Longbridge Chess Club faced a strong Walsall Kipping 2 side in the Frank Terrill Trophy, with the match taking place on Thursday 1 October.
The fixture was always going to be a difficult one, with Walsall Kipping fielding a very strong team.
The ratings were closely matched across much of the match. Longbridge eventually coming away with 2½ points from the six games played.
A Hard-Fought Match
Gavin Cartwright got Longbridge off to an excellent start on Board 1, defeating Christopher Bellin. Despite being rated 85 points lower. It was an impressive result against a higher-rated opponent.
On Board 2, Carmelo Tirado Simarro faced Jana Bellin and was unable to add another point. While Stephen Woodhouse secured a half point against Nick Roberts in a closely matched game.
Mark Bethel produced another strong result for Longbridge on Board 4, defeating Christopher Osumbote. Mark was rated slightly lower than his opponent, making the win another valuable result for the team.
The final two boards proved difficult for Longbridge, with Phil Maddocks and Marvin Wallace both going down to higher-rated opposition.
The individual results left the match at 2½–3½ to Walsall Kipping before the competition’s adjustment was applied. A further 2½ points were awarded to Walsall Kipping, giving an official final score of Longbridge 2½–6 Walsall Kipping.
Plenty of Positives for Longbridge
Although the final scoreline was disappointing, there were some excellent individual performances to take from the match.
Gavin’s win on Board 1 and Mark’s victory on Board 4 were particularly good results against higher-rated opponents, while Stephen’s draw added another half point to the Longbridge total.
With the Frank Terrill Trophy providing another opportunity for competitive chess, Longbridge will look to take the positives from this match and continue the season’s campaign.