| Board | Home | Milton Keynes A | Bedford D | Away | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (B) | 1924 | Whiteside, Robert | 0 – 1 | Pike, Steve C | 1844 |
| 2 (W) | 1832 | Heath, Alan | 1 – 0 | Evans, Andy | 1553 |
| 3 (B) | 1656 | Solloway, Colin J | 1 – 0 | Cox, Lucian | 1508 |
| 4 (W) | 1582 | McKeon, John E | 0 – 1 | Dairi, Ramsey | 1499 |
| 5 (B) | 1422 | Bhalla, Sumit | 1 – 0 | Griffiths, George | 1455 |
| Total | 8416 | 3 – 2 | Total | 7859 |
The D team put up a decent performance against a much stronger Milton Keynes A last night. More or less outgunned on all boards, we certainly gave them a run for their money.
I finished first for a change. Against the somewhat dubious Spanish Gambit, Rob got tricked into moving his king early and, despite a few customary inaccuracies from yours truly, it never really found solace – game below.
I must confess to sloping off for a drink with my son at that point so I am grateful to others for their observations. Andy was next to finish. The last I saw, Alan looked to be wreaking havoc along the f-file and this proved decisive apparently.
Lucian and George were both up against French defences which can often prove frustrating for the aggressor.
George lost (or perhaps gambited?) material in the opening but, after some fine tactics brought the game back to piece equality. Unfortunately, once more pieces were taken off the board, George faced 3 queenside pawns vs his one, leading to his opponent promoting.
.Lucian had a slightly worse position going into the middlegame. Later, he lost a trapped knight and pinned his hopes on having a passed pawn. However, after the protecting rook was exchanged off, all hope was lost.
This left Ramsey who looked to be suffering when I watched early on. Queens were swapped off early but Ramsey’s position looked hard to stabilise. However, resilience beyond his years kept him in the fight and he seized the initiative as time trouble loomed. John made a fatal error and Ramsey was quick to pounce – game below.
All in all, a good showing which promises well for the rest of the season.
Steve Pike (with thanks to David and Mahmoud), 11th November 2022