Ringwood Waifs & Strays v Southbourne Seagulls

An evening of close and exciting games, especially on the top 3 boards, each decided by narrow margins. Tich Gwarts and Liam Hardman were making their debuts for Ringwood and in keeping with the tone of the match overall, Liam won a very close game just getting home in a complicated rook and pawn ending. The first game to finish was Matt on board 5 getting the better of Zhongyuan. Keith Foskett, travelling from the west of Dorset was delayed because of impossible traffic congestion and especially apologies to his Board 5 opponent Vann and his father. In the end Ringwood, played a substitute to ensure Vann got a game.
Well done to Nikki Forster for fielding 6 players for this away match and full credit to the players of both sides from making it so competitive. Boards 1, 2, 3 and 5 all went the full time allocation of 2 hours and could easily have gone the other way. The Bacchus League should be proud of the standard of chess on all boards and also, the sense these matches have real meaning.

Many thanks to Ringwood for fielding a team of six and for encompassing the spirit of the Bacchus league. It is a cliché, but chess was the winner.

After a few initial delays in starting, it was an evening of close and exciting games, with the games on boards 1 to 4 incredibly close and going right down to the wire. All these games, at most points, could have gone either way. The score of 4.5 : 1.5 to Ringwood probably doesn't do Southbourne’s efforts justice but well played to Ringwood.
Ringwood had two new players, Tich Gwarts on Board 1 and Liam Hardman on Board 4, who both proved to be rather good. But Southbourne were up for it and pushed them all the way with the Ringwood players just edging it. On Board 1, it looked like Ben might hold Tich to a draw but in the end Ben's King was just too far away. Oliver's game on Board 2 also looked like it was heading for a draw until just before the very end. Many thanks to Mike Jay, as Ringwood captain, who graciously stepped in to play Jackson and sometime later they agreed a draw.