The D vs E derby. A shortage of players meant 3 play-downs from the C team.
On board 1 Pete beat Joaquim. The game felt very drawn after about 25 moves as black accurately equalised out of the opening and exchanged down pieces. However white had the advantage in a same-coloured bishop end game with all of black’s pawns fixed on attackable squares and after 30 moves of manoeuvring black missed a tactic in time trouble allowing white to create a passed pawn and take the game.
On board 2 Joe played directly at the black king whilst ignoring his own king safety. Piotr held his nerve and won with a nicely delivered mate after Joe had missed a winning tactic (offering a faux sacrifice of rook to clear a mating line).
On board 3 Ash and Mike played out a very drawish draw. There was some tension in the middle game with white having some pressure with bishops aimed at the black king but Ash was accurate and a pawn and knight ending was quietly settled.
On board 4 Graham was slow to develop and Harry seized the initiative, fixing black’s pieces on the back rank and constraining freeing pawn moves. Cramped and struggling to find moves black lost a rook and then got completely paralysed and Harry secured a nicely played win to give the D team there only full point.
Horfield & Redland Chess Club 