While COVID continued to keep NZ Chess Clubs online during September 2021, this was one game played during one of the Kāpiti Chess Club’s online arenas. Black, using his role as the Club website person, to somewhat indulgently show off a rare win against Ross, albeit under a casual 10+5 online format.

This is a game from one of the Club’s online meetings while OTB meetings were suspended due to COVID in the second half of 2021. The time format of 10 m + 5 s does not always provide for high quality games, but they can be entertaining none the less. In this game Geoffrey is able to get a good kingside attack going, again from the London, eventually ripping open the Black King’s defenses and ending with a nice mate. 

With OTB chess temporarily suspended again due to COVID, this was a game from one of the Club’s online Arenas, played with a 10m + 5s time control. Geoffrey tries out his new version of the the London with 6. f3, and 7. g4 followed by a nice kingside storm. While the advantage alternated between both players several times, as is often the case in this  format, White’s kingside attack prevailed, ending with a nice mate finish.

Round 1 game in the 2021 Winter Cup played at a 25m + 5s time format. 

Final round of the 2021 Leo Eichholtz 25+5 competition played 1 June 2021. A victory for either Ross or Geoffrey will secure the second place spot for them. Annotations by White. Geoffrey, playing the Vienna of late, tries out Stanley or Three Knights Variation.

Stewart Holdaway was the deserved winner of the first leg of the Club’s Leo Eichholtz tournament, which is played under a 25m+5s time format. On his way to a 6½ from 8 finish, here is one of his points from Round 3, with annotations by David Scott and his Stockfish engine.

On 16 May, 2021 the Manawatu Knights Chess club hosted the second I.M. Sims Memorial in Palmerston North. Four players from Kāpiti participated. In the game below, Stewart Holdaway annotates his Round 5 clash against James Burt.

A key game from Round 6 in the KCC Kingston Memorial tournament. Front runner Stewart Holdaway is Black against an in-form Guy Burns sitting 1 point behind. Played under a 55m + 5s time format.

Another game from the fifth round of the 2021 Rose and John Kingston Memorial tournament. David Scott, White against Mike O’Rorke.

Round 5 of the Kingston Memorial played under a 55m+ 5s time format.