Thou shalt not utter the M word. That weird entity that has escaped VAS for 42 years. The inescapable pot of gold marked on the treasure map for all to see—and for all to know how to get there. Thou shalt all shut up already. Carpe Diem. One match at a time. Yada yada, and all that crap.
This band of brothers has gone through rough times, barely escaping relegation over the last two years. And for one sunny afternoon in February, all these anxious memories seemed to dwindle away, like a fart in Niels’ toilet.
This was a good day. Against Groninger Combinatie 2, who beat us at the finish line last year, we came in prepared and ready. Alas, our opponents had two of their regulars out of commission; I’m not one to wish ill on anyone, but I can’t lie and pretend I would have been happy facing the 10-year-old prodigy Bram Ten Dam. Nope. I think I’d rather tickle piranhas.
Ramon gave us a sweet head start with an advanced-game win. That set the tone for the match. Anton followed with a crisp win with Black, thereby securing the elusive FM title. Well-deserved, buddy! Tex took second board and faced almost-as-cool-as-Hilke Maurice Schippers. A short, bloodless draw ensued. Tex was apologetic to all, but sometimes class is upheld by listening to yourself rather than bringing an empty gun to the battle.
Shortly after, Rafael and I won. For Rafael, this is all becoming monotonous. Let’s be honest: his play isn’t flawless, but it is compensated by an incredible drive to win and a sharp tactical mindset that makes it extremely hard for opponents to survive. Reminds me of a certain Latvian circa 1958 and 1959, for those who like that sort of stuff.
I played a very decent game, sacking an exchange (yes, it was a sack, Tex—let it go already) and reaped the fruits when my opponent played slightly too passively under time pressure. Take capitalised on his recent success at Tata with a very, very cool win. Impressive positional maturity, dude—well done. There it was: an insurmountable 5.5–0.5 lead.
With the win assured, it allowed the rest to play unfettered, hunting for a few more board points. Daan and Friso seemed particularly determined to get the W and did so in the late stages. Hilke faced remarkably stout resistance from his opponent and settled for a draw (welcome to imperfection Friendo). Victor had the draw in hand but understandably pushed for more. It didn’t work out this time.
Let’s hear from the players themselves:
Anton: My opponent chose the rare Sokolsky Opening. Although I didn’t know the theory, I managed to exchange queens by move 7 and reached a quite comfortable position. Soon white fell behind in development, and the b4 pawn turned into a weakness. From a position of strength, I transitioned into a winning endgame where my active rook and bishop were stronger than rook and knight. In the end, using rook, bishop and pawn, I created a mating net that forced my opponent to resign.
Ramon: Wedda en Ramon hadden een spannende partij, maar vlak voor de tijdcontrole beging Wedda een onnauwkeurigheid en kreeg Ramon voordeel wat na de tijdcontrole werd geconverteerd in een overwinning
Tex: I was paired with their top dog, FM Maurice Schippers. I had a slight advantage in the middlegame/endgame. I looked at Ramon’s board, then at Anton’s position, then at Rafael’s, and decided to offer a draw. Maurice accepted immediately. Usually I play the longest game of the day; this time I had plenty of time to analyse with my skilled opponent and to witness all the wonderful victories of my teammates. Great day.
Marc: For four years thou sharpened our sword; its frosted blade has never been tested. Today we draw it before you—who here has an injustice to answer? The general marches without consulting omens—life and death were settled long ago. If he cannot offer the enemy’s head to the desert sands, then he will offer himself.
Daan: Daan emerged from the opening with a positional plus and a time advantage. Yet his opponent defended well and even obtained the better bishop against a poor knight on a2. Later, Daan’s knight wandered to greener meadows, while the bishop lost its mobility, unable to stop the passed pawns.
Take: In the middle game i took over and was a bit better. When my opponent had minutes on the clock, i went for a tricky (according to the engine dubieus) exchange sac. Which eventually made him blunder under time pressure.
Friso: After a weird scrimmage just after the opening, I came out on top with slight edge.
I kept on pressing for the remainder of the game, but only at the latest moment my opponent succumbed
Hilke: I drew.
Victor: I lost.
Rafael: I won.
Next stop: Leeuwarden. The two oldest teams in the Netherlands do battle. Philidor 1847 is tricky and experienced and will want to avoid relegation at all costs. We shall not utter the M word again. But we will be present for battle.
