We had a slight hic-cup before tonight's match in the form of a lighting malfunction. The lights in the main hall failed and when a quick search for the circuit breakers also failed, we set about playing back upstairs again. One thing that can be said for upstairs is that the lighting is brilliant. On the downside the floorboards still creak a lot and the room somehow seems smaller than it used to be.
  A look at the league tables before the match would suggest that we were the favourites tonight, and while the end result reflected that, it was far from a foregone conclusion. The results finished in board order with Bob opening the score after steering a powerful central advantage to an impressive victory. It was a game in which both players had castled behind a fianchettoed king's side but it wasn't long before Bob developed a significant special advantage. His control of the centre with steadily advancing central pawns slowly but surely increased the pressure on his opponent's defences and eventually he had to surrender a knight to halt the advance. As well as the piece Bob had also picked up two pawns and although the game went on for several more moves the end was never really in doubt.
  Simon made it 2-0 after facing an early f5 response to his English. After half an hour's play he had a slight advantage with the bishop pair and a significant time advantage. However the complexities of the position meant the time advantage soon disappeared and it was difficult to see who stood better. Either an oversight or a miscalculation allowed Simon to pick up a pawn, and after the major pieces came off that extra pawn proved crucial. Simon did very well to force the victory for it was far from straightforward and his opponent was not going down without a fight.
  Shortly after that Jim made it 3-0. Like Bob's game, Jim's featured a double fianchettoed king's position. But that was the only similarity. It was looking like a battle down the open a and b files, but in the end it was a mating attack down a half open central file that Jim's opponent appeared to have overlooked that sealed the game.
  With only Graeme left, was it possible we would get a clean sheet? Unfortunately not. Graeme had faced a Caro-Kann along with some very tricky positions, and following a queen exchange he decided not to castle. Graeme entered the ending with a pawn or two for a bishop, but he was unable to hang onto his pawns and made a valiant attempt to swindle a stalemate in a rook v rook and bishop ending. It went on for quite some time but in the end his opponent was nothing if not extra careful, and in spite of both clocks running very low, Graeme resigned when his king was facing a mate that could not be made stale.

Woodbridge and Manningtree B are two very closely matched teams, but tonight we came out on top due in large part to a very early lead given to Simon. Bob played a solid Modern, keeping his opponent at arms length and keeping the team ahead. As the evening wore on it looked as though John was in trouble and Jim was heading for victory. As it turned out John had managed to equalise into a rook and bishop ending when his opponent left his bishop en-prise, and Jim underestimated his opponent's threats and his game turned on just a handful of moves.

On paper this is a match that we should have won in reasonable comfort, but on the day it looked to be heading for complete disaster. At about half time all four boards looked to be in trouble, and the spectre of a 4-0 defeat was hovering, especially after Graeme moved his queen into the fray that left a bishop hanging. Lady luck then played her hand. Simon was put under constant pressure, but had weathered the storm well, however just as he had turned the game in his favour he missed a one move check that ended it all. Unfortunately Bob was unable to turn his game and luck was not in his favour as he attempted to retrieve a below par opening strategy. Luck now turned in our favour after Graeme's opponent failed to spot that hanging bishop and followed it with some less than accurate moves that Graeme took full advantage of and in the end cruised to victory in a king and pawn ending. Meanwhile Jim was struggling to salvage his game after he had to give up a piece earlier in the game. With just a rook facing a rook and bishop he was able to whittle away the pawns with persistent checks that in the end left his opponent with little choice than to accept a draw. We came away with that distinct feeling that we should have done so much better, but also relieved that it wasn't a whole lot worse.

We arrived at Ipswich to begin the season very early, with full nominated teams on both sides. Ipswich switched around their board order, but so did we to keep everyone on their toes.
  Quite early on in the match things were looking good. Simon had the best out of the early opening in his match, and the other boards were looking even better. Graeme quickly caused problems in the centre and won a pawn. Jim's opponent went for a dubious knight sacrifice, netting only two pawns for it and not nearly enough compensation, and Bob soon found himself able to simplify to a rook endgame with an extra pawn on both sides of the board. Graeme, Jim and Bob each made it look relatively straight forward to convert their advantages, and never looked in any danger.
  Simon, on the other hand, facing a familiar KID, sacrificed his c pawn for queenside activity. This proved unwise and he was always on the back foot after that. The game went the distance though, and with 2 minutes left on the clock he overlooked a single drawing chance, and after that the game was up.