A few upsets and byes means that some of the top players are still spread throughout the field in both grades.
Spring Rapid Round 4 PGN by Ewen Green
A Grade
Nigel Metge vs Ben Hague – After an unusual opening and a good start White allows a back-rank mate. 0-1
Paul Garbett vs Daniel Runcan – The players steady swap down before Black puts in a twist and gives up a Knight for a passed pawn. He misses the winning move (see diagram) and settles for a draw.
Simon Lyall vs Mike Steadman – White loses a couple of pawns and then a piece. Black handles a few tricks and it’s all over. 0-1
Winston Weng vs Alphaeus Ang – The opening leaves White with a bad pawn structure. Black puts pressure on the exposed pawns and White scrambles to defend. But eventually the buildup breaks through. 0-1
Alex Nagorski vs Hao Tang – White gives up an opeing advantage but then is able to kick around White’s Queen to develop and attack and go a piece ahead. 1-0
Scott Treanor vs Felix Xie – After a fairly even game White picks up a pawn and then swaps a rook for two pieces to give himself two bishops against a Rook. He then handles the endgame well giving Black no chances. 1-0
Don Eade vs Phill Park-Tamati – White makes a mistake in the opening and allows Black to pout pressure on c2 with a Knight, Bishop and rook. Black wins a pawn and keeps up the pressure until White makes another mistake. 0-1
Bruce Watson vs Rauen Le Grange – White splits back’s position with a centre pawn push. But White swaps off one of his attackers and Black manages to sneak in along the a-file and capture 3 pawns and attack White’s King. But Black misses the win and White is able to scramble a perpetual-check. Draw
Aaron Wang vs Jasmine Zhang – White pushes a passed pawn though Blacks position and swaps off everything except a rook and some pawns each. Draw.
Tim Ha vs Andrew Michael – A complex tactical position arises and after mistake by both players White ends up material ahead and winning. 1-0
Stephen Peak vs Boyuan Zhang – The computer is unimpressed by either player. Draw
Karl Holdo vs Grant Burrows – White tries some openign innovation but gets away with it and the game is fairly even. But after white picks up a pawn in the endgame Black resigns. 1-0
Hugh Gao vs Jeffrey Yu – White has a good middle game pickign up a pawn and harrassing Black with two Bishops. But Black manages to push a passed pawn to the 7th rank and White resigns, although the computer says White may have been able to hold the position. 0-1
Ajit Pendharkar vs Kenny Zhang – After some dubious opening innovations Black gets an attack but then leaves a piece en-pries. White takes it and is able to easily convert. 1-0
Arkadi Polyakevich vs Daqi Mao – White picks up material due to tactical miscalculation by Black but then miscalculates himself and loses a piece. 0-1
Yolanda Chang vs Anya Thurner – Material is steadily swapped. Black picks up a pawn but has trouble making progress and the players agree on a draw.
Upsets in A Grade Round 4
Daqi Mao beat Arkadi Polyakevich
Rauen Le Grange drew with Bruce Watson
Scott Treanor beat Felix Xie
Aaron Wang drew with Jasmine Zhang
Daniel Runcan drew with Paul Garbett
Ben Hague leads on 4/4 ahead of John Duneas on 3.5 and several players on 3 points.
B Grade
Jacob Barry vs Baraa Al-Afaghani – Some wild exchanges, several of which appear to be unsound. The players agree on a draw in a position that is winning for Black. Draw
Lucas Xiao vs Thomas Zheng – White sacks his Bishop on h7 but gets nothing for it and his own King comes under attack. White manages to hold on and after Black makes a mistake they players agree on a draw.
Mike Steiner vs Ying Wang – White traps his queen. 0-1
Jacob Yuan vs Tracey Tang – White misses a tactic and instead allows a pawn push by Black which opens up the h-file and then win’s White’s Queen. 0-1
Upsets in B Grade Round 4
Bobby Peoples beat John Liu
Tracey tang beat Jacob Yuan
Saahir Saheb beat John McClory
Adam Ali beat David Zhu
Jacob Barry leads on 3.5 . 7 Players are just behind on 3 points.