A match of mostly short games, where the outgraded Newton Abbot team must have been pleased to hold us off. There are some lessons about how to win a game here:

1. Recognise when you are playing in a risky way - and do so only if you have to.
2. Don't be afraid of ghosts!
3. If you like open games, then don't close the position.

You can download the games¬es in the PGN file.

(1)

{A shame to miss a win at the end, but you had the more promising position throughout, so don't regret the missed win, take some pride in the good game! }

[Event "EJCC vs Newton Abbot Juniors"] 
[Site "?"] 
[Date "2013.04.18"] 
[Round "1"] 
[White "Ramesh, Vignesh"] 
[Black "Whittington, Reece"] 
[Result "1/2-1/2"] 
[ECO "C02"] 
[PlyCount "47"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 
4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nge7 6. Nbd2 (6. Na3 { 
is better. On c2, the Knight will defend b4 and be able to get to e3.}) 6... 
Ng6 (6... cxd4 7. cxd4 Nf5 8. Nb3 h5 (8... Be7) (8... Qb6 9. g4)) 7. Nb3 7... 
Qb6 {This doesn't fit in with the Ng6.} (7... Qc7 { 
This is the move you want to play, I couldn't get it to work} 8. Nxc5 8... Bxc5 
{It's a shame to give up your good Bishop.} (8... Ncxe5 $6 9. Nxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 
$1 (10. dxe5 $2 10... Bxc5) 10... Bd6 11. Bxe5 Bxe5 12. Qa4+ Ke7 13. dxe5 Qxc5 
14. Qh4+ {and you might survive but it's not ideal}) 9. dxc5 Ngxe5) (7... c4 8. 
Nbd2 f6 (8... Qc7)) 8. Be2 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Bd7 11. Be3 c4 (11... cxd4 $1 
12. cxd4 (12. Nbxd4 Ncxe5) 12... Nb4 $1 {and you have nice play on the c-file.} 
) 12. Nbd2 Qc7 13. b3 b5 14. Rab1 Rab8 15. b4 15... f6 $1 { 
That must have cheered up your Ng6!} (15... a5 $5) 16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Bg5 a6 ( 
17... Bxg5 18. Nxg5 18... e5 $1 {threat Bf5}) 18. a3 Bxg5 19. Nxg5 Rf5 (19... 
e5 $1 {same idea Bf5}) 20. Ngf3 Rbf8 21. h3 R5f6 22. Rfe1 22... e5 $1 {Great!} 
23. Ra1 $2 (23. dxe5 $1 23... Bf5 24. Qb2 Re6 25. Rbd1 Ncxe5 26. Nd4) 23... e4 
$1 24. Nh2 $6 {I was disappointed to see you take the draw, for a couple of 
reasons: (a) I thought you were winning, and (b) Taylor was a Queen behind! I 
guess even if you couldn't make ...Rxf2 work in your head, could you try 
something else? Your position is still better! If you compare your Queen 
with White's Queen, your Rooks with White's Rooks... I think all of your 
pieces are better than his. Meanwhile, what can White do? Not much...} (24. 
Nh2 24... Rxf2 $1 (24... Nf4 $5) 25. Ndf3 $2 { 
I think you saw this far, and thought you were losing the exchange.} (25. Ndf1 
$1 {preventing ...Qg3} 25... Nf4 $1 ({or} 25... Nh4 26. g3 Bxh3 27. gxh4 Rg2+ 
28. Kh1 28... Rxh2+ $1 29. Nxh2 Rf2 30. Nf3 Bg2+ 31. Kg1 31... Qg3 {mates}) 26. 
Kxf2 $2 (26. g3 Nxh3+ (26... Nd3) 27. Kh1 Ne7) (26. Rac1 Nxg2 27. Red1 Ne3 28. 
Nxe3 Qxh2#) 26... Nxh3+ 27. Ke3 Qf4#) (25. Bf3 $2 25... exf3 26. Kxf2 Qxh2 27. 
Nxf3 Nh4) (25. Nhf3 $2 25... Qg3 (25... Rxe2 26. Rxe2 exf3 27. Nxf3 Nce7 28. 
Rae1 Bf5 29. Qd2) 26. Bf1 exf3) 25... Rxe2 {Logically, you must be getting at 
least two pieces for the Rook (...Rxe2 and ...exf3), but there are two other 
ideas worth considering:} (25... e3 $5 { 
was your idea afterwards, and looks very good.}) ({But best of all is} 25... 
Qg3 $1 {which wins at least a Queen because of the mate threats}) 26. Rxe2 exf3 
27. Nxf3 {so, if that's the worst that can happen, it's pretty good!} 27... Qg3 
$1 $19) 1/2-1/2

