Leamington B 1 - 3 Leamington A
6 January 2015With several players unavailable, the rematch with the had different line-ups, but a similar result, as close games went the way of the A team.
Ola and Richard's game didn't lack for drama, as Ola picked up the exchange then gave it back. A sudden checkmating attack brought about a sudden end.
The match on top board was less explosive, but a high quality encounter were a draw always looked a likely result.
I turned down a draw in a closed position, as the match situation was still unclear. I then played some rather risky moves to open things up, which ultimately payed off thanks to the weak position of Tom's king, a Knight sacrifice leading to a forced mate.
That secured the match, but the remaining game went to the wire, as David managed to push a pawn to the seventh rank in a rook endgame. It was a tough position to defend, but Andy held the fort for long enough that David offered a draw with both players short of time.
A good effort by all concerned, and hopefully the last internal match for a while. The A team have restored our three point lead at the top.