Captain’s very streaky win helps secure draw for Horsham 2

Modestly out graded, Horsham 2 secured a good fighting draw against Eastbourne 1 though not without a huge slice of luck in one of the games.

With my own issues (see later) I observed little of Phil’s game though was aware he faced the Sicilian with an inevitably sharp position arising. I understand he then initiated some exchanges in the wrong move order with a terminal result.

Next to finish was Peter’s which looked a fairly solid game with a nice tactic ensuring a draw by perpetual.

Despite being white, I was comprehensively outplayed in the opening and thereafter, indeed I was relatively pleased to reach the late middle game ‘just’ the exchange and a pawn down! With correct play it should still have been a comfortable win for black but as Nigel Short once famously quipped ‘you don’t improve your position by resigning’ and my opponent obligingly overlooked that bishops can move backwards. As such there was a 180-degree turnaround in fortunes.

That left the scores tied at 1.5 each with Alex’s King's Indian under heavy pressure down the open h file. He was restricted to shuffling behind a fortress as his opponent probed relentlessly but accurate play prevailed against a range of potential tactics and peace eventually broke out.

Not for the first time that left Dix on top board as the final game to finish and again not for the first time, it went the full 60 moves. Despite one heart stopping moment (when he put his rook down on a ‘losing’ square but without letting go) a well-played game by both players ensured that equilibrium was maintained and hence a tied match at 2.5-2.5.

Horsham 2 had White on even-numbered boards.