NSW Championship Title Division 

The Championship was tied. Max Fuller and Andrew Bird  played off for the title. Andrew Bird has beaten FIDE Master Max Fuller 2.5-1.5 in the four-game playoff match  held at the Sydney Academy of Chess in Strathfield.  Games from the match are below.

M.Fuller v A.Bird Game 1

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e6 7. Nf3 Nge7 8. O-O O-O 9. Be3 b6 10. d4 Ba6 11. Rf2 Qc7 12. Rd2 Rad8 13. d5 exd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Na5 16. b3 Rde8 17. Bf2 Bxa1 18. Qxa1 f6 19. g4 Qg7 20. c4 Bc8 21. h3 Re7 22. Qc1 Nb7 23. Be1 Rfe8 24. Rf2 h5 25. g5 f5 26. Bc3 Qf7 27. Bf1 Kh7 28. Bf6 Rc7 29. a4 Na5 30. Qc3 Re4 31. Nd2 Re1 32. Re2 Rxe2 33. Bxe2 Bd7 34. Bd3 Rc8 35. Bc2 Re8 36. Kf2 Bc8 37. h4 Qc7 38. Nf1 a6 39. Ng3 Qf7 40. Bd3 Nb7 41. Qc2 Na5 42. Qc3 Bd7 43. Qc2 Ra8 44. Bc3 Nb7 45. Bf6 Qe8 46. Nxf5 Bxf5 47. Bxf5 gxf5 48. Qxf5+ Qg6 49. Qd7+ Kg8 50. Qxb7 Re8 51. Qd7 Qc2+ 52. Kf1 Qd1+ 0-1

A.Bird v M.Fuller Game 2

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. d4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3 exd4 8. Nxd4 Re8 9. f3 c6 10. Bf2 Nbd7 11. O-O Ne5 12. Nc2 Be6 13. Ne3 h5 14. Qd2 Bh6 15. b3 Qa5 16. Rfd1 Kh8 17. Qb2 Rad8 18. Rac1 Qc7 19. Rc2 Qe7 20. Bf1 h4 21. Re2 h3 22. Bh4 hxg2 23. Bxg2 Bf4 24. Ree1 g5 25. Bf2 g4 26. fxg4 Nfxg4 27. Nxg4 Bxg4 28. Ne2 Qf6 29. Nxf4 Bxd1 30. Rxd1 Qxf4 31. Kh1 Rg8 32. Rd3 Rxg2 33. Rh3+ Kg8 34. Kxg2 Qxe4+ 35. Kf1 Qf5 36. Kg2 f6 37. Qd4 Kf7 38. Qxa7 Rg8+ 39. Rg3 Qf3+ 40. Kg1 Rxg3+ 41. Bxg3 Qd1+ 42. Kg2 Qf3+ 43. Kg1 Ng4 44. Qxb7+ Kg6 45. Qc8 Ne3 46. Qg8+ Kf5 47. Qc8+ Ke4 48. Qxc6+ d5 49. Qe6+ Kd3 50. Qh3 d4 51. c5 Ke2 52. c6 d3 0-1

M.Fuller v A.Bird Game 3

1. e4 c5 2. b3 d6 3. Bb2 e5 4. f4 exf4 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Qf3 g6 7. Qxf4 Bg7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. O-O-O Be6 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. Qh4 Nc6 12. Nf3 d5 13. exd5 exd5 14. d4 Ne4 15. Qe1 Re8 16. Qg1 Qa5 17. Na4 b5 18. Nxc5 Qxa2 19. Nxe4 dxe4 20. Ng5 Nb4 21. Qf1 Nd3+ 22. Rxd3 exd3 23. Qxd3 Qa5 24. Bc3 Qb6 25. Qf3 Rad8 26. Qf7+ Kh8 27. d5 Qe3+ 28. Bd2 Qe5 29. c3 Re7 30. Re1 Qxg5 31. Rxe7 Qf6 32. Re8+ Rxe8 33. Qxe8+ Bf8 34. Qxb5 Ba3+ 35. Kc2 a6 36. Qd3 Kg7 37. Be3 Kf7 38. Bd4 Qg5 39. Qf3+ Kg8 {Time} 0-1

