The league season came to an end for KCC last night, as the A team played the club's final fixture against Stratford A. We had long wrapped up the Division 1 title, and Stratford were already confirmed to finish third, so there was precisely zero resting on the outcome of the match - quite a contrast from the nail-biting tension of the D team's final match the night before. But thankfully, the team found sufficient personal motivation to ensure that we ended with a strong performance. No whimpering here!
This was actually my first visit to Stratford's latest venue at Foundation House in Masons Road - and also my last, as we were informed that the building is to be demolished!
Despite losing Jude to another dose of covid, we still had a strong team out, and it was great to be able to replace him with Billy, who was making his Division 1, and A team, debut at the age of 11 years and 6 months! I wasn't sure, but Paul has checked the details and it transpires that Billy narrowly missed taking Jude's record as the youngest ever A team player/winner. Jude was just 11 years and 5 months when he made a winning debut against Banbury in October 2021. One record Billy certainly does hold, though, is as the youngest ever debutant and winner for any KCC team. He beat Simon Payne of Stratford in December 2018 two months after turning seven years old! (And also two months after his debut against another Stratford player, Adrian Grimes.) After the D team's exploits and the sensational performances of Jude and Billy I am suddenly feeling very old indeed.
Not at all surprisingly given his normal speed of play, Billy was the first to finish, though in fact this was a very measured and controlled effort with Black against former Kenilworth player, Richard Dobedoe. Impressive stuff, which finished with Billy's queen invading decisively to get us off to a flying start. Javi finished next after a strange game against Richard McNally on Board 1. As usual, Richard was hell bent on sacrificing something to get at his opponent's king, but it looked to me as though he had gone too far this time, by investing a whole rook. I expected Javi to shut things down and win quickly, but it didn't happen, and somehow Richard was able to force a draw.
I should have been the first to finish, as I got an overwhelming position against David Gardiner's wide open king in no time at all, but I missed several chances to win a whole piece, and ended up having only an extra pawn. Rather luckily I then won a second, and even the prospect of opposite bishops didn't seem so awful. But, in fact, two rooks each stayed on the board and from nowhere I managed (with a little help) to set up an unstoppable mate threat to clinch the match victory.
Though by this time, the result was not in doubt, as Andy had finally converted his nagging pressure into something very concrete, and was a piece up in a bishop ending - well, he had a bishop, but Sam Cotterill didn't!
After our very unconvincing effort against Leamington last week, this was a much better way to sign off after a record breaking season, in which we have won 13 out of 14 matches and finished 9 points clear of second placed Olton A. This even eclipsed our efforts of last season when we scored 18 pts from a possible 20, though in 2021-22 we went unbeaten, so that was also no mean achievement.
Its getting harder and harder to think of relevant songs to accompany these reports, so sometimes I just have to choose a personal favourite. Like this!
One of the greatest songs ever. Almost makes me want to be a Londoner. Though it doesn't make me want to play the London System.
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