Team Report
Team Report
This is a report on the 4 nations cup which was held in England this year it is written by Tom Mc Grath. Games to be posted later.
Day 1. I arrived in Birmgham with Peter Doyle,Hugh Doyle and Keegan O'Mahoney.While we were waiting for Peter Doyle to organize stuff with the car he was hiring,we played soccer with a coke bottle then we decided to play catch when Keegan was running up behind me I quickly dropped to the floor and ducked under Keegan's hand after he turned around and caught me as I was busy celebrating my bit of skill.When we got to airport it was quite late.Jeffrey Alfred showed me the playing hall and the analyzing rooms.We played some friendly's which I all won by playing Sicilian Godiva which is. 1.E4 1.C5 2.NF3 2.NC6 3.D4 3.Cxd4 4.Nxd4 5QB6. After we went to bed.
Day 2. I was very nervous before the game because I didn't want to do bad in my first game for Ireland and I had heard that the player I was playing was very good.I later found out he was 1559 rated. so my game turned out to be good I won it I had prepared against the Sicilian Dragon from a line which Steve Short had given me.I played a very tactical game which I might have missed a mate with a complicated sack.I went on to an endgame where I had a knight against a bishop with a pawn advantage to him but my pawn almost queening in the end the pressure was to much defending my passed pawn that I won.Overall we lost to Scotland 3.5 - 2.5 .
Afterwards I analyzed my game in the Irish analysis room,with Ryan Ryhs Griffiths and David Fitzsimons who are both very friendly.Then we played man hunt and soccer outside not the torture version of man hunt.In the soccer we played Scotland we lost 7-6 but we had less players because they left later on we were winning 6-2 but then our players left and their players arrived.
Wales our next oppnents I think I went into the game a bit to confident as I had won my first game and Wales usually come last the order is usually England,Scotland,Ireland,Wales with a upset for England in a Tournament and a slight position change in another.I ended up playing a opening mistake playing a new line in the French Defense Normal variation instead of the Winawer variation I played the Classical variation.I then messed up with allowing a knight to hop into D6 and later on I made up for a worse position getting play on the kingside and looking up the queenside but just when everything was going well I moved my night and bang I allowed the knight on D6 a square to go to and unfourtetly it was a check and even more unfourunate was that it was a Queen and king fork check.I thought for five minutes to see if there was any counter-play but I was dropping a full queen,we ended up drawing with Wales 3-3 which was very disapointing.Afterwards I analyzed and then I played man hunt again.
Day 3. England Pre-Tournament favourites I lost my game due to an opening mistake and then I lost a piece then another and then 2 pawns so I resigned.After we played man hunta nd soccer against England we beat England 6-1 which was good revenge for the chess.We had to play Wales again I was hoping for revenge as I had lost in a better position this time I was no doubht better I had a checkmate in my clutches my pieces aiming on her king when I brang my queen in though it all changed I was 1 tempo slow and I got my queen trapped and then all she needed was one move and she had one move more than me then I lost a hopeless position.We ended up winning 3.5 - 2.5 though.
Day 4. The last day Ireland were a full point ahead in the U.12 section.Scotland my only win I got off to a horrible start.I played a Benko Gambit which I thought was part of a Nimzo Indian but it had gone wrong already after 13 moves I had lost a pawn with another gone in Move 15 then I was 2 pawns down I played on the wings using my rooks to get at his centre but it didn't work.Then he blundered a pawn this was crucial as his other pawn was useless then I have counter play and then I start to attack.Then I suddenly see a move order I have won the pawn back its a rook and pawn endgame he then gets his king in on my queenside but he misses a win then I am winning and then we are at a position where I have queen but he has a pawn 1 move from queening and he has a rook I then give him a lot of checks which do nothing but then we agree a draw.I can win but I would've had to play some engine moves and he can nearly force a draw with his rook.Scotland won 3.5 - 2.5.
After we played then the last round we were equal with Scotland 14 points each we then lost 6-0 against England and Scotland beat Wales 4-2.I played a Marshall against my oppnent but he new all the theory while I knew it all up untill move Move 16 so I came a few seconds late but then I thought for 1 minute and thought French or Marshall I had just learned before the game.I decided to go with a Marshall so we blitzed all the way untill move 17 both knowing the theory then I played a slightly different move which didn't exactly work out.I then coudn't win back the pawn I had sacked in the Marshall and then lost my bishop and resigned.
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