Playing for the B team this season has been all fast cars, champagne and night after night of revelry as victory has followed victory. In contrast the C team has felt more like hanging out in the café, the losing team in "The Apprentice," are banished to after another failed attempt to chalk up a task win.
Until last night that is...
We went to a freezing cold Banbury and won 3-1!
Bernard C got us of to a great start by winning very quickly against Dan Rowan on top board - a really good effort. Some feeling afterwards that Dan had strayed into unfamiliar opening territory, but Bernard didn't half convert well.
On board two, I was playing Arthur Hibbitt for the first time in about six years, since our last encounter in the Worcester Major. (A game I have always felt a little guilty about as Arthur hammered me for hours on that occasion before blundering at the very end and losing.) Nothing quite so dramatic last night, but Arthur built up a decent looking position and appeared to stand better. I found a way to neutralize and get the Queens off. Arthur immediately offered a draw and I was happy enough to take it to put us 1.5 - 0.5 up.
Particularly as on board three, Bernard R (bought out of retirement now that he is approaching retirement!) showed us again what we have been missing. You're wasted on The Gauntlet Bernard! A really crushing win against Paul Friend.
On Board 4, Roy Watson was up against Nick Martin. All the other games were long finished when these two were just getting going. I must confess I didn't see the end, but Roy held the line for a very good draw.
So two wins with white, two draws with black and finally two points in the bank. Possibly not time to crack open the champagne just yet, but we've definitely earned ourselves more than a coffee and a telling off from Alan Sugar/ The Club Organiser!
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