| Board | Rating | Milton Keynes B | V | Bedford E | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1887 | Bowler, AndrewG | 1 – 0 | B Cox, Lucian | 1674 |
| 2 | 1823 | Heath, AlanB | 1 – 0 | G McMorran, Richard | 1640 |
| 3 | 1780 | Ward, GeorgeB | 1 – 0 | B Walker, Nigel B | 1472 |
| 4 | 1695 | Evans, ThomasG | 1 – 0 | B Kapustynski , Kryzsztof | 1600 |
| 5 | 1435 | Bhalla, SumitB | ½ – ½ | B Goodman, James | 1500 |
| Total | 8620 | 4½ – ½ | 7886 |
Bedford E went into our third match of the season with high hopes having won 2 out of 2 previously. Reality however bit on a cold night in Milton Keynes as we were picked apart by a very strong Milton Keynes B team.
On board 1 Lucien, despite falling a piece down in the opening, valliantly fought against a very strong opponent (c. 1900) before slipping to defeat. Richard on board 2, by his own admission had a stone cold win but became complacent. I saw little of Nigel and Kristoph’s games but understading they both fought bravely against higher ranked opposition. On board 5 I thought i might be able to nick a point going into the end game but somehow managed to blunder my way out of a 3 pawn advantage to draw.
Overall it was a tough night but given we were behind almost 1000 ranking points across the five boards, I think we acquitted ourselves well. Roll on Luton C next week!
James Goodman, 12th November 2024