andrews finished next, playing Black on Board 3 in a very friendly game; his opponent was new to league chess, so Stuart helped with the menial parts of managing the clock and etiquette while they played. Stuart’s experience shone through, however, as his opponent slowly kept losing more and more material, with inevitable defeat.

Rob Frost finished last on Board 1. Rob, also Black, felt he made a mistake by playing into an opening he knew his opponent Mike Hoare understood well. He was proven right when Rob quickly fell behind by two pawns, and one of them became a passed pawn with Rook support. Rob castled and decided to ignore the passed pawn, focusing on an attack on the King. Rob hoped to take advantage of the passed-pawn-centric piece placement, but Mike quickly swapped his Queen for two Rooks. Rob came close to a perpetual, but Mike secured everything and threatened promotion with a check. With too many threats to face, Rob resigned.

Hero Matvii’s last minute addition saved a very likely lost result for his team. Maurizio will be thanking his lucky stars.

(Match played: 5th November)