Board 1

Jakub plays on board one as the black pieces. White plays a queens pawn opening and both c pawns get traded off quite quickly. Both players play quite well throughout the match and appeared to be equal in skill, and this game does go on for some time as you might expect from a classical game. This is a more positional game where both players try to take advantageous squares to put more pressure on the oppositions pieces and position. However, white has a small advantage in the endgame as he has a couple more pawns compared to Jakub, which ends up making the difference as Jakub does not feel able to defend the position. Jakub does resign.

Anstey 0 – Kirby 1

Board 2

Oskar plays on board two as white. Black turns the game into a version of the pirc defense with c6 and d6. Oskar develops quite a nice advantage out of the opening and does end up putting a lot of pressure onto the black position, but Oskar misses some moves that black can play as defensive resources. This means black does eventually come out of the middle game not much worse that white, even has a small advantage according to stockfish16. However, the game soon turns into a drawn game. Both players do play some more chess, but Oskar does try to make sure he gets a draw as he thinks he is losing. Eventually, Oskar does offer a draw and his opponent agrees as both sides have defended pawns on opposite colours to each of their opposite coloured bishops.

Anstey 0.5 – Kirby 1.5

Board 3

Hayden plays black and white plays the italian opening, and Hayden mirrors white’s pieces with his own with some exceptions as white plays a few waiting moves of h3 and a3, which are not good moves to play when you are ahead of your opponent in development. Hayden opts to trade a knight and a dark squared bishop, and as white plays f4 to open up the black centre. Hayden counter attacks white’s centre, which he doesn’t have to do he could retreat his knight to reinforce his own centre, but he opts to play aggressively. White trades off a knight for Hayden’s last bishop, and Hayden takes a free pawn, which is okay and it doesn’t give white much opportunity so free material is always good. Hayden defends well and brings in his other rook. White trades a pair of rooks, and white goes for an attack on Hayden’s king and white does checkmate Hayden.

Hayden did play quite well, but he does need to see not worry when his opponent does attack something and sometimes retreating backwards can be the best defensive resource.

Anstey 0.5 – Kirby 2.5

Board 4

Reidan plays white on board four. The opening develops naturally for both players as they both prioritise piece development, which is great to see. This too was a long and positional game as both players seemed quite equally matched. This game, just like on board 1, takes shape in the endgame where both players have traded off a few pieces each. Both players have two rooks and a minor piece each; Reidan has a bishop where black has a knight, which is thought to be slightly better depending on which piece can move more freely and be placed on strong squares. Both players move their pieces trying to squeeze some sort of advantage out of the position, and eventually Reidan manages to win one of black’s rooks. Reidan’s opponent was quite surprised when he realised he was losing a piece, and he did play a few moves on but he did soon resign as Reidan is up a rook, which is quite devastating in the endgame.

Anstey 1.5 – Kirby 2.5