Longbridge B endured a difficult evening in the Worcestershire Chess Association Championship, losing 4–1 away to Malvern on Friday 9 October. Despite the result, the team enjoyed their visit to a welcoming club in a lovely setting.
Longbridge Chess Club travelled to Malvern for their latest WCA Championship fixture, facing a side that was considerably stronger on paper. With Malvern holding an average rating of 1910 compared with Longbridge’s 1728, it was always going to be a challenging match.
Unfortunately, the results went Malvern’s way on four of the five boards. This left Longbridge with just one point from the evening. Team captain, Carmelo Tirado Simarro secured the team’s only win, providing a positive result in an otherwise tough contest.
Carmelo Claims Longbridge’s Only Win
Carmelo Tirado Simarro produced Longbridge’s standout result on Board Two, defeating Brian Turner to take the full point.
Facing an opponent with a higher rating, Carmelo’s victory was an excellent result and prevented Malvern from securing a clean sweep. It was a well-earned win in a match where opportunities were hard to come by.
Tough Challenges Across the Other Boards
Gavin Cartwright faced Lee Davis on Board One but was unable to overcome the top-board challenge, going down to defeat.
Phil Maddocks also found things difficult against Henry Spedding on Board Three. While Peter Lawrence lost to Joshua Clarke on Board Four.
Gary Mason faced Geoffrey Herbert on Board Five, but Malvern claimed another full point to complete their four wins of the evening. There was a rating gap of around 400 elo points on this board. But Gary still put up a good fight and made it a challenge for his opponent.
With such a significant difference in the teams’ average ratings, Longbridge knew they would have to work hard for every point. Although the final score was disappointing, the players were up against a formidable opposition.
A Welcoming Club and a Different Chessboard
Despite the result, the Longbridge team had an enjoyable evening at Malvern. The club was welcoming, and the visit made for a pleasant away fixture, even if the chess itself proved challenging.
One thing to bear in mind for future visits, however, is that the chessboards and pieces were very traditional. They have no letters or numbers marked along the edges. Players travelling to Malvern in future will need to take a little extra care with their notation. Recording moves without board coordinates requires additional concentration.
Malvern Take the Match Points
The final score was Malvern 4–1 Longbridge B, with Carmelo’s win the highlight for the visitors.
While Longbridge would have liked a closer result, the team faced a much higher-rated side and still came away having enjoyed the evening and the hospitality. The focus now turns to the next fixture and another opportunity to pick up points in the WCA Championship.
Final score: Malvern 4–1 Longbridge B.