With our top two boards unavailable, we knew we had an uphill struggle to take anything from a full strength Wallasey side, who came down last year from Division 1, and look like early favourites to make an immediate return.  Yet all of our players are more than capable of achieving a result against such high calibre opponents, and as we sat down to play, I was hopeful we would have chances if we were game enough to take them.

Atticus 3
126 1.0 : 5.0 Wallasey A 158
1
Ellington, Ben
131
0.5-0.5
Clark, David N
165
2
Blasczyk, Martin
132
0-1
Davies, Phil
164
3
Banerjee, Sanjoy K
129
0-1
Coffey, Mike J
162
4
Wiseman, Jim K
122
0-1
Hughes, Greg
161
5
Webb, Tom EC
121
0-1
Brine, Phil A
156
6
Burge, Steve J
121
0.5-0.5
Latham, Chris
141

First to finish was Jim, sat alongside me, who true to form came out swinging.  But Greg was fleet of foot and was able to land the telling blows.

Ben on top board was next to finish, claiming a highly creditable draw with the black pieces in a Closed Sicilian.  At this point, I should apologise to Tom and Martin, since I did not get to see any of their games, but once they left the fray, the match was sealed in Wallasey’s favour and Steve and I were left playing only for pride.

Steve also secured a draw with his trademark Grand Prix Attack, and it was left to Mike Coffey and myself to round off the night’s business.  Having traded exchanges, we were left in a equal endgame, yet early profligancy in time management led to the decisive misstep to round off a chastening evening.

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