Tuesday 8 October 2019

Captain without a board or a clue


The next C team outing was at home against Banbury C. Unfortunately this was the first home fixture for the regular captain and all the clocks had been replaced during the summer. A clock setting crisis was averted when Drago and Jude demonstrated just how easy the new clocks were to set.

With the non-playing captain now calmed and sent to the bar, the playing members of the team got on with what they had come to do.

Jude was playing Chris Evans with the white pieces. Some careless opening play by black saw white establish a strong pawn on e6. Blacks attempted to generate some counter play and maintain material equality but saw the queen exchanged leaving white with a favourable ending. Black offered a draw which white declined and proceeded to demonstrate why the game wasn't drawn. White strong central pawns ultimately won the day.

Ed was playing Neil Staples with black on board 1. A long game saw white reach a favourable ending but black's tenacious play in a time scramble saw the point shared.

Drago looked to have quite a good position with black on board 3 against Nathan Manley. Well ahead on the clock, he sacrificed a pawn to attack in the centre. However, Nathan is no stranger to playing quickly and accurately and he managed to deflect black attack and reach an ending two pawns ahead. With it now being black's turn to be short of time, the ending was ultimately lost.

Phil was playing white against Steve Rumsby on board 4. From a very even position, white managed to infiltrate the black position with his queen and win black's a and b pawns. Black declined exchanging queens and then somehow managed to generate some king side play by sacrificing a pawn and exposing the white king. What followed was a long sequence of moves whilst black attempted to force a perpetual check and white advanced his e pawn. Eventually white managed to get his king to the only square where no more checks were available and black had to resign.

An excellent result against a strong Banbury team.

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