Match Report: Downend F vs Horfield D (16 February): Rounding off a busy week with a draw

The evening started with me picking up an email from Adam asking where Downend’s venue was. Unfortunately I picked up the email at 8.30. Fortunately Adam had asked Nigel who was more responsive than I.

Scott finished first and finished very well. After a slightly shonky opening he turned the tables and trapped James’s queen then launched a lovely attack with rook, bishop, knight and queen onto white’s still centralised king. Mate in 28. Leon levelled it for Downend on board 4. Owen couldn’t work out where to put his king and his manoeuvring to find a safe haven cost him time in development. White was able to get his rooks onto the seventh and then march his king into the centre and with black’s pieces pretty much paralysed it was only going to end one way.

On three Nick won pawns early and had pressure on Adam’s king. White managed to equalise but then missed a revealed check with a fork and lost material and the position looked hopeless. However Adam gamely battled on and held out long enough for Nick to get into time trouble and a draw offer was agreed.

So match all square and just board one to finish. Nigel had mainly bossed the game but again time turned out to be a factor. He had worked himself into a significant positional advantage and then exploited the opening of the c file to get at Mike’s king. But low on time he failed to find winning moves (firstly Qb8+ and then after queens came off Ne5+). The exchange of queens and minor pieces left an equal rook and pawn ending and a draw was agreed.

Hostilities over, a drawn match, everyone got home safely.