By Mike Basman, January 2021
In late 2020, three Telex (long distance) tournaments took place between Wey Valley players, which is the Surrey Primary School Chess Association. The top group, the ‘Dominators’ will be reported shortly. The Intermediate group was won by chess prodigy and Gretel and Hansel film star, Sammy Leakey (see results article).
The third group, was made up of inexperienced but dynamic young players, and the top prize was won by Daniel Wright of Reigate Priory School, who made a clear sweep of all his games.
Second place went to Chinmyee Mayouran, from Lady Eleanor Holles School in Middlesex, though she plays for the Wey Valley team. She lost only to the winner in an eventful game (see below).
Third Place was a tie between Ewan Kim (Burlington Primary School, New Malden); Pratyush Shinde (Glyn Grammar, Ewell) and Aathiran Oyalood (Devonshire School).
The Overloaded Brain
There is a phenomenon in chess called the overloaded piece – meaning that a piece is overworked, and something has to give.
A similar thing happens in junior games. For periods of time the play is good, and then the complexities become too much and the brain short circuits. In this game there is a batch at the height of complications which overloads the brains of both players, resulting in a concatenation of errors. Then the electric story is over, the body count takes place, and one side cruises to victory.
Here is the decisive game from the Telex Dynamos tournament, between two of our brightest talents.
White: Daniel Wright Black: Chinmyee Mayouran
- e4, e5
- Nf3, Nc6
- Bc4, h6
- d3, Nf6
- 0-0, Bc5
- h3, d6
- c3, Qe7
- Re1
An opening scheme quite beloved of our young players, it offers a ‘safety first’ position for the opening, and defers the main battle to the middle game.
8… Be6
9. Bxe6, Qxe6
10. Be3, Bxe3
11. fxe3, a6
12. Nbd2, g5
In earlier stages of Chinmyee’s opening theory she would castle queen side and launch an attack on the other wind, starting with a pawn onslaught.
However, finding her own king under attack on the queen’s wing in many of her games, she then preferred to leave the king in the middle uncastled, while still launching a mating attack on the king’s king.
13. d4, g4
14. d5
First blood to Daniel, who forks the black queen and knight.
14. Qd7?
A faulty retreat. Now when the white pawn takes the black knight at c6 it attacks the queen at d7. Better was 14… Qe7! 15. dxc6, gxf3
15. dxc6, bxc6
16. Rc1?
But now white slips up, forgetting about the knight at f3, and giving Chinmyee her piece back.
16… gxf3
17. Nxf3, Rg8
Lining up the rook on the g file. The pawn at g2 is pinned so there is already the threat of 18… Qxh3!
18. Kh2
White side steps the threat, but cannot avoid the loss of the pawn at e4.
18… Nxe4
19. Re2, Qf5
20. Qd3, Qg6
21. Nh4, Qg3+
22. Kh1
Black has a raging attack against the white king, and at this moment we get SYSTEMS OVERLOAD, and all the red lights start flashing.
22… Nf2?
Simpler was 22… Qxh4, winning a piece and keeping the threat of further knight forks.
23. Kg1?
White does not realise his queen and king are forked, otherwise he would have jettisoned the rook by 23. Rxf2.
23… Qxh4?
With a wealth of good moves, (Nxd3, Nxh3+) black is spoilt for choice and lets white back in the game. Here 24. Rxf2 avoids the worst.
24. Qc4?
Anxious to start an attack of his own, white does not notice he has placed his queen in jeopardy; it is as though the players are playing two separate games – conducting two unrelated dialogues.
24… Qxh3?
Intent on her mating plans, black does not notice the second offer of a gift wrapped white queen.
Well, Christmas 2020 was always going to be a disaster.
25. Rxf2!
Just in time, white spots the mate threat and rights the ship.
25… Qh1+?
And black self destructs. The black queen plunges to her doom, oblivious to the fact that the black knight at f2 is no longer there to protect her.
26. Kxh1
The storm has blown itself out, and black cannot make up for the loss of her queen. The black king is defenceless.
White mops up with clinical efficiency.
26… c5
27. Qxf7+, Kd8
28. Qxg8+, Kd7
29. Rf7+, Kc6
30. Qxa8+, Kb6
The rooks and queens rampage unchecked.
31. Rf8, h5
32. Rb8+, Ka5
33. b4+, cxb4
34. cxb4, Ka4
35. Qxa6++
Full Results
| Competitor | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total |
| 1. Daniel Wright | x | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 2. Chinmyee Mayouran | 1 | x | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| 3. Aathiran Oyalood | 1 | 1 | x | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 4. Ewan Kim | 1 | 1 | 1 | x | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 5. Pratyush Shinde | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | x | 3 | 9 |
| 6. Samy Southwell | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | x | 5 |
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