| Home Team: Bedford B | Away Team: Milton Keynes B | ||||||
| Board | Name | Grade | Score | Score | Name | Grade | |
| 1 | Marc ON Obi | 166 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Richard CP Freeman | 177 | |
| 2 | Alex Taylor | 163 | 0 | 1 | Francesca Matta | 172 | |
| 3 | Richard T Bodily | 168 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Peter C Clarke | 170 | |
| 4 | Steve Pike | 161 | 1 | 0 | Phillip Ekhaesomi | 165 | |
| 5 | Ravi Arulnandhy | 161 | 1 | 0 | Robert Whiteside | 164 | |
| 3 | 2 | ||||||
| Played: 19/04/18 | |||||||
The B Team played their last match against Milton Keynes B with a chance to secure at least second place in the league. As with all Division 1 matches it was not going to be easy!
Marc completed a superb season with a very easy draw against Richard. The game itself was one of few chances and neither side could really make much progress
For the second week running my game on board 2 was a bit of a disaster. I completely misplayed a Sicilian as white and was routinely crushed.
The action really happened on the bottom three boards.
Steve always looked to have a slight plus in his game against Philip, but there appeared to be nothing telling. Philip then dropped a pawn and the exchange and the game looked very winnable. Steve avoided any swindles and comfortably won the game to level the scores. [Alex is very kind – in reality Steve played in his usual overreaching manner but, just as it looked like the tables would turn, his opponent inexplicably started to give away all his material – Ed]
Ravi’s game on board 5 was an odd affair. Rob sacrificed a bishop for a couple of pawns and an attack in the opening. Ravi looked to have it under control, but the next time I looked he was two pawns down in ending with Rob having a pawn on d6 and active rook and bishop. Ravi is nothing but resourceful and regained the lost material, and declining a draw for the team then activated his rook and knight, created a passed a pawn, marched it to a2 and won the game! [See below to re-live the miracle! – Ed]
This left Richard to bring home the bacon. His game was another tight affair. Peter seemed to have a slight advantage as Richard first had an isolated d pawn, then an isolated e pawn which both looked weak. Some good defence and perhaps a slight inaccuracy allowed Richard to equalise and reach a king and pawn ending where Richard had a 2-1 queenside majority and Peter had a 3-2 majority on the kingside. The position simplified to that classic drawing position of king v king, giving Bedford B a gutsy and well deserved victory, which had looked unlikely earlier in the evening.
Bedford B is therefore guaranteed second place, having achieved its best ever points haul and will finish above the A team. However, if the A Team can beat Leighton Buzzard A on Tuesday then the B Team could actually win the league! Come on Bedford A – do it for the club! Whatever happens it has been a great season for the team – so thank you all who have contributed along the way.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points | Wins | Draws | Losses | Pen Pts |
| Bedford B | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 0 |
| Leighton Buzzard A | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 0 |
| Milton Keynes B | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 0 |
| Bedford A | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 0 |
| Milton Keynes A | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 0 |
| Luton | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 0 |
The wishes prayers and efforts worked
I fondly remember one season some years back (writes a former Bedford B captain) where after about a third of the season had elapsed Bedford B were going great guns and Bedford A looked headed for relegation, though this situation didn’t last.
And none of the players in that Bedford B side would get a look in now, so strong is the current Bedford B team.
Well played indeed.
Congratulations, Bedford B, on a fine season. We will do our best on Tuesday.
The very best of luck!