BCL Division 2 Thu 16th Mar 2023
| Board | Home | Milton Keynes C | Bedford C | Away | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (B) | 1955 | Smith, Graham | 0 – 1 | Shields, Callum T | 1740 |
| 2 (W) | 1773 | Ward, George | ½ – ½ | Walker, Robert S | 1735 |
| 3 (B) | 1656 | Solloway, Colin J | ½ – ½ | McMorran, Richard | 1678 |
| 4 (W) | 1582 | McKeon, John E | ½ – ½ | Gill, Peter S | 1700 |
| 5 (B) | 1530 | Page, Michael | ½ – ½ | Wilson, Robert | 0000 |
| Total | 8496 | 2 – 3 | Total | 6853 |
Arriving at Milton Keynes to see the formidable Graham Smith, normally a Division 1 player, on top board I feared the worst. I need not have worried. Callum, playing in his usual aggressive style, pawns storming up the board in front of his castled King, achieved an ending with two rooks to one but (about!) four pawns down. Playing on top board every time, invariably outrated, he has now won five out of six games.
Also enjoying an excellent season, Robert Walker facing normal MKC top board George Ward, agreed a draw, as did Richard and Colin Solloway and Robert Wilson and Michael Page. I’m afraid I can’t say anything much about their games, having been preoccupied with my own against John McKeon. Playing the Modern defence I tried to unsettle John with an early, temporary, pawn sacrifice, leading to what John described as something out of the wild west. I was always slightly worse, and when his Knights invaded on the Queen side he won the exchange for a pretty meagre pawn. I suspect John thought after, it as did I, that it was just a question of time and, dropping his guard and his last Knight for a pawn, he went from better to worse. There was no easy win for me however and, with everyone else waiting to go home, and a draw securing a win for the team, I settled for a draw.
We have one more fixture against the Open University and if we win that, although we can be caught on match points, the chances are that our total game score will secure top of League 2.
Peter Gill, 17th March 2023