BEDFORD A 3-2 MILTON KEYNES A
192 Ledger 0-1 Kenworthy 204
178 Habershon 0.5 Elwin 181
170 Collacott 0.5 Smith 176
168 Bodily 1-0 Meichel 162e
161 Obi 1-0 Heath 136
Last week all 7 of the Bedford A squad were available, this week only 4 so Marc Obi was drafted in from the B team and did the business on Board 5. I had arranged meticulously, as usual, to pick up three of the team from Manton Lane and drive them to Milton Keynes for the away match. I was in for a shock, though. At 6 p.m. Steve Ledger phoned to tell me he was convinced the match was a home one. It didn’t take long for me to agree wholeheartedly and I managed to contact everyone in time.
Richard Bodily was first to finish (see game). This demolition job was his sixth game for the A team and he has won all of them. The team lost both the matches he missed.
Next, on top board, Steve, always behind on the clock, eventually succumbed to Gary Kenworthy’s constant pressure in a double rook ending.
On Board 5 Alan Heath boldly sacrificed the exchange and had Marc’s king on the run. However, Marc coolly drew any sting and won the endgame.
On Board 2 Adrian Elwin played a complicated tactical position well in his usual time pressure. In the ending after the time control I offered a draw when we had about four minutes each, seeing that Nick had at least a level position on Board 3.
At 2.5-1.5 to Bedford In the final finish of an entertaining match Nick had two rooks versus a queen and he was also a pawn up. In the rapidplay finish both players had used nearly all their time when Graham Smith offered a draw, seeing that Nick had a forced perpetual check. Perhaps still looking for the win he felt he should have had, Nick let the clock run down to 2 seconds before accepting the half point which won the match.
Paul Habershon 07/04/17