McArthur Cup

Report from Dix Roberts (captain):
Horsham lost 4.5 1.5 against a strong Hastings team in this year's McArthur Cup match.

Roberts (B) 0:1 Rayner
Harbott 0.5:0.5 Cafferty
Stimpson 0:1 Tebbs
Taylor 0:1 Willson
Pavlovic 0:1 Elliston
Comley 1:0 Sugden

The match was closer than the result with Dix blundering on the time control in a good position, Phil being ground down in what looked a level(ish) ending and Paul's promising looking position perhaps not being quite as good as it looked. A fine win by Ian:

Comley v Sugden
1.c4 g6 2.g3 Bg7 3.Bg2 e5 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Ne7 6.Nge2 Nbc6 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 Be6 9.Nd5 Qd7
The downside of this move is that it allows a tactic based on f6
10.Bh6 f5 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.f4
Restraining the f pawns advance
Rae8 13.Qd2 fxe414.dxe4 Bg4 15.f5
This creates significant problems for Black
Bxe2?! 16.f6+ Kh8 Black has no choice for a few moves 17.fxe7 Rxf1+ 18.Bxf1Bh5
This prevents a White Queen on h6 protecting a Bishop on h3 19.Qh6
This wins but even better was Qf2, Icouldnt find Qf7 over the board[ 19.Qf2 Nxe7 20.Qf7 Rg8 21.Nxe7
Qe8 22.Qxg8+ Qxg8 23.Nxg8 Kxg8 ]
19...Nxe7
Now I want to play Nf6 but Ng8 creates problems with the Queen preventingmate on h7 and countering Nxd7 with Nxh6. So I tried.. 20.Bh3 Qxh3 21.Nf6Bg4 22.Qxh3 Bxh3 23.Nxe8
Now White enters a better endgame an exchange up Kg8 24.Nxc7 Kf7 25.Rd1 Nc8 26.Kf2 Ke7 27.Kf3
h5 Preventing g4 but weakening g6 28.Ke3 Kd7 29.Nb5 Ke7 30.b3 a6 31.Nc7 Kd7 32.Nd5 Na7
Almost balancing the position but it fails for tactical reasons 33.c5 Nc8 34.Nb6+ Nxb6 35.Rxd6+
1-0