Longbridge Chess Club got their Division Five campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday evening, beating Stourbridge 5 by 2½–1½ in a closely fought opening match.
It was a strong team performance, with wins for Jordan Cummins and Gary Mason, a draw for Ian Truscott, and a determined performance from Richard Collett on Board 4.
Jordan Produces a Spectacular Win for Longbridge 5
Playing on Board 1, Jordan Cummins faced Richard Wilkinson in what was always going to be a challenging game. Richard is rated over 150 points higher than Jordan in standard time controls.
Jordan doesn’t really enjoy playing longer time controls, but that didn’t stop him from taking on the challenge, and he certainly made the game interesting.
At one point, Jordan produced a crazy sacrifice, throwing material into the mix and creating the complications he needed. The gamble paid off, and Jordan eventually secured the win to give Longbridge 5 an excellent start to the match.
Ian Competes with the Stourbridge Captain
On Board 2, Ian Truscott faced Steve Alcock, the Stourbridge team captain.
The two players battled it out in a competitive game before agreeing a draw, giving both teams half a point.
Gary Ends His Losing Streak
Board 3 saw Gary Mason take on Daniel Billingham.
After a run of difficult results, Gary was looking to get back to winning ways, and he did exactly that.
Gary played a solid game and secured the full point, bringing Longbridge 5 another step closer to victory and, perhaps more importantly, ending his losing streak!
Richard Fights on Board 4
The final game saw Richard Collett take on Oscar Reene.
Richard played well and fought hard throughout the game, but unfortunately couldn’t quite find the win he was looking for. Oscar eventually took the point for Stourbridge, making sure the match remained close right to the end.
A Winning Start for Longbridge 5
The final score was:
Longbridge 5 2½ – 1½ Stourbridge 5
It was an excellent way for Longbridge to begin their Division Five campaign. Jordan’s spectacular win, Ian’s draw against the Stourbridge captain and Gary’s long awaited victory all contributed to a successful night for the division five team.
Richard may not have got the result he wanted, but his determined performance helped make it a competitive match.
With the first points of the season safely on the board, Longbridge 5 can now look forward to the rest of their Division Five campaign.