Tuesday 12 March 2024

11-03-2024 Thornton Cup

Monday night saw the final of the Thornton Cup - played between Harry (with White) and Sandy.

I hope I've got these moves right...

[Event "Thornton Cup"] [Site "Stirling CC"] [Date "2024.03.11"] [Round "Final"] [White "Feather, H"] [Black "Carmichael, S"] [Result "1-0"] 1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. g3 d6 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. e4 e5 6. Nge2 a5 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 Be6 9. h3 Nbd7 10. f4 exf4 11. gxf4 Nc5 12. f5 Bd7 13. d4 Na6 14. e5 dxe5 15. dxe5 Nh5 16. f6 Bxf6 17. exf6 c6 18. Qd4 Be6 19. Qh4 Kh8 20. Bh6 Re8 21. Kh1 Qd3 22. b3 Rad8 23. Rac1 a4 24. Nf4 Ng3+ 25. Kh2 Nxf1+ 26. Bxf1 Qd2+ 27. Nfe2 Qd6+ 28. Bf4 Qf8 29. Ne4 Bf5 30. Bh6 Qa3 { 30 ... Rxe4 } 31. Bg7+ Kg8 32. Ng5 Qd6+ 33. Kh1 h5 34. Ng3 Qd4 35. Nxf5 Qxh4 36. Nxh4 { 36 Nh6# } 36... axb3 37. axb3 Re3 38. Nhf3 Rxb3 39. Ne5 Rd4 40. Nexf7 Rxh3+ 41. Bxh3 Rd1+ 42. Rxd1 Nc7 43. Nh6# 1-0

Congratulations to Harry, and comiserations to Sandy.

11-03-2024 Stirling v Badgers Brook

Stirling   v   Badgers Brook
Isaac Browning

Steve Smith

Leyla Kim

Sean Flanagan

Dave Hewitt

Nathanael Loch

David McAlister
1988

1632

1588

1557

1513

1504

1476
0 - 1

1 - 0

1 - 0

½ - ½

½ - ½

1 - 0

1 - 0
2039

1298

 

 

 

962

 
Kenny McGeoch

Colin Matthews

Dayle Angus

David James

David Lawrence

Peter Woollven

Connor George
5 - 2

Friday 8 March 2024

05-03-24 Dunfermline Minnows v Stirling Bruce

Dunfermline Minnows 11-5 Stirling Bruce
Round 1
Volodymyr Tushynskyi 1 - 0 Isaac Browning
Scott Kilgour ½ - ½ Bill Cook
Calum Smith 1 - 0 Kenny MacPherson
Gregor McCluskey ½ - ½ Dave Hewitt
Round 2
Volodymyr Tushynskyi 1 - 0 Bill Cook
Scott Kilgour 1 - 0 Kenny MacPherson
Calum Smith 1 - 0 Dave Hewitt
Gregor McCluskey 0 - 1 Isaac Browning
Round 3
Volodymyr Tushynskyi 1 - 0 Kenny MacPherson
Scott Kilgour 1 - 0 Dave Hewitt
Calum Smith 0 - 1 Isaac Browning
Gregor McCluskey ½ - ½ Bill Cook
Round 4
Volodymyr Tushynskyi 1 - 0 Dave Hewitt
Scott Kilgour 0 - 1 Isaac Browning
Calum Smith ½ - ½ Bill Cook
Gregor McCluskey 1 - 0 Kenny MacPherson

Friday 1 March 2024

26-02-24 Stirling C v Dunfermline B

Stirling C   v   Dunfermline B
Richard Warcup

Dave Hewitt

Kenny MacPherson

Bill Cook

David McAlister
1542

1513

1440

1492

1476
1 - 0

½ - ½

1 - 0

1 - 0

½ - ½
1403

 

 

1229

1212
Doug Rew

Gregor McCloskey

Euan Bell

Mark McLintock

Jim Wallace
4 - 1

Friday 23 February 2024

21-02-24 Grangemouth A v Stirling B

Grangemouth A   v   Stirling B
Alan Bell

John McLay

Daniel Kitaev

Ian Mason

Alan Petrie
1949

1948

1669

1603

1572
0 - 1

1 - 0

1 - 0

0 - 1

1 - 0
1703

1520

1504

1499

1342
Graham Anderson

Brad Duthie

Nathanael Loch

Douglas Heatlie

Harry Feather
3 - 2

Below is my game from board 1 where I had Black against Alan. After dropping the exchange, Alan decided he had to sacrifice it back, before I got lucky at the very end.

[Event "Grangemouth A v Stirling B"] [Site "Grangemouth CC"] [Date "2024.02.21"] [Round ""] [White "Bell, A"] [Black "Anderson, G"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 d6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. O-O Nxd4 8. Bxd7+ Qxd7 9. Qxd4 Be7 10. Bf4 O-O 11. Rad1 Nh5 12. Be3 { The original plan had been to follow up Nh5 with Bf6, but only now that the position has come up do I see 12 ... Bf6 13 e5 Bxe5 14 Qxe5 dxe5 15 Rxd7. } 12... c6 13. e5 { After c6, I'd intended to reply d5 after e5. But, again, now that the position has come up, have I noticed g4. Stockfish thinks I can get away with d5 but I couldn't see how. 13... d5 14 g4 Bc5 15 Qc4 Qe6 16 Qe2 d4 17 Bxd4 Nf4 18 Qf3 Bxd4 19 Rxd4 g5 } 13... f5 14. exd6 Bf6 15. Qc4+ Kh8 16. Bd4 { When thinking about this originally, I thought Alan wouldn't play Bd4 because then I could just take back on d6. I still couldn't see what was wrong with it, so... } 16... Qxd6 17. Bc5 Qc7 18. Bxf8 Rxf8 19. Ne2 f4 20. f3 Qe5 21. Rfe1 Qg5 { 21 ... Bh4 might have been better - make the rook go back to f1. } 22. Nc3 Bd8 23. Rxd8 { Alan said afterwards that he didn't want things to get too hairy after Bb6+, although Ne4 Bb6+ Nf2 seems to be OK for White. } 23... Qxd8 24. Qc5 Re8 25. Rd1 Qh4 26. Ne4 Nf6 27. Nd6 Re1+ { Black resigns, 28 Rxe1 Qxe1# } 0-1

Tuesday 20 February 2024

19-02-24 Stirling A v Badgers Brook A

Stirling A   v   Badgers Brook A
Isaac Browning

Jim Shemilt

William Spiers

Steve Smith

Sean Flanagan
1988

1771

1755

1632

1557
1 - 0

1 - 0

1 - 0

0 - 1

0 - 1
2039

1572

1298

 

 
Kenny McGeoch

Graham Kerr

Colin Matthews

Angus Dayle

James David
3 - 2

14-02-24 Grangemouth B v Stirling A

Grangemouth B   v   Stirling A
Dougie Will

Daniel Kitaev

Ian Mason

Alasdair Sandham

Crawford Welsh
1870

1669

1603

1434

1199
0 - 1

½ - ½

½ - ½

1 - 0

0 - 1
1988

1771

1755

1632

1557
Isaac Browning

Jim Shemilt

William Spiers

Steve Smith

Sean Flanagan
2 - 3