Southbourne V Highcliffe Rooks

Press / Admin Comment

Highcliffe required 4.5-1.5 so Southbourne won by the tightest of margins with Ken holding his nerve against Ron. Good luck in the next round RU

Richard Ursell

Great team knockout cup tie.

Board 4 was the first to finish, with a win for Highcliffe, followed by a draw on Board 6 just after the tea interval (no connection). The remaining games were close and tight with few pieces coming off the board for a period of time. Board 3 was then the next to finish with a draw between Chris Lane and Robert Powell. This was a good result for the home team as given the size of the rating differential, Southbourne needed only 1.5 points to win the match. Could the home team find at least another half point? The next two games went Highcliffe's way with good wins for Rob Halse against Anton and Christian against David. And so it was all down to the last match on Board 5, classic knockout cup stuff! In a very long game, both Ken and Ron held their nerve and concentration, watched intently by players from both teams. No pressure! In the event, Ken had the better position in the endgame and Ron resigned. A great evening of chess, as always, between Southbourne and Highcliffe played in the best of spirits.

Nikki Forster

Exciting Cup Chess

Many thanks to Nikki and her team for their hospitality, we wish them the best of luck in the next round. I slept well after my marathon match against Ken.

Ronald Salinger