Four nil

Traditionally, I have mixed results when I visit my favourite competing club Crewe at their home above a bar in the Crewe Amalgamated Anglers club. Perhaps because I always have such a good time when I go there, I feel overly benevolent towards the opponents who I am competing with in the chess arena. Tonight was an exception as all of our team members all took home wins against a strong home side.

Nic had a fantastic win on board 1 coming back from being a pawn down in a bishop and pawns versuse knight and pawns ending. The slowness of the knight lost the game in the end for Black. Nic's win was all the more impressive because he had only a few minutes on his clock to his opponent's half an hour in what looked to me like a complicated piece and pawn endgame. I think that his opponent was justified in that position being a pawn up and well ahead on time in turning down Nic's offer of a draw. All of which made Nic's eventual win all the more impressive.

In my match as black, I played a d8 Scandinavian. After winning a pawn, and being better on time, I was able to consolidate, swap off pieces, box the opponents king in a hole win another pawn and the game.