Central Teams Going Well in the New Year!
A good week for Central teams, who now have a 100% record in 2016 and a 12-2 points aggregate!
The First Team continued their march to promotion from the third division with a strong performance against Mansfield 3 who now look doomed to a quick return to Division 4.
Alan put together a commanding performance on Board 1 against Janos Wagenbach, a masterpiece of attacking play which ended with everything pointed at Janos’ King which was stuck in the centre. John had to work harder on Board 2 but eventually got on top and efficiently brought home the full point. Mark’s opponent on Board 3 was rated around 100 points lower than him so he was on a hiding to nothing but experience told and he won comfortably.
Steve’s game was dead from the start and a draw by move 17. Graham’ game, not unusually the last to finish, ended strangely with his opponent (having looked at the scoresheet) offering him a draw…or a win. Graham took the win.
Central 1 won 4-1.
The Third Team hosted Newark 3 the following night. Simon was the first to finish. His opponent gave up two pieces in the opening which Simon assumed was a fiendish opening trap and expected to be checkmated at any moment. But no, his opponent had just lost two pieces in the opening.
Alex played a good game on Board 4 which got to the first time control, at which point instead of putting the clocks back 15 minutes her opponent screwed up his scoresheet. Alex took this as a resignation.
Didn’t really see any of John Dell’s game on Board 1 but he was eventually ground down. My opponent on Board 2, Tony Bourke, seemed confused by the Division 5 time controls. We got to an endgame where I was about to go a Pawn down on the Kingside but seeing my opponent’s time trouble I created a passed Queen’s Rook pawn which was enough of a distraction to safely win on time.
Centrsl 3 won 3-1.