Horsham 2

Horsham 2 had another successful evening on Friday with a good draw against Bexhill maintaining our 4th position in Division 1.

Having not unexpectedly lost heavily against Hastings 1 last week, Horsham 2 was looking for an element of revenge in last night's match against Hastings 2 but alas it was not to be. As a result of a 1.5-2.5 defeat we will definitely finish in the bottom 2 (and hence presumably relegated) though in practice this had already been decided by other results - not only would we have had to win this match but also our last fixture of the season against a very strong Worthing 1.

Horsham 2 made the long trek to play Hastings 1 only to find that the A27 was closed for the return journey which led to exploration of parts of the globe I had never visited before!

Anyway, as regards the chess we were not unexpectedly heavily beaten (an average grading deficit of 270) but did get on the scoreboard with one draw and indeed might well have added to that.

First to finish was Peter on board 1 as white who employed a sort of reverse Slav (or Saragosa?) but the game never really took off and peace was declared after just 20 moves.

For a fleeting moment midway through the evening there seemed a possibility that Horsham 2 would repeat their heroics of last year when they were the only team to take a point off Brighton...but in the event the end result (0.5-3.5) reflected the disparity in gradings between the two, being an average of 260.

Not helped by the captain snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Horsham 2 went down to a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Crowborough 1 earlier this week.

First to finish was Ian whose English opening led to a slightly unusual response from black, with white appearing to be in good shape. A tactical sequence by Ian, however, which initially looked highly promising unfortunately proved the opposite at its conclusion and he had to hoist the white flag (no pun intended).

At the fourth time of asking Horsham 2 got on the scoreboard with a vital 3-1 against Bexhill 1.

For a change, the team was not out graded. Indeed, on top board, Anthony had an identical rating to his opponent based on the latest monthly listing and so it proved in practice. Facing the English, he managed to get in a d5 break with everything then getting swapped off. Despite mutual attempts to muddy the waters in the endgame, traps were avoided on both sides with a drawn game being the deserved result.

Not helped by the captain blundering into a smothered mate when enjoying a reasonably solid plus, Horsham 2 went down heavily on its trek to Eastbourne 1.

On board 1, Phil faced the Sicilian with both sides castling queenside and appeared to have more space and a bit of an initiative. I didn’t see the denouement but apparently an infiltrating knight then put paid to his chances.

Peter’s Petroff on board 2 proved resilient and peace was declared without too much alarm on either side.

Horsham 2 were consistently out graded against Lewes but it turned out to be a nail biting match.

I was on board 3 and in a terrible position early on having played incautiously but my opponent slipped up and I was suddenly three pawns up and a nice position and quickly won. 

I wasn't able to closely follow all the other games but Rob succumbed on board 4 being a whole rook down. Peter Harbott on board two was playing a close game but looked under constant pressure until he too lost.

So 2-1 down with just board 1 to finish...

Horsham 1 and 2 started their Mid-Sussex League season by playing each other, as both teams are in Division 1. As expected, the match was a tight affair, especially as this year league matches are still over only four boards. Horsham 1 managed to secure a narrow win, but not after an almighty scare.

The first game to end was Mike Forster against Peter Harbott. Mike was unable to generate any advantage out of the opening, and offered a draw in a position where he couldn't see how to make progress. Peter was happy to accept.

Horsham 1 vs Horsham 2 match score: 0.5 - 0.5

Following our final two matches of the year (against Hastings 2 and Hastings 1), Horsham 2 finished the division 1 season in second to last place. A bit disappointing but with all other teams in the top division except one being first teams, perhaps it is more a case of what might have been when just one half match point more would have left us mid table. It remains to be seen what format will apply next year or how that leaves the team.