On Monday evening, Longbridge Chess Club travelled to Worcester after receiving a kind invitation from the newly formed Warndon Chess Club for an ECF-rated pre-season friendly.
The aim of the evening wasn’t just to play competitive chess, but also to help support a new club getting established within the local chess community. It was fantastic to see another club opening its doors. We wish everyone at Warndon every success for the future.
We were asked to bring as many players as possible, and Longbridge answered the call by fielding a ten-board team. Unfortunately, Rebecca Norton (Becci) was delayed returning from holiday. As a result she was unable to arrive in time. This meant board ten had to be defaulted before a move had even been played. That gifted Warndon an early point, but the remaining nine boards promised some exciting chess.
Despite Warndon fielding a strong side with several higher-rated players, Longbridge rose to the challenge superbly.
A Strong Team Performance
Longbridge came away with an impressive 6½–3½ victory. An excellent result for Longbridge!
Phil Maddocks secured a solid draw on board two against Alex Nicholls. While Marvin Wallace unfortunately came up just short against Philip Austin on board one.
From there, Longbridge really found their stride.
Matt Clarke produced an excellent victory over Ric Griffith-Read. While Craig Bessant, Paul Bignall, Tom Sherwood, Nam Anh Nguyen and Kevin Scott all added excellent wins for the visitors.
Warndon picked up another point on board eight, but by then Longbridge had already built an unassailable lead.
Supporting Local Chess
While it’s always nice to come away with a victory, evenings like this are about much more than the final score.
Friendly matches give players the opportunity to experience rated chess in a relaxed atmosphere, meet players from other clubs, and strengthen the local chess community. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with plenty of competitive games played in excellent spirit throughout.
Longbridge Chess Club would like to thank everyone at Warndon Chess Club for their warm hospitality and for organising such a successful event. We look forward to meeting them across the board again in the future and hope this is the first of many friendly encounters between our clubs.
Best of luck to everyone at Warndon as they continue to grow what is already shaping up to be a fantastic new chess club.
Match Result
Warndon Chess Club 3½ – 6½ Longbridge Chess Club
A great evening of chess, new friendships, and another enjoyable chapter for both clubs.