“Brilliant” Emilie but Lichfield still lose

Cannock League Division 3

Fourteen years old Emilie Nastase has been playing chess for not much more than 12 months and she has still to get another seven league match opportunities to qualify for a genuine rating. Leading club members think she is around 1500 and in her third league appearance she demonstrated why, sacrificing her Queen at Walsall Kipping to checkmate her opponent and earn an accolade of brilliant from captain Maurizio Barravalle.

Captain Maurizio had not seen Emilie in action before and was uncertain whether she should play above him on Board three. She did.

Emilie’s mother Ana says for Emilie chess is simply a passion at the moment and she has not set up any dreams or goals for herself. “She is just enjoying the game and being a regular teenager. However,she has started to dedicate a bit more of her time to chess since joining the club”. It is paying off. She has won two and drawn one of her three league matches and is joint leader of a strong Newcomers Tournament.

Albert Chacko was surprisingly beaten on board one, making a decisve blunder in the middle game when things were evenly balanced. Phil Sykes reached a very close endgame with Bishops of the same colour. Neither side had realist winning chances and after carefully manoeuvering they agreed a draw. Lichfield lost he match 2.5 – 1.5 (Match played 19th February)