UK Blitz Open Bridgend Qualifier, round 9, played on 30 September 2023
An impressive win by Kingston stalwart Peter Lalić, in this qualifier for the UK Open Blitz Championships against the prodigious Bodhana Sivanandan, the world under 8 girls champion.
Alexander Cup board 1 game played at Streatham on 3 October 2023
A remarkable victory by David Maycock over FM Venkat Tiruchirapalli in the opening match of the season. The game features two exchange sacrifices and ending with a beautiful zugzwang. One observer called the game “grandmasterly”, and it certainly underlines the 19-year-old’s great potential.
Wernick Cup game played at the Sultan pub, Wimbledon, on 26 June 2023
Newcomer Hayden Holden is enjoying a fine run in the Wernick Cup – a Surrey Association individual trophy for players of about 1600 ECF and below – visibly growing in self-belief, as this fine attacking game shows.
Kingston Summer Blitz, Willoughby Arms, 19 June 2023
The summer blitzes at Kingston have proved popular, attracting players from other local clubs. The giantkiller prize in the tournament on 19 June went to Kingston president John Foley, who defeated Peter Lalić in round 3 (in the game shown below) and David Maycock, who lost on time, in round 4.
Wernick Cup game played at the Sultan pub, Wimbledon, on 22 May 2023
Hayden is a relatively new member at Kingston – one of the group of young players who joined after lockdown – and has already made a huge contribution to all aspects of the club. As this game in section four of the Surrey Individual (designed for players of about 1500 ECF and below) shows, he is making rapid progress and promises to be a real force in future years.
Thames Valley League division 1 match played at the Willoughby Arms, Kingston on 15 May 2023
This game was played in Kingston first team’s final league match of the all-conquering 2022/23 season. Will has been a key figure in the first team’s success, travelling down from north London to play for us, and here he recorded the first win of the evening, defeating Paul Dupré on board 5 in a game in which both players sought to create complications from the start.
Thames Valley League division 2 match played at St Luke’s Community Hall, Maidenhead on 8 May 2023
Peter Andrews’ victory in this game – the last to finish on the night – earned a 3-3 draw for Kingston B away to league leaders Maidenhead A, and ensured that the team would not be relegated from division 2 of the Thames Valley League – a threat which has been hanging over us for most of the season. Both players went for the jugular in this game, and the mate which Peter conjures up – while in severe time trouble – is a most satisfying and elegant one. A memorable game to end a hard-fought match.
Surrey League division 1 match played at St Winefride’s Church Hall, Wimbledon on 20 April 2023
This was the board 8 game in Kingston’s 4.5-3.5 victory over a powerful Wimbledon team in the Surrey League – a result that meant Kingston won the league title with a perfect eight wins in eight matches. Kingston lost on the top two boards and at one point looked likely to lose the match, but Peter’s crucial victory over Tony Hughes and wins for Will Taylor and John Foley turned the tide. Hughes’s ambitious play may not be wholly accurate, but it is certainly scary, and Peter needed all his nous to blunt his opponent’s attacking intent, gain a hefty material advantage and ultimately carry Kingston to victory.
Alexander Cup final played at the Adelaide pub, Teddington on 14 April 2023
This was the board 3 game which ultimately decided the fate of the 2023 Alexander Cup final. Kingston’s Silverio Abasolo had to beat IM Chris Baker, or the match would have been drawn 5-5 and Battersea would have taken the title on board count. Fortunes swung both ways, time became a factor, spectators became anxious, but Abasolo was the calmest person at the Adelaide pub and eventually prevailed to ensure that Kingston retained the trophy.
Alexander Cup final played at the Adelaide pub, Teddington on 14 April 2023
The board 4 game between Mike Healey and Viktor Stoyanov was pivotal in Kingston’s victory over Battersea in the 2023 Alexander Cup final by the slender margin of 5.5-4.5. The match was an intense and dramatic one between two very fine sides, and here Mike plays a tremendous game to make possible Kingston’s win against a higher-rated team. Mike being Mike, his knights naturally lead the charge.
