Waiting in the freezing rain on Bramall Lane for Les’s lift, I was reminded of the fact that a healthy dose of masochism is an asset in chess. As usual there was a warm welcome when we finally arrived at Clay Cross. They even had the heating on full blast.

Excellent wins for Withingtons on the top boards were not to be enough. Les, Robert and brand new Nomad, Mike, all fell to Clay Cross. Eric could still draw the match with a win, and although a pawn down, he had a big time advantage. In the end Eric had to offer his opponent a draw. Jerome, with only minutes left on the clock, mulled this over for what must have been an agonising amount of time for his captain as the seconds ticked away. He finally agreed the draw, winning the match for Clay Cross.

All in all, an enjoyable night out, and second place in division three is still up for grabs.