Banks V Legal

Match report Legal

This was a very close and exciting match, as the 6-6 score-line suggests, with the result in doubt until the very last few minutes. Many good games were played. Legal were slightly unlucky not to win, and Ian Heppell agreed afterwards he had thought a Legal win likely part way through the match. We were ahead in the match score throughout. With the scores at 5½-4½ in our favour, and only a few minutes remaining, the match result was effectively decided in time scrambles on the final two boards. We might well have won or drawn both of these, to take the match. But the first went against us, with only seconds left before each clock fell. In the other, a good position for us went wrong in the last few minutes, and with the position on the board becoming chaotic and time very short, the players agreed a draw. All of which leaves everything to play for in the remaining matches. -- Steven Coles

Daniel Lindner

Match report Banks

This was a hard-fought encounter but one which for most of the match looked likely to end in defeat for the Banks. With three games to go we were 5½-4½ down with two of the remaining games being much worse for the Bank players. In his opponent’s time trouble Andrew Hebron ground out a rook & pawn ending which may well have been drawn in theory. On [board] 6 Dave Wilson had drifted from a good middle-game to a lost rook & pawn ending which he then proceeded to win with both flags horizontal. On bottom board Johan Rydahl had been lost for many moves but had struggled on and in his opponent’s time trouble both players made illegal moves. The potential dispute was fortunately resolved by their agreement to an honourable draw which left the match score tied at six apiece. -- Ian Heppell

Daniel Lindner