The new season got underway on Tuesday evening with a rather unusual opening fixture for Longbridge Chess Club, as Longbridge A faced Longbridge B in the Worcestershire Chess Association (WCA) Championship.
With both teams containing a mixture of experienced players and strong club members, it was always going to be an interesting contest, and the match certainly delivered.
The A Team eventually came out on top 3½–1½, but the B Team put up a good fight and produced one particularly impressive result.
A Close Battle on Board 1
The top board saw Jonathan Swindells take on Gavin Cartwright in what proved to be a closely fought game. Neither player was able to gain the decisive edge, and the game finished in a well-earned draw.
That gave both teams an early half point and kept the match nicely balanced.
Mark Produces a Great Result!
One of the biggest talking points of the evening came on Board 3, where Kevin Hurney faced Mark Bethel.
On paper, Kevin was the higher-rated player, but Mark produced an excellent performance to take the full point, giving Longbridge B a very valuable win and putting them right in the contest.
Longbridge A pull away
On Board 2, Cory Hazlehurst defeated Carmelo Tirado Simarro, giving the A Team a win. Stephen Woodhouse added another point for the A team with a win over Marvin Wallace on Board 4.
The final game of the evening saw Matt Clarke defeat Gary Mason on Board 5, completing the scoring and securing the overall 3½–1½ victory for Longbridge A.
A good start to the new season
While it might have been an all-Longbridge fixture, there was plenty of competitive chess on show, with Longbridge B showing that they will certainly be capable of making life difficult for teams throughout the season.
For the A Team, the result provides a positive start to their WCA Championship campaign, while B team can take plenty of encouragement from the performance. Particularly Mark’s excellent win on Board 3.
Final score: Longbridge A 3½ – 1½ Longbridge B
A new season is underway, and we’re looking forward to seeing how both teams get on as the season progresses!