Longbridge Chess Club produced another excellent team performance this week, defeating Sutton Coldfield in convincing fashion in the 6600 Rapidplay competition.
Although the final score of 6½–1½ looks one-sided, the evening wasn’t quite as straightforward as it first appears. Sutton Coldfield were unfortunately unable to field a player on board four, resulting in two default points for Longbridge. However, that still left six games to be decided over the board, and Longbridge delivered an outstanding performance, winning four of those games, losing one, and drawing the remaining one.
The first round could hardly have gone better for the home side.
Round 1, 4-0
Gavin Cartwright got Longbridge off to the perfect start with an excellent win on board one against Marek Soszynski. Stephen Woodhouse followed up with a confident victory over Robert Marks, while Tom Sherwood added a third point after defeating Chris East on board five.
Matt Clarke completed the clean sweep after receiving a default win on board four, giving Longbridge a commanding 4–0 lead after the opening round.
With one match already secured, the team returned for the second round looking to maintain their momentum.
Round 2, 2½–1½
Gavin once again led from the front, completing a perfect evening with his second victory over Marek Soszynski to finish with an impressive 2/2 score.
Stephen Woodhouse remained unbeaten, earning a solid draw in his second encounter against Robert Marks. While Matt collected a second default point on board 4.
The only result to go Sutton Coldfield’s way came on board three, where Tom Sherwood was unable to repeat his first-round success and narrowly lost his second game to Chris East.
Even so, Longbridge comfortably secured the second round 2½–1½, wrapping up another successful evening for the club.
Outstanding Team Performance
Special congratulations go to Gavin Cartwright, whose two victories on board one capped an excellent night’s work. Winning both games on the top board is never easy, and Gavin set the standard for the rest of the team.
Stephen Woodhouse also deserves recognition for an unbeaten evening, scoring a win and a draw, while Tom Sherwood’s first-round victory proved an important contribution to the overall result.
Although Matt Clarke’s two points came by default, they still counted towards the team score and ensured Longbridge capitalised on every opportunity available.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic of the evening is that, excluding the defaulted board, Longbridge scored 4½ points from the six games that were actually played. That is a tremendous team performance and a credit to everyone who represented the club.
Final Scores
- Match 1: Longbridge 4–0 Sutton Coldfield
- Match 2: Longbridge 2½–1½ Sutton Coldfield
Another convincing victory sees Longbridge continue their strong run of form as the season progresses. With players contributing across every board, the team will be hoping to carry this momentum into the remaining fixtures.