| Home Team: Milton Keynes B | Away Team: Bedford A | ||||||
| Board | Name | Grade | Score | Score | Name | Grade | |
| 1 | Richard CP Freeman | 171 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Steven C Ledger | 192 | |
| 2 | Phillip Ekhaesomi | 164 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Michael T Botteley | 186 | |
| 3 | Francesca Matta | 166 | 1 | 0 | Paul F Habershon | 178 | |
| 4 | Robert Whiteside | 167 | 0 | 1 | Raymon Gompelman | 168 | |
| 5 | Colin Solloway | 141 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Richard T Bodily | 168 | |
| 2.5 | 2.5 | ||||||
| Played: 20/04/17 | |||||||
A disappointing draw for Bedford A in a match where grades counted for little. The games finished in reverse board order. Richard felt he was getting the worst of it and gratefully accepted a draw offer. Raymon’s bishops and rook combined to put a sudden end to Rob Whiteside’s resistance. I unsoundly gave up two pieces for a rook and pawn and then went wrong just as I felt
I was getting good counter chances. Mike got a huge attack going against White’s queenside castling but apparently missed a mate in two before having to agree a draw. A brief attempt to reconstruct the exact moves with Mike from an inaccurate scoresheet ended in failure, but he is hoping to provide the spectacular details soon.
This left the match poised at 2-2 with both Board 1 players in time trouble approaching the first time control. Steve emerged the exchange up for a pawn. In the quickplay finish, however, Richard made the most of his resources and eventually his rook, knight and four pawns (two passed and connected) were looking a match for Steve’s two rooks and three pawns. A draw was agreed with the clocks again close to zero.
Bedford A now need a point from their last match, against the same opponents, to ensure second place in the league.
Paul Habershon