Abingdonian 2017

62 The Abingdonian Chess Club Abingdon was strong enough this season to qualify for the National Schools’ Championship without pushing a single pawn. For this we can thank Ray Ren (158), Joseph Truran (149), Jeff Abraham (117), James Beckinsale (116), Jerry Yang (113) and Richard Oh (100), whose July grades totalled more than the required 750 points, equivalent to a team average of above 125. Nevertheless, with a view to sharpening up before the inevitable struggles ahead, we did enter a team in the first qualifying event of the season. On Sunday 18 September, eight Abingdon boys competed at the Eton Rapidplay, a five round Swiss tournament in which each player has 20 minutes for all his moves plus a five second increment every move. Ray Ren (3/5), Joseph Truran (2.5/5), Jeff Abraham (3/5) and Jerry Yang (2/5) played all five rounds, on Boards 1 to 4 respectively. James Beckinsale (1/3) and Sebastian Watkins (3/3) alternated with Dashiell Hathaway (1/2) and Fran Trotter (1/2) on Boards 5 and 6. Match losses in the first two rounds against City of London School (1.5-4.5) and Nonsuch School (2.5-3.5) were followed by three straight match wins against King’s School Canterbury (4-2), St Paul’s Girls’ School (4-2) and Heathside Preparatory School (4.5- 1.5). Abingdon finished on a total of 16.5/30 game points, placing it in the top third of the 50 competing schools. It was a particularly impressive debut by new third year Sebastian Watkins, who has played his chess previously at the Dragon School and at Witney Chess Club. Between the Eton event and Abingdon’s first National Schools’ Championship match there was a long wait – time, of course, in which to prepare assiduously for the first encounter. Games played and recorded in the Oxford and District Chess League, in particular, provided Ray Ren, Jerry Yang, Thitipat Ditrungroj, Jonathan C. H. Lee, and others, with essential material for detailed game analysis on Wednesday afternoons with Grandmaster Peter Wells – a vital stimulus to rapid chess development. Having enjoyed a bye in the first round, Abingdon’s first contest in the National Schools’ Championship was a zone semi-final against Horris Hill, played away on Tuesday 28 February. The English Chess Federation’s database showed Horris Hill to have some strong young players, but we knew they had dropped two and a half points to Radley in the first round, so we were not expecting quite the grades we saw upon exchanging match sheets. Chatting to their coach Grandmaster Nicholas Pert, once the match had got underway, it soon became clear that our top three boards would really have their work cut out that afternoon. Horris Hill’s best player Dmitry Minko, was the younger brother of Vladimir Minko (260), who had comfortably beaten Ray Ren at the Eton Repêchage last year and was now an International Master. Dmitry, I was told, enjoyed regular additional chess coaching direct from Moscow by Skype. These are the two teams, listed with their January grades. 1. Ray Ren (165) v Dmitry Minko (152) 2. Joseph Truran (149) v Dimash Sarzhanov (127) 3. Jeff Abraham (107) v Theo Bell (ungraded) 4. Jerry Yang (110) v Ivan Sharov (118) 5. Thitipat Ditrungroj (111) v Vinson Pang (96) 6. Richard Oh (101) v Sasha Popov (43) It proved to be a nerve-shredding encounter, not least for the adult spectators. The first result, on Board 5, was a convincing win for Thitipat Ditrungroj, one of Abingdon’s most improved players. But by that stage Jerry Yang, on Board 4, was clearly in trouble against his higher graded opponent, and Richard Oh, on Board 6, was also losing. There was some relief when Jeff Abraham, on Board 3, dispatched his opponent with an elegant winning tactic, and afterwards when Richard, showing his usual fighting spirit, came up with a draw by repetition. But Jerry’s eventual loss meant Abingdon’s top two boards still needed more than half a point between them to guarantee the win. The tension reached its climax right at the end of the two and a half hours, when Joseph Truran, misreading Ray’s clock, offered his opponent a draw. The offer was accepted and Ray had then to avoid losing his game with only seconds left on his clock, otherwise the match would be lost 3-3 on board count (3 + 5 > 1 + 4). Ray carried on playing in his impressively imperturbable manner, his face remaining impassive as his hands moved ever more swiftly between clock and board. Horris Hill’s player, sensing victory, attempted to run Ray’s clock down by moving more quickly himself – a classic mistake – and had soon given up the last of his men. So, when Ray’s flag dropped it was only a draw, there being insufficient material for mate. Abingdon had won 3.5-2.5. Astonishing! Poor Dmitry was left sitting at the board, head in hands, plenty of time left on his clock, repeating, “I forgot, I forgot.” Chess can be a tough game. Abingdon’s reward was another match against Reading, the current British champions. Reading had annihilated