A hard-fought home victory keeps the B team's promotion push firmly on track, with the father and son Malibiran duo once again proving to be the match-winners.

On Board 1, Humphrey Andolo essayed the Pirc Defence against his higher-rated opponent, who responded with the sharp Austrian Attack. What followed was a wild, tactical battle that should have ended in a stunning win for Humphrey - but a mix-up in move order cruelly reversed the result, and Selikem Amoako took the point. A sickener, but one of those nights.

Your captain on Board 2 opened with the Nimzo-Larsen Attack and struck early, snaring the enemy Queen at the cost of a rook, bishop and pawn. With material so unbalanced, making progress proved elusive, and a subsequent exchange sacrifice left the position as Queen versus two Rooks - a fortress that neither side could breach. A draw was agreed. Given your captain's well-documented tendency to find inventive ways to screw up a good position, the half-point felt like a relief.

Aldrin Malibiran on Board 3 was a class act all evening, keeping his opponent under sustained pressure before eventually crashing through for a well-deserved win.

Martin White on Board 4 had the better of the position for much of the game but found his opponent a stubborn defender, and despite pressing, couldn't find the breakthrough. A draw was agreed.

Alexis Malibiran on Board 5 had a longer road - a game that swung back and forth before his opponent, short of time, blundered a bishop and paid the price. Two wins from the Malibirans. Not for the first time!

On the bottom board, Aleksei Zverev and Milan Milicevic reached an opposite-coloured bishop ending with a locked pawn structure, and with no route to a decision, the draw was the logical conclusion.

Final score: 3½ – 2½ to the home side. A professional performance, and another step closer to Division 1.