The Week in Chess

Before there were blogs and websites dedicated to up to the minute chess news, the best source for topical information on the current happenings in the world of chess was The Week in Chess. TWIC (as it is more commonly known) was, and still is, produced by Mark Crowther and is a weekly newsletter of current tournament from around the world. I used to rely on it heavily for news back when Paul Dunn and myself were doing The Chess Show on 2SSS-FM in Canberra.
Of course when someone becomes famous for one thing (as Mark is), it is often forgotten that they can do other things. In this case the other thing is playing chess! Mark has a current ECF Grade of 188, which is about 2100 FIDE. And while talking to him about other matters, he sent me a game from a weekend match played between his club, and the Alwoodley Chess Club, which is the home club of my PNG team mate, Rupert Jones. It turned out this was the decisive game of the match, and in part demonstrates the difference between individual chess and teams chess. As every game may be crucial to the final score, you need to hang in there for as long as you can.

Birkin,Mark - Crowther,Mark [C00]
Woodhouse Cup (2), 10.10.2009

1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 Bc5 5.e5 Nfd7 6.c3 a5 7.d4 Bb6 8.Bd3 c5 9.Bc2 Nc6 10.Nf1 f6 11.Nh4 cxd4 12.Qh5+ Ke7 13.exf6+ Nxf6 14.Qg5 Kf7 15.Ng3 Bd7 16.Nh5 Qg8 17.0-0 Rf8 18.Bf4 Bd8 19.Bd6 Ne7 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.cxd4 h6 22.Nxf6 hxg5 23.Nxg8+ Rhxg8 24.Ng6+ Kd6 25.Nxf8 Rxf8 26.Rad1 Bb6 27.Rd2 Rf4 28.Rfd1 Be8 29.g3 Rf8 30.Re1 Bb5 31.Bd3 Bd7 32.Be2 a4 33.Red1 Rc8 34.Bg4 Ba5 35.Re2 b5 36.Kg2 b4 37.b3 a3 38.Rde1 Re8 39.Bh5 Rf8 40.Bg4 Rf6 41.Re5 Bb6 42.Rxg5 Bxd4 43.f4 Rf8 44.h4 Bf6 45.Rg6 Rc8 46.Re2 d4 47.Rxf6 gxf6 48.Kf2 f5 49.Bf3 Rc1 50.Rd2 e5 51.fxe5+ Kxe5 52.h5 Be6 53.Re2+ Kf6 54.Rd2 Rb1 55.Ke2 Bxb3 56.axb3 Rb2 0-1