Thursday 19 January 2012

A team grinds out win at Ludlow

A good start to the second half of the season with a win at Ludlow.

Just before Christmas we heard from a new recruit, Tiago, who had arrived in Stretton from Portugal and he looks like being a very useful player. We got him straight in the team and he played on board 4 against Ludlow and quickly snatched a win, but then had to wait a couple of hours for the rest of us.

Chris Pimm-Jones stood in for the team and got a well-earned draw on board 5 leaving the result hanging on the top three boards. Graham Shepherd was up on material but his opponent's troublesome passed pawns caused him problems and he resigned after a slip at the time control. Trevor Brotherton thought he had a slight edge in his endgame on board one but having won a very tight game in the last few seconds at the Shropshire Congress the previous weekend, he decided not to chance his luck again and agreed a draw. This left Steve Rooney who had seen off a deadly-looking attack early on and then won a piece, to clinch the match with a win on board 2.

Next up is Priorslee Lions on 23 January.

Ludlow A 2 Church Stretton 3
1 J Watson 0.5, T Brotherton 0.5
2 J Whittaker 0, S Rooney 1
3 J Lawley 1, G Shepherd 0
4 R Woodley 0, T Faustino 1
5 P Munday 0.5, C Pimm-Jones 0.5.