Last week I made the mistake of writing in the team email that we'd finally managed to get a full team out for this match. Naturally the players conspired and it was Richard that opted to pull out on the morning. Fortunately, Ian was willing and able to fill in the sixth board, though it meant all the white boards jumped two places at the last minute. Thanks must also go to John for offering lifts to our returning star Oscar.

The top three boards all saw a French defence, though mine was only fleeting as we raced from a Scandinavian and ended in a Blackmar-Diemer. Dominique appeared to be playing a different opening again and play was revolving around the control of a thorny white e5-pawn. Martin and Steve were locking up the centre and Ian's position looked level, though I didn't notice until the very endgame that Ian had an extra piece, which made everything else make much more sense. Perhaps it was won in the opening, so I'll mention it now.

Every board seemed to feature one significantly slower player, but it wasn't based on position or team. Oscar blundered a pawn, which can only be put down to rustiness. My opponent swapped pieces and the development advantage earnt me an exchange for a pawn. Board 3 showed both sides of the French can blunder a pawn, but Michael's h-pawn went on a hack that left the black king quite exposed.

Dominique's space advantage only got larger, until a flurry of exchanges won an exchange, that was immediately returned for a queen endgame up a pawn. Martin also won an exchange after a knight powered through to c2 and also returned it for an easier life. Ian, who may or may not have won a piece by this point, was also exchanging and appeared to be gaining pawns, heading for knight and pawn endgame, but Ian either had, or would have, an extra knight.

My game ended when it became rook vs bishop and lots of pawns each as the rook was able to snaffle much more effectively. Dominique ended with a snappier finish swapping off queens and sacrificing pawns on both sides to force one through. Martin took a half point when a fairly symmetrical opposite coloured bishop ending was reached.

Ian, now with his extra piece, allowed some hairiness on the queenside, but appeared to have it all under control and converted very smoothly. Oscar had gone all in with his attack and made some improvement but was still coming up against a rook and pawn endgame with worse structure and pawn count. Having only the increment to rely on played its part but Graham was able to win North Bristol's full point for the evening.

Nigel was taking on a queen invasion and had to march his king from h8 to b7 and even then it didn't find much safety. Black played well though, and a "tactical blunder" of a central passed pawn appeared to work in his favour and somehow Nigel found himself with 3 pawns against 1 in a knight ending. I am assured by Downend Street sources that Nigel played the opening like a book, the middlegame like a magician, and the endgame like a machine.

And while the magician may have been Houdini, the machine was not.

As we reach the halfway point of the season the league table is looking quite top heavy, and despite being only 3 points behind Clifton A, we're still likely to be sitting in 6th place. Nevertheless, we're getting better and better attendance with every match, and 3 points really isn't that many!