Longbridge 5 secured a 2½–1½ away victory against Solihull 5B, with wins for Jordan Cummins and Rohan Kartick Deepak proving decisive in a closely contested Division Five match.
Longbridge chess club travelled to face Solihull 5B on Wednesday, 7 October, with the teams closely matched on rating. The match featured a strong performance from Jordan on the top board, a solid draw for Gary Mason, and an excellent comeback from Rohan to secure the winning point.
With two wins and a draw from the four boards, Longbridge came away with a valuable team victory.
Cummins Gets Longbridge Off to a Strong Start
Jordan Cummins faced Ray Fullerton on Board One and produced an impressive performance to claim the full point.
Jordan managed his time particularly well throughout the game. While he still had over an hour remaining on his clock, his opponent was down to their final 20 minutes. Jordan went on to win with plenty of time to spare, giving Longbridge an important early result.
Mason Shares the Point
Gary Mason faced Penny Wood on Board Two in what proved to be a strong game from the Longbridge player.
Gary had established a pawn advantage and was playing well when Penny offered a draw. After taking a minute or two to consider the position, Gary accepted the offer, securing half a point for Longbridge.
It was a closely fought game, with Gary taking time to assess the position before making his decision.
Collett Faces a Tough Battle
Richard Collett had a difficult game against Rivansh Arra on Board Three. Unfortunately, Richard was unable to find a way to turn the game in his favour and went down to defeat.
That gave Solihull a full point and kept the match competitive, leaving the result dependent on the remaining games.
Rohan Turns the Game Around
Rohan Kartick Deepak produced one of the standout performances of the evening on Board Four against Wojciech Slupski.
At one stage, Rohan was behind in both position and material, but he kept fighting and managed to turn the game around. By doubling his rooks on a single file, he created the opportunity for a dangerous back-rank attack.
The pressure proved decisive, forcing his opponent to resign and securing a crucial full point for Longbridge.
Longbridge Take the Match Points
With Jordan and Rohan both winning, Gary adding a draw, and Richard’s game going to Solihull, Longbridge 5 secured a 2½–1½ victory.
It was a good team performance, with Jordan’s win setting the tone and Rohan’s comeback proving particularly important in securing the final result.
Final score: Solihull 5B 1½–2½ Longbridge 5.