Ballynafeigh Super Series - June edition

With the European Football Championships taking a short break before their semi-finals, we cunningly scheduled the second edition of the Ballynafeigh Super Series for Tuesday 26th June. Interest is high in the Series so Damien Cunningham tries to ensure we don't overtax the capacity at Ballynafeigh Community Centre. So it was a disappointment that four players had to cry off on the night but Damien still conjured up four replacements.

I was again controlling the event and decided on experimenting with an accelerated draw in the five-round Swiss to get the main contestants for the first prize to meet each other a little earlier and also give the lower rated players a more equitable list of opponents in their search for grading prizes. Overall, I think it worked quite well and more than likely I will give the system another chance next time.

Ulster Champion Michael Waters had one of his rare off-days at the May Super series event but looked in determined mood from the off this time, in particular showing good time management, and raced to four wins out of four. Nearest pursuers were on three points so Waters only needed a draw in the final round. Despite this he didn't go for safety first and rolled out the risky Albin Counter Gambit - game on! Waters had clearly equalised by move 12 but then Masterson "started sacrificing pieces like Tal" as his opponent put it. It didn't look sound (but then Tal's attacks often didn't) and Waters, with his eye firmly fixed on overall victory, decided discretion is the better part of valour and allowed a perpetual check which Masterson had no option but to take.

Now to the grading prizes: Damien Lavery, winner of the May event, conceded draws in Rounds 1 and 3 to Steven Eachus and Damien Cunningham, but wins in the final two rounds, brought him the over 1700 Grading Prize and he was the only other unbeaten player after Waters. Karina Kruk beat Ballynafeigh Rascals team-mate Robert Lavery in the final round to secure the 1400-1700 Prize. However Robert's overall efforts (which included a brave attacking effort against May runner-up Des Moreland) secured the Under 1400 Prize on tie-break from Chris Armstrong.

Ballynafeigh Super Series - June 2012
Final Crosstable

No Name                  Total  1    2    3    4    5   Prize

1  Michael Waters        4.5    8:W 15:W 14:W 12:W  5:D Winner
2  Karina Kruk           4     20:W 10:W  7:L  6:W  9:W 1400-1700 Grading
3  Damien Lavery         4     13:D  4:W 12:D 16:W 11:W Over 1700 Grading
4  Gareth Annesley       3.5    0:D  3:L  8:W 15:W 12:W
5  John Masterson        3.5    6:W 12:L 18:W 17:W  1:D
6  Sam Flanagan          3      5:L 11:W 15:W  2:L 14:W
7  Desmond Moreland      3     12:L 17:W  2:W  9:L 18:W
8  John Bradley          3      1:L 16:W  4:L 22:W 17:W
9  Robert Lavery         3     23:W 18:L 13:W  7:W  2:L Under 1400 Grading
10 Danny Mallaghan       3     14:L  2:L 21:W 19:W 16:W
11 Chris Armstrong       3     22:   6:L 20:W 14:W  3:L
12 Damien Cunningham     2.5    7:W  5:W  3:D  1:L  4:L
13 Steven Eachus         2.5    3:D 14:L  9:L 21:W 20:W
14 Chris Black           2     10:W 13:W  1:L 11:L  6:L
15 Mark Newman           2     18:W  1:L  6:L  4:L 23:W
16 Mohamed Saad          2     21:W  8:L 19:W  3:L 10:L
17 Richard Gould         2     19:W  7:L 22:W  5:L  8:L
18 Paul McLoughlin       2     15:L  9:W  5:L 23:W  7:L
19 Dennis Wilkinson      2     17:L 23:W 16:L 10:L 22:W
20 Garry Johnston        1.5    2:L 21:D 11:L  0:W 13:L
21 Patrick Magee         1.5   16:L 20:D 10:L 13:L  0:W
22 Adrian Dornford Smith 1     11:L  0:W 17:L  8:L 19:L
23 Paul Anderson         1      9:L 19:L  0:W 18:L 15:L

[Event "Ballynafeigh Super Series"] [Site "Belfast"] [Date "2012.06.26"] [Round "5"] [White "Masterson, John"] [Black "Waters, Michael"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D08"] [PlyCount "47"] [EventDate "2012.06.26"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1997.11.17"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. a3 Bg4 6. Nbd2 Qd7 7. g3 Nge7 8. Bg2 Ng6 9. O-O Be7 10. b4 O-O-O 11. c5 Ncxe5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. f4 d3 14. fxe5 dxe2 15. Qb3 Qd4+ 16. Kh1 exf1=Q+ 17. Nxf1 Qxa1 18. Qa4 Kb8 19. Bxb7 Qxc1 20. Bg2 Qc4 21. Qc6 Kc8 22. Qb7+ Kd7 23. Qc6+ Kc8 24. Qb7+ 1/2-1/2