Friday 8 April 2011

Division 2 champions!

Church Stretton were confirmed as Division 2 championship this week with a 3-2 away win at Ludlow. There is one more league match to play but we are now five points clear and have sealed the title.

The Ludlow tie got off to a good start with an early win for Francis Rooney on board five, who deployed the King's Gambit to good effect and whilst the king-side attack faded, he transferred into a won ending helped by three successive knight forks sweeping up his opponent''s pawns.

The match was levelled when Adrian Thorpe lost on board three amid some complications. Steve Rooney and Graham Shepherd on boards one and two both turned down earlier draw offers and went on to win, sealing the victory, while Chris Pimm Jones made his opponent Paul Munday work hard to find a checkmate against a lone king as his clock flag teetered on the brink.

Look forward to seeing members at the final league match at home next Thursday (14 April).

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