Longbridge Chess Club rounded off their 6600 Rapidplay League campaign in style on Tuesday evening with two excellent victories over Olton, putting themselves in a fantastic position to lift the league title.
Playing at home, Longbridge produced another strong all-round team performance, winning the first match 3½–½ before following it up with a 2½–1½ victory in the second.
An Excellent Team Performance
The opening round couldn’t have gone much better for Longbridge.
Stephen Woodhouse got the team off to a winning start with a solid victory on board one, while Rob Davies continued his impressive form with another full point on board three.
Matt Clarke also secured a win on board four, leaving Peter Lawrence’s hard-fought draw to complete an emphatic 3½–½ victory.
The second round proved a little closer, but Longbridge remained in control throughout.
Matt Clarke maintained his perfect evening with a second win against Jim Gillespie, while Stephen Woodhouse, Peter Lawrence and Rob Davies each added valuable draws to ensure Longbridge claimed the match 2½–1½.
Overall, it was another composed display from the team, with three wins and five draws from eight games, remaining unbeaten across both matches.
One Hand on the 6600 Rapidplay Trophy?
These victories see Longbridge finish their 6600 Rapidplay League campaign at the top of the table.
The title race is now out of our hands, with only South Birmingham still capable of catching us. However, they face a very difficult task, needing to defeat Warley Quinborne by a perfect 8–0 scoreline in their final fixture on 30th July.
That’s a huge ask against a strong Warley side, meaning Longbridge can be quietly optimistic.
Whatever happens, the team has enjoyed an excellent season, producing consistently strong performances and putting themselves in contention for yet another trophy.
With Longbridge already crowned Worcestershire Rapidplay Division One Champions earlier this year, bringing home the 6600 Rapidplay League title as well would be a fantastic achievement and another milestone in what has been an outstanding season for the club.
For now, all eyes turn to the final league fixture…
Fingers crossed!
Rapidplay Match Results
Round One
Longbridge 3½ – ½ Olton
Round Two
Longbridge 2½ – 1½ Olton