A belated and brief match report from last Wednesday, when we ran up against a preternaturally high-powered British Bangla Chess Association side, writes TIM WELLS.
There is some talk of three sides from the Third Division being promoted to Division Two this year, instead of the usual two, due to the Drunken Knights situation, and BBCA are in hot pursuit of third place.
They trotted out three over-210 ECF players on their top boards, including, to my surprise, Adam Bukojemski, whom I thought was a Battersea player.
Out with a bang!
Questions were raised in the aftermath of the eligibility of some of their players, and indeed their club listings on the League website are incomplete, to say the least.
As it happened, they beat us 7-2, with Vic’s game on board 6 adjourned until Wednesday, and likely to end in a draw.
Tommaso had good chances on board 1 against a Hungarian IM, as he demonstrated in the pub afterward, but missed the best move and later fell victim to tactics.
Kazi and Tim and Conor were just outgunned, I imagine, but Joe on board 5 notched up our only win – well done Joe.
A couple of hours into the match I glanced at my neighbouring boards, and I would have assessed we were going to grab at least three out the bottom four boards, with my own game on board 8 double-edged but probably heading for a draw.
In the end, we only managed my draw and Alan’s on 9 – he wound up facing a perpetual check a Rook up. Bill and Emil both lost from what I had thought were better positions.
Both praised their opponent’s tenacity, however; it is never as easy as it looks. Match card is below, with BBCA players’ grades as Jan19/Jul18 (which the League uses.)
Given that we had already gained promotion, and that we really could have done better in the match (especially me), I do not intend to pursue any inquiries into BBCA’s choice of players.
So we are probably not winning the Division, even if we beat Albany in our last match, which I believe is quite possible. The current leaders, Beckenham & Charlton, are very unlikely to slip up against their last opponents Brighton & Hove Albion, er, I mean, Newham, especially as Newham is likely to forfeit at least four boards.
We will have to settle for second place, but I’m sure the Kop in the Battersea Labour Club is still singing.
The Albany match is next Monday, 20th May, at their venue in The Wheatsheaf.