A.Bird v M.Fuller Game 4

1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 Bg4 3. c4 Nd7 4. g3 Bxf3 5. exf3 c6 6. Bg2 d5 7. Qb3 Qb6 8. f4 Ngf6 9. c5 Qxb3 10. axb3 g6 11. Be3 Bg7 12. Nd2 a6 13. Ke2 O-O 14. Bh3 e6 15. b4 Rad8 16. Nb3 Ra8 17. Na5 Ra7 18. Kd3 Re8 19. f3 Re7 20. Rhe1 Ne8 21. Bf2 Kf8 22. Re2 Nc7 23. Rae1 Re8 24. Bg4 Rd8 25. h4 h5 26. Bh3 Nf6 27. Bf1 Ng8 28. Bh3 Nb5 29. Rg1 Nf6 30. Rge1 Rd7 31. Nb3 Ra8 32. Rg1 Bh6 33. Be3 Bg7 34. Reg2 Ke7 35. Re1 Kd8 36. g4 hxg4 37. fxg4 Kc7 38. f5 Re8 1/2-1/2 

The ninth round of the championship saw Max Fuller drawing with Raymond Song to create a tied Championship between Max and Andrew Bird both on 7/9. We now go to a 4 game play-off. The Play-off will be held in December.  If there is a still a tie at the end of the play-off the title will be shared. Greg Canfell won his round 9 game against Quentin Reitmans to take outright third place. All the games from round 9 can be found on the NSW Championship games page

About the Contenders
Maxwell Fuller - Age: 60 years  Occupation: Copy Editor for a publishing company
If Max wins the title, with 40 years,  he will break C.J.S. Purdy's record (33years) between first and last NSW Championship titles. Max has won the NSW title in 1965, 1986 and 1988(shared). He was Australia's top player in the mid 70's when he reached a fide rating of 2450. Max's tournament record includes equal second twice in the British championship1970 & 75,  Australian Junior Champion 1962, Doeberl  Cup won 3 times, Australian Open won 3 times and Joint Australian Champion 1972. Max did not play chess for eight years after a quadruple bypass in 1996 , he returned to chess in 2004 and took equal 2nd in the NSW championship of  that year. A truly marvelous record of  a high level of skill maintained over a long period.

Andrew Bird - Age: 26 years Occupation: Chess Coach
Andrew only started playing competitive chess eight years ago at age 18. He has come a long way since winning the NSW under1600 in1999. He has since won the Berger Cup and taken the scalp of the current Australian Champion in the western suburbs inter-club competition. Andrew is obviously a naturally gifted chess player who attributes a lot of his success to his job as chess coach. Andrew says that the continual reinforcement of basic principles and chess theory in his daily work (coaching children in chess) has helped his game. Andrew's rise through the ranks from a club player 8 years ago to a player able to match it with the best in the state today is a testament to his skill and determination.

Standings

Place Name                  Feder Rtg  Loc  Score

 1-2  Bird, Andrew          NSW   2178 2094 7    
      Fuller, Maxwell L     NSW   2275 2141 7    
  3   Canfell, Gregory J    NSW   2367 2327 6.5  
  4   Song, Raymond         NSW   2085 2035 6    
  5   Atzmon-Simon, Barak   NSW   2100 2026 5.5  
  6   Mendes da Costa, Alex NSW   1953 1876 5    
  7   Capilitan, Romeo      NSW   2150 2030 3.5  
  8   Reitmans, Quentin     NSW        2016 2.5  
  9   Cabilin, Jeff         NSW   2035 1967 2    
 

Cross Table

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