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15/07/2022 HASSRA YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER REGIONAL INDIVIDUAL CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2022. By David G. Mills.
[Website editor’s note: HASSRA dates back to 1935, becoming the “Health and Social Security Recreational Association” in 1969. Now known simply as HASSRA, it is a sports and leisure association open to current and former staff working for the Department of Health & Social Care, Department for Work & Pensions, the Food Standards Agency and associated executive agencies and public bodies.]
Despite offering the Championship winner and runner-up a place in the HASSRA National Chess Championship Final at Warwick University on 10th September 2022, this competition, staged on 15th July 2022 at Quarry House, Leeds attracted just four entries, one of whom had to withdraw, having fallen victim to Covid 19. The remaining three all work at the venue and are active for their respective clubs in the Leeds and Yorkshire Leagues. I travelled from Hull to organise the competition, which started only a few minutes late, despite me having to make the journey to Leeds by bus replacement service when two trains were cancelled, struggling to gain access to the premises because of extensive building work in the area, a lack of signage and reception staff not having been informed that the event was taking place.
All three players are well known to me, having played them in this or other tournaments in previous years, faced them in Yorkshire League matches, captained them in county matches involving Yorkshire teams or some combination of the three. The use of DGT2010 digital clocks facilitated a time control of 10 minutes per player with 10 second increments from move one. The order of play was determined by drawing lots and the competition progressed as follows: -
Rather hard on Ian Strickland who finished third after a play-off for runner up position in the 2021 National Final and was up against two much higher rated opponents on this occasion. At the time of writing, it is uncertain whether Roger Jennings and Dale Cullum will be able to participate in the National Final.
HASSRA Yorkshire & the Humber Regional Championship. Quarry House, Leeds (1), 15.07.2022. Dale H. Cullum v Ian D. Strickland. [D43]
After 21. … Nc3? 22. Qc2 and black resigned.
HASSRA Yorkshire & the Humber Regional Championship. Quarry House, Leeds (2), 15.07.2022. Roger W. Jennings - Dale H. Cullum [A00] 1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 Nf6 3.Nf3 c5 4.0–0 Nc6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 e6 7.c4 Bc5 8.Be3 Bxd4 9.Bxd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 dxc4 11.Qxc4 0–0 12.Nc3 a6 13.Rfd1 Qe7 14.e4 b5 15.Qb3 Bb7 16.Rd2 Rad8 17.Rad1 Rxd2 18.Rxd2 Rd8 19.Rxd8+ Qxd8 20.a4 Qb6 21.axb5 axb5 22.Qxb5 Qxb5 23.Nxb5 Bxe4 The K+N+4Ps ending was eventually agreed drawn. ˝–˝
Position after 23. … Bxe4.
HASSRA Yorkshire & the Humber Regional Championship. Quarry House, Leeds (5), 15.07.2022. Dale H. Cullum - Roger W. Jennings [E97] 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 Nc6 7.0–0 e5 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 Nf4 11.Bf1 f5 12.Nd2 fxe4 13.Ndxe4 Nf5 14.g3 Nh5 15.c5 Nd4 16.Bg2 Bf5 17.g4 Bxe4 18.Nxe4 Nf4 19.a4 Nxg2 20.Kxg2 Nf3 21.Rf1 Qh4 22.h3 h5 (Black eventually won.) 0–1
Position after 22. … h5.
HASSRA Yorkshire & the Humber Regional Championship. Quarry House, Leeds. (6), 15.07.2022. Roger W. Jennings - Ian D. Strickland [A07] 1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.0–0 Nbd7 5.d3 e5 6.Nc3 Bd6 7.e4 d4 8.Ne2 0–0 9.Nh4 h6 10.Nf5 Bc7 11.f4 c5 12.fxe5 Nxe5 13.Nf4 Bxf5 14.exf5 Rb8 15.Nh5 Nxh5 16.Qxh5 Nd7 17.g4 Nf6 18.Qh4 Qd7 19.g5 hxg5 20.Bxg5 Nd5 21.f6! 1–0
Final position.
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