Match Rounds 1-2 Results and Positions

vs Metcalf B vs Sanford
Henry  L        L
Isaiah L        L 
Miles  L        W
Luke   D        W
Owen   L        W
Lost 4½ - ½  Won 3-2 
Jaden  W        W
TOP TEN AFTER THE MATCH

Henry	801
Isaiah	759
Miles	737
Luke	732
Oscar	678
Owen	625
Jaden	584
Niko	540
Nick	351

INTERESTING POSITIONS FROM THE MATCHES (Answers below)
#1. Here's a position from Owen's game against Sanford. Owen is White and it's his turn. How can he save his queen?

#2. Here's a position from Owen's game against Sanford. Owen is White and it's his turn. should he trade queens? Why or why not?

#3 Luke, playing Black, missed a very nice move at this point of the game. Can you find it?

#4. Here Luke started out with the Evans gambit. It was played perfectly by both player through 12 moves. As the game went on, Black's position got stronger and stronger until it reached this point. What is Black's best move?

#5 Here's position from one of Jaden's games. Jaden played Qd4 protecting his pawn and attacking the knight and putting the queen powerfully in the center. However, he missed a brilliant combination. Can you figure out what his next moves should have been?

Answers:
#1. b3 is the only move that saves the queen. Qa3 fails to save her because of the move Nd3!! with the discovered attack and after b4 Bxb4 the escape square of b2 is now guarded by the daring knight! In the game, Owen played Qa3 but his opponent missed Nd3 and played Na6 allowing Owen to escape and eventually get to position #2.

#2 The general rule is: If you're ahead, trade pieces; if you're behind, trade pawns. So counting the pieces White is up a knight and a pawn -it's probably a good idea to trade. But in this position there's also a tactical reason to trade. When Black captures back with his King, Nf7+ picks up a rook though you might not be able to save your knight.

#3 Bxf3+ Do you see why White can't take it? The game might have continued 18. Ke1 Qg2+ 19.Bf1 0-0 20.Qd3 Be4 and at this point the computer says White's queen is a goner because of the many threats.

#4 Luke's problems started when he blocked the Queen check with his rook rather than stepping to h1. He essentially pinned his own rook. Black piles on with his rook (attack the pinned piece) and Luke defends with his queen. However, Luke would have found out how perilous his position was had his opponent played Rf4 when his Queen must abandon the rook. Fortunately Luke's opponent didn't listen when his chess coach told him "Don't be in a hurry to take a pinned piece - it's not going anywhere. Make your opponent squirm under the pressure of the pin." Instead he got impatient and traded rooks and queens letting Luke off the hook. Eventually it ended in a draw.

#5 1. Qh8+! Kd7 2.Qd7+ Kc6 3.Nd4+ with a royal fork! If Ke6 instead of d6, Rfe1+ leads to a quick checkmate - play it out.
Another good first move is 1.Rfe1+ if Kf8 2. Qh8#, if Be6 you can proceed as before.

MATCH PLAY - WEEK 1
That all I've got - Miles gave away his pieces, Isaiah played very nicely until he gave away a Queen and Rook on the same move - that's hard to do! Owen's other game was nice but I couldn't find anything too exciting. Jaden's other game was notated with the board backwards but since he's got the squares in his head, some of the moves were notated as if the board were correct - in any case I couldn't figure it out. 

I was basically pleased with the results. I didn't want Metcalf to win 5-0 and they didn't; and I wanted us to win our second match, and we did. I linked the League from my old league from 2 years ago to the new league - not sure when they'll get stuff posted.

LEAGUE STANDINGS
Metcalf A beat Faithful Shepherd B 5-0 by forfeit
Metcalf B beat FHMS 4.5-.5
Highview beat Metcalf C 3-2
Faithful Shepherd A beat Plymouth 5-0 by forfeit

(FHMS beat Sanford 3-2)
FHMS beat Faithful Shepherd B 5-0 by forfeit
Metcalf B beat Plymouth 5-0 by forfeit
Highview beat Faithful Shepherd A 5-0
Metcalf A beat Metcalf C 4-1 

      Matches Games
MetcalfB 2      9.5
MetcalfA 2      9
Highview 2      8
Friendly 1      5.5
FaithShA 1      5
MetcalfC 0      3
Plymouth 0      0
FaithShB 0      0

Next Up :
Round 3
Highview vs Faithful Shpherd B
Plymouth vs Metcalf A
Friendly Hills vs Metcalf C
Metcalf B vs Faithful Shepherd A
Round 4
Faithful Shepherd A vs Faithful Shepherd B
Metcalf B vs Metcalf C
Friendly Hills vs Metcalf A
Highview vs Plymouth