{A short and cautious game, where both players found themselves in a strange part of town.}

[Event "EJCC vs Newton Abbot Juniors"] 
[Site "?"] 
[Date "2013.04.18"] 
[Round "2"] 
[White "Kelly, Edmund"] 
[Black "Narayanan, Nandaja"] 
[Result "1/2-1/2"] 
[ECO "C44"] 
[PlyCount "29"]
 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 3... f6 $2 (3... exd4 $1 { 
is the only respectable move here.}) 4. d5 $5 {Probably the best move, but 
gives you a closed position that you don't know so well.} (4. Bc4 $1 { 
keeps the position open and leaves Black in a mess.}) 4... Nce7 5. Nc3 5... Ng6 
{Closed positions have a big effect on Bishops, and you need to be very 
careful about them now. Also, your natural pawn advance is now c4-c5, but you 
don't do anything about it.} 6. Bd3 { 
The Bishop has no future looking at the back of the e-pawn.} (6. Be2 $1 { 
is a better square for that piece, planning e.g. Bg4! swapping Black's 
theoretically better bishop.}) (6. Be3 $5 { 
takes away the best square for the Bf8.} 6... Bb4) 6... Bc5 7. O-O d6 8. h3 { 
I'd be quite happy to let Black swap off the defender of their light squares.} 
(8. Na4 $1 {gets rid of Black's best piece.}) 8... N8e7 9. Qe2 O-O 10. Be3 { 
Your Bishop deserved a better fate than being swapped off. Now you have the 
worse of your two Bishops.} 10... Bxe3 11. Qxe3 11... f5 $1 {The logical break. 
} 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Bxf5 Nxf5 14. Qe2 (14. Qd2 $1 14... Nf4 $1) 14... Re8 15. 
Qe4 (15. Ne4 {This position isn't as good for you as I thought it was. Often 
in these structures, the e4 point is a fine outpost for you and it holds back 
the Black pawns while supporting your c5 break. But Black's Knights can grab 
good squares and stop you carrying out your plan.} 15... Nf4 16. Qd2 c6 17. c4 
cxd5 18. cxd5 Ne7) 1/2-1/2

{I expect by now you have read Chess for Tigers and know what I meant! But just to be clear: If you think you're the better player, don't try and force the issue, let the chances come to you. If you take risks, you are giving your opponent chances. That may mean that you play in a different style to usual - often, you have to take some risks to beat someone your own strength.}

