Leamington A 2 - 2 Solihull B
18 November 2014Solihull B are the strongest side in the division on paper, but our B team had managed to get a surprise win over them a week earlier, leaving us a point ahead of them with a game in hand heading into this showdown.
My own game was the first to finish. It started out as a very sharp Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, with both players missing chances for a winning advantage in the first dozen moves. Ultimately, I opted to allow simplifications to win my gambit pawn back, and was a dead draw after only 21 moves.
Dan's opponent opted a quiet opening, with an immediate kingside fianchetto. It was balanced throughout and soon ended in another draw.
Ola had unfortunately gone a bishop down after an early miscalculation. He had some compensation in the form of an attack on his opponent's castled king, but another slip at a key moment lost a second minor piece and proved decisive.
Thankfully, Andy was able to produce an excellent win with the black pieces to tie up the match at 2-2. His comments on the game are below.
So, a tense evening saw us lose our 100% record, but our slight edge at the top of the table is preserved.