We travelled to Bath with a rating advantage on all boards and high hopes but the play is the thing.

My game (Nigel) on Board 4 was very disappointing; I won a pawn very early on and then drifted into an ending which gave good winning chances but Elliott fought hard and then I blundered a whole bishop, to lose. One of too many blunders this year; I fear I may be descending into a vale of years.

Equilibrium was re-established as Mark kept control on the White side of a King’s Indian, despite a scary looking King-side pawn storm by Cameron, and finished by exploiting Black’s exposed King. Good news then, but the bad news was we stood somewhere between somewhat worse and probably lost in all the four remaining games.

Reinhold on board 6 missed the chance to win a pawn with a temporary knight sac, then a mere two moves later allowed a tactic which lost him rook and two pawns for a bishop and knight. He tried to generate some King-side play and had some success but then another slip allowed Barry to force an exchange of Queens after which Reinhold supped full with horrors as Barry’s pawns moved forward en masse to win.

James on Board 3 was looking no better; he grabbed an early initiative on the King-side but then got his bishop cut off from the action on h6 as Patrick’s rooks dominated the open d file. Exchanges happened and James had a chance to escape to an opposite coloured bishop ending with goodish drawing chances. Instead he lunged forward with his King-side pawns, initiating more complications involving lots of potential discovered checks and discovered attacks. James was lost at several stages, but he managed to bear a charmed life and escape to a drawn ending. 1½-2½ down and looking bad on the top two boards.

On top board Aron had got into a terrible mess, Rob’s bishops were raking the board, his rook was controlling the c file, and Aron’s Queen was stuck on h1 behind his King on g1 and an array of King-side pawns. He struggled on, with Rob very short of time, seeking activity with a knight sacrifice to free his Queen and this was sufficient to cause Rob to lose on time, the unkindest cut of all.

The match was now all square. Oli had been under pressure for some time as Vasyl had sacrificed a couple of pawns to open lines to Oli’s King. Vasyl had a chance to repeat the position three times but continued to play as he still stood better. Time shortage told again as Oli wriggled out into a drawish ending, won a bishop for his dangerous passed pawn and then wove a neat mating net with R, B and P v R and 2P.

An overall victory 3½-2½! Verily a great escape and we have used up a huge portion of our luck as we head for matches against the two Clifton sides to decide the title