The 2014 Boylston Chess Club Championship was a tense affair. With an average rating of 2270.8, it was one of the Club’s strongest events in years, and with a full field of ten players it had the depth to boot. Reigning Mass Open champion Mika Brattain, whose star had been rising for some years, made his championship debut as the top seed. Among the others in the field were the 2013 champion (Charles Riordan), 2012 champion (Lawyer Times), and 2011 champion (myself). The stage was set for what would be a wild affair. 

 

The first game I present was played in the first round. I didn’t watch much of it at the time but I remember taking a look as I was leaving and thinking it as just a technical win for Lawyer Times, the 2012 tournament winner and perennial championship contender. But this tournament would not be so clean cut:

 

 

 

The uphill climb was serious now for Lawyer, but he did his best to make his way back into contention. His recovery in the standings would need to involve points against one of the tournament’s top seeds, Charles Riordan, who had also sputtered a bit in the early going:

 

 

The turmoil among the other top boards would prove good news for me. While I usually start the Championship slowly with a defeat or two and then frantically try to catch up, this year was different. Probably due to the fact that September was a quieter month than usual for me, I avoided those early round setbacks, and managed to work my way close to the event’s end unbeaten. I was not alone in this regard. Brattain, the accomplished youngster, lived up to the hype and delivered a strong performance throughout. The third game I present was the much expected clash of the tournament leaders in the 7th round. As could be expected in this tournament, it was hardly a well-played game, but an exciting one nonetheless.

 

 

The score sheet ends here and all I remember is that there was a fierce time scramble ending in a draw offer by White which was accepted. Weeks later, Brattain and I concluded our unbeaten runs to share the tournament crown, and this chaotic, muddled game would be both the deciding match and the tournament’s epitome.