Inverclyde Central 3-5 Hamilton A

Inverclyde Central Chess Club produced a good performance in a narrow, ultimately disappointing defeat to Hamilton A in the Glasgow League First Division. The visitors have been one of the strongest teams in Scotland in recent years and were favourites before the game. Inverclyde started well with a good win by Stephen Riley, and should have built on their lead when David Logue miscalculated in a promising position, leading to a loss to Robert Montgomery. Eventually Hamilton's strength told as Inverclyde could take only half a point on the top three boards, losing 5-3. The highlight as far a Inverclyde's players were concerned was a spectacular win by Jim McGranaghan who administered the coup de grâce with an elegant knight sacrifice. Inverclyde next Glasgow League oppenents are the reigning Champions Shettleston, with whom they drew 4-4 last season.

Jim's game and the full result are shown below:



notes: 17..Bd6 - this unfortunate move allows white to launch a devastating attack on black's king, which Jim plays perfectly; not even a chess computer can find better moves than the ones played in the game. 17..Be8 was absolutely necessary
25.Nxd5 - the killer blow - black's rook on e7 is now lost, due to 25..exd5 Rxc8+ Kxc8 Qxe7 or 25..Qd6 Rxc8+ Kxc8 Qxe7; faced with overwhelming material losses, black resigned

Inverclyde Central vs Hamilton A

1 2095 McDonald, Kevin 0 - 1 Coffey, Patrick 2244
2 1765 Hilton, Steve H 0 - 1 Tweedie, Christopher 2070
3 1745 Doherty, Stephen ½ - ½ Donohue, Tom 1987
4 1717 Riley, Stephen 1 - 0 MacDonald, Paul H 1822
5 1705 McPheator, Gary 0 - 1 Mulholland, Arthur L 1670
6 1637 Logue, David 0 - 1 Montgomery, Robert S 1636
7 1490 McGranaghan, James 1 - 0 Montgomery, James R 1667
8 1471 Curran, Andrew D ½ - ½ Greenslade, Luke 1578

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