Broadstairs 3 Herne Bay 4
| 1 | David Faldon (170) | ½-½ | Gordon Botley (186) |
| 2 | Bob Page (141) | 0-1 | Stuart Williams (179) |
| 3 | Paul Carfrae (132) | ½-½ | Bob Pooley (147) |
| 4 | John Couzens (131) | ½-½ | Luke Kyte (139) |
| 5 | Andy Flood (e114) | 0-1 | Paul Arnold (125) |
| 6 | David Wheatley (106) | ½-½ | Rob Hamilton (113) |
| 7 | Bob Cronin (101) | 1-0 | Eddie Ridley (62) |
David Faldon writes:
Our fourth match, our fourth defeat, but things are looking up. This was a terrific match against strong opposition that twisted and turned and was only decided in the last few minutes. Everybody enjoyed themselves tremendously and if we can repeat that enthusiasm next time we might even win a match! Bob C on board 7 got us off to a great start with a quick win. Despite a dull opening which saw all the bishops and knights rapidly hoovered off the board, Bob C kept up the pressure and was rewarded when he got the chance for a snap mate. Boards 1 and 4 were next to finish, both games agreed drawn after initial fireworks fizzled out. Blame the damp weather not the football as when John and I got downstairs to the pub the Arsenal and Liverpool games were already over.
The other four games all lasted right up until closing time. The first result in was a defeat on board 5 when Andy had to resign after a long rearguard action. The next two games to finish ended in two draws, leaving the match poised at 3-3. Both of these games were incredibly tough. David W on board 6 dropped a couple of pawns in the middle game but fought back hard in a complicated queen and pawn ending. At the finish his opponent was relieved to be able to force a draw, despite still being two pawns up. The board 3 game was the twistiest game of all. Paul got tricked in the opening and lost a pawn but he cleverly turned the tables in the middle game, winning an exchange (rook for bishop). The resulting queen-and-rook-and-passed-pawns versus queen-and-bishop-and-passed-pawns ending was great fun to watch but must have been nerve-wracking to play. At one point Paul had his king trapped on the back rank and it looked like he might get mated but he survived by swapping queens. With time running out and one of Paul’s passed pawns starting to motor down the board the Herne Bay player threw in a sneaky draw offer, which was accepted. Both players looked exhausted at the end.
The last game to finish also tested both players to the limit. Bob P on board 2 got his king trapped in the corner, dead to a check down the h-file. For an hour or more Bob P resisted all of his highly-rated opponent’s attempts to get a queen or a rook to h3, but in the end his defending pieces got tied down. With both flags close to falling, the Herne Bay player managed to find a way to break through, winning a piece and the game. A shame for us all and especially for Bob P who’d played splendidly. Congratulations to Herne Bay on a hard-fought victory.