[Event "EJCC vs Newton Abbot Juniors"] 
[Site "?"] 
[Date "2013.04.18"] 
[Round "3"] 
[White "Knott, Jim"] 
[Black "Finch, Taylor"] 
[Result "1-0"] 
[ECO "C00"] 
[PlyCount "75"]
 1. e4 
1... e6 2. c4 d5 3. cxd5 exd5 4. exd5 (4. Qb3 $6 4... dxe4 5. Bc4 {is an idea}) 
4... Qxd5 (4... Nf6 $5 {tries to avoid having the Queen attacked} 5. Bb5+ Nbd7 
6. Nc3 a6) 5. Nc3 Qa5 6. d4 Nf6 7. Bd2 Qb6 8. Bc4 8... Qxd4 {You can get away 
with this but it's obviously risky. The danger signs are all there: behind in 
development, undefended piece, exposed King... Instead of taking risks, be 
patient and chances will come!} 9. Qa4+ 9... Bd7 $4 { 
Look at every check and every capture, they say.} 10. Bxf7+ $1 { 
White is up to the challenge: that's both a check and a capture!} 10... Kxf7 
11. Qxd4 c5 (11... Nc6 {is better: I can't imagine the c-pawn is going to be a 
hero but knights often rescue a game.}) 12. Qe3 Bd6 13. Nge2 Re8 14. Qf3 Bc6 
15. Qh3 b5 16. Rd1 b4 17. Nb1 Nbd7 18. Bxb4 $1 {A second discovery.} 18... cxb4 
(18... Rxe2+ 19. Kxe2 Bb5+ 20. Kd2 cxb4) 19. Rxd6 Bb5 20. Rd2 20... Nc5 { 
Again, Black has undefended pieces.} (20... Rac8 $1) 21. Qf5 21... Nce4 $2 ( 
21... Rac8 $1) 22. Qxb5 Nxd2 23. Nxd2 Rac8 24. O-O Rb8 25. Qc4+ Kf8 26. Ng3 a5 
27. Qf4 Kg8 28. h3 Rbc8 29. b3 Nd5 30. Qf3 Nc3 31. Nc4 Nxa2 32. Nd6 Rf8 33. 
Qd5+ Kh8 34. Nxc8 Rxc8 35. Qxa5 Nc3 36. Qxb4 Nd5 37. Qb7 Rd8 38. Rd1 1-0

{Both sides took and landed punches in this short but eventful game.}

[Event "EJCC vs Newton Abbot Juniors"] 
[Site "?"] 
[Date "2013.04.18"] 
[Round "4"] 
[White "Hafstad, Leif"] 
[Black "O'Donoghue, Toby"] 
[Result "1-0"] 
[ECO "C44"] 
[PlyCount "41"]
1. e4 e5 
2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nf6 4. d5 {Just as in Edmund's game, this is probably the 
best move, but gives you a closed position that you don't know so well.} (4. 
Nc3 {keeps it open.}) 4... Ne7 5. Nc3 5... b6 $6 (5... Ng6 { 
and ...Bc5, as Nandaja did, is best.}) 6. Bg5 $2 { 
That's your better Bishop, so I wouldn't hurry to swap it off.} (6. Nxe5 $1) 
6... h6 $2 (6... Ng6) 7. Bxf6 { 
OK, in this position, you make a mess of Black's pawns, so do swap it.} 7... 
gxf6 8. Bc4 (8. d6 $1 8... Ng6 9. Nb5 Bxd6 10. Nxd6+ cxd6 11. Qd5 Rb8 12. Qxd6 
Bb7) 8... Bb7 9. O-O c6 10. d6 $2 10... Ng6 $2 (10... Nc8 $1 {wins the d-pawn.} 
) 11. Qe2 11... Rg8 {Your burglar alarm should have gone off on g2!} 12. Qd3 $2 
12... Nf4 $1 {A fork and a discovery.} 13. Qd2 13... Nxg2 $17 (13... Rxg2+ $1 { 
is even better.}) 14. Kh1 14... f5 $4 15. Qe2 $4 (15. Nxe5 $1) 15... Nh4 $4 ( 
15... Bxd6 $1) 16. Nxe5 $1 $18 {and f7 will fall.} 16... Qg5 17. Rg1 $1 { 
skewering the Rook. White finishes off very crisply now.} 17... Qf4 18. Bxf7+ 
$1 18... Kd8 19. Rxg8 19... Qxe5 {The Knight is less important than the mate!} 
20. Rxf8+ Qe8 21. Rxe8# 1-0