Harrod Cup vs. Loughborough/ HA1 Win the Wylie

Last night we went to Loughborough, in a potential wooden-spoon decider.

I enjoy going there - the natives are friendly & the beer is cheap. As Ray parked the car next to an (slightly overgrown) Wendy House, I said to Ray "I wonder what they use that for?" Shortly afterwards, it became clear - that's where Loughborough play some of their chess. On being invited in, Terry Adcock suggested to Colin that he ought not to go to one end of the room, otherwise he might go through the floorboards (to avoid any legal issues he did say the floor was rotten there and I was close by at the time so the comment might also have been aimed at me too).

Loughborough's side consisted of two familiar faces: Michael Fraser & Stuart Gordon (who do such sterling service on updating the LRCA website) and two youngsters Masters S. Kohli & A. Trusz, who were playing their first matches for Loughborough.

In the first round on Board 3 I lost in very short order indeed (in my defence I started playing at the same move rate, which was fatal.) On Board 2, Colin, having been a couple of pawns up, lost to Stuart in a King & Pawn vs. King endgame. Rob, the new County Champion, won against Michael. On the bottom board, Ray lost (eventually) to his opponent. So at half time we were trailing 3-1. In the second round, I scratched a half with even material by repeated check, having about 3 minutes left to my opponents 20 & Michael got his revenge on Rob. Colin mated Stuart with literally seconds left on his clock, and Ray succumbed a second time to his young opponent.

Result:
M. Fraser - R. Ensor 1-0, 0-1
S. Gordon - C. Ross 0-1, 1-0
S. Kohli - D. Ricketts 0.5-0.5, 1-0
A. Trusz - R. Beach 1-0, 1-0.

Final score Loughborough 5.5, Heathcote Arms 2.5.

We are now depending on our friends at the Red Admiral to beat Braunstone to ensure that we don't win the wooden spoon.

On a happier note it is reported that the first team's result on Tuesday night means that they have won the Wylie Cup. Congratulations to them on that.

Good luck to Ray, who is playing Guy Closs in the Minor section of the Counties tonight. If he wins, he will be favourite to win the Section. Colin & I will play our game in that section scheduled for tonight on Tuesday, with only pride and the possibility of the wooden spoon being at stake.