| Nomads D | 1 | 4 | Woodseats B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Wicks | 0 | 1 | Steve Moon (b) |
| Eric McKenna | 1/2 | 1/2 | Dave Cook |
| Robert Shaw | 1/2 | 1/2 | Brendan Ashmore |
| Jo Woollard | 0 | 1 | Martyn Edwards |
| Ashley Rogers | 0 | 1 | Michael Mullin |
Robert was the first to finish. Early on, he traded a knight and bishop for a rook and two pawns, which is theoretically a material advantage but leaves less scope for manoeuvre. He tried to build an attack, but could not see a clear way to break through, so played for a draw.
Eric and Dave both castled kingside, swapping off minor pieces. Eric came under pressure on g7, but defended strongly, deadlocking the position.
Keith’s midgame pawn structure looked pretty open, with his king exposed on g3. Soon, he was left with rook, knight, and three pawns against a rook, five pawns, and a bishop. He traded his knight for a bishop and pawn, then won a pawn with a rook fork, leaving a rook and three pawns against a rook and four pawns. After much manoeuvring, Steve forced promotion, winning the game.
Ashley, our newest player, put up a spirited fight, but eventually lost. Afterwards, he said his first competitive match had been fun.
Jo and her opponent both castled kingside, then swapped off bishop and knight. After further exchanges, Jo ended up with a rook, knight and four pawns against a rook, knight and six pawns, and short on time. She defended well, but the material disadvantage eventually proved insurmountable.