CALSTOCK Chess Club beat Liskeard by 3 games to 1 in the Roberts Cup league. David Jenkins (playing black) on board one faced Brian Parkin. Having had the better of the opening and the middle game black pressed hard against white’s cramped defensive cover when all of a sudden the defender lashed out. Black continued on the offensive but white’s mate arrived first.

On board two Alistair Bissell with white played the Danish gambit, which offers up pawn sacrifices early on to open up bishop lines.  His younger opponent Gabriel Rusalowicz  found himself intimitated by the attacking diagonal lines and a blunder by black with his king cost a full knight without compensation, leading to relentless pressure from white and a resignation with mate in sight.

Richard Hendin on board three played black against Eric Westlake, coming out of the opening a pawn up.  White exchanged off the black square bishop. White’s f and g pawns advanced to join the attack, however, instead of attacking, they inadvertently became a shield for black’s king against a major piece attack.  Black got a knight on to a strong central outpost, cleared away the now over-advanced pawns, and with his remaining bishop and Queen forced a mating attack.

Steven Knight as white against Stuart Lee on board four opened with the King’s Gambit, which was declined. A blunder by black as early left his b pawn hanging, and once this was taken his a file rook was soon to follow. Black fought on and attempted to counter-attack but eventually found himself in a resignable position.

At the half-way mark this result puts Calstock second behind Newquay in the Roberts Cup league.