The B versus C fixtures opened the second half of the season but unfortunately the B teams fortunes didn't improve with a new year.
On top board, Ben was playing Rod in a line of the closed sicilian. Just to emphasis the nature of closed, there were no exchanges for the first hour and forty five minutes of play. With time running out white decided to attack the king side and it all looked so promising. However, Rod excellent defending was very resilient and white's initiative run out leaving black with the slightly better endgame prospects. With both sides now short of time a draw was agreed.
Mike D was playing Roy Watson in a Kings Indian defence. Black was able to temporarily sacrifice a piece to leave white with a isolated pawn. The resulting posotion allowed black more space and opportunity and ultimately white lost a rook via a fork whilst trying to defend his pawns.
Phil was playing Nick on board three and his queens pawn position looked okay out of the opening. White opted to play on the queen side but over extended himself and lost a queen side pawn and found himmself in a rook and knighth ending. Black cleverly managed to exchange rooks leaving white with an ending that was too difficult to defend.
Dave played Make J in another very slow closed sicilian position. When the queens were exchanged white had a slight advantage but offered a draw. At that point in the match the B team were one point up from one game and only needed a point from the other two games with the white pieces. Surely we could get that and a draw as agreed between the players.
Don't call me surely. Match drawn 2 all.
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