With Steve on international duty, Rob kindly compiled a report for the triumph.
A close-run thing, and it looked for much of the time like Bedford A would not make it, before eventually running out 3-2 winners!
| Board | Rating | Bedford A | V | Milton Keynes B | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2046 | Arulnandhy, Ravi | 0 – 1 | Bowler, Andrew | 2041 |
| 2 | 2117 | Gardner, James | 1 – 0 | Heath, Alan | 1858 |
| 3 | 2043 | Dairi, Ramsey | ½ – ½ | Smith, Graham | 1914 |
| 4 | 2035 | Collacott, Nick | 1 – 0 | Spigapiena, Giuseppe | 1789 |
| 5 | 1921 | Taylor, Alex | ½ – ½ | Bhalla, Sumit | 1475 |
| Total | 10162 | 3 – 2 | 9077 |
On Board 5, Alex went wrong in the opening, but recovered to scrape a draw against Sumit Bhalla.
On Board 1, Ravi was always struggling against Andrew Bowler, and the loss looked inevitable.
On Board 3, Ramsey looked on top against Graham Smith, but went wrong in a tight pawn ending, and was forced to concede a draw.
On Board 4, Nick had the advantage throughout against Guiseppe Spigapiena, but required a defensive error from his opponent to break through for a mating attack.
On Board 2, James was in control throughout, and gradually increased the pressure to suffocate his opponent for an inevitable win, and give us the match and the title.
Rob Walker 24th April 2026