Bedford A retained top spot in the Beds League with an emphatic 4-1 victory over LB A on Feb 25th.We are now 3 points clear with 3 matches left and, indeed, could clinch the crown with a victory over MK A in our next match.
|
Board
|
Rating
|
Leighton Buzzard A
|
V
|
Bedford A
|
Rating
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
2286
|
½ – ½
|
2125
|
||
|
2
|
2173
|
0 – 1
|
2065
|
||
|
3
|
2092
|
0 – 1
|
1970
|
||
|
4
|
1973
|
½ – ½
|
1957
|
||
|
5
|
2000
|
0 – 1
|
1862
|
||
|
Total
|
10524
|
1 – 4
|
9979
|
Things got off to a great start when Steve Law blundered badly on Board 5 and Steve Pike swept in to secure an early victory after about half an hour. (see minigame below)
Paul was also doing very well on Board 4, when Peter Hunt allowed him to win a pawn for very little just out of the opening, but things drifted somewhat and Paul ended up with a bad bishop V knight ending and, getting short of time, accepted Peter’s draw offer.
Nick’s game on Board 3 was a miniature of fluctuating fortunes that culminated in a rather nice finish from Nick. ( See Game Below ).
Having taken my first half point off Tukpetov in 5 attempts, in the reverse fixture in December, I approached this game with slightly less of a feeling of impending doom than usual. It was also my first time with white since 2016 ! In the event, he outplayed me in the opening (as usual) following 1. d4 c5, although Stockfish doesn’t think my position was quite as bad as I’d thought at the time, before playing a couple of inaccurate moves to expose his own king and letting me get in an e5 break. This pretty much forced a long series of exchanges which ended up in a double rook + 3 pawns each ending. I may actually have had decent winning chances but, with 2 minutes versus 45 and needing a half to secure the match, I saw a forced draw and took it.
With the match secured, we gathered round Ravi’s board to watch the conclusion. Ravi seemed to be doing quite nicely, with 2 lovely Bishops, and, indeed, a few moves later he won a piece and John Sharp threw in the towel a few moves later.
So a resounding and satisfying 4-1 win it was.
Steve Ledger, 04/03/2025.