After a very good start to the season against Clifton D, we could be forgiven for having high hopes for this fixture. The club has a perfectly quiet room, ideal for a good match.

I didn’t see much of the first three games, which looked well balanced when I glanced at them.

First to finish was Matthew. White had managed an overpowering attack on the kingside with queen and rook eagerly eyeing up a vulnerable king, and Matthew had resigned.

James had slowly outplayed Will to win and equalize the match. Aleksei’s game was drawn by agreement, I think.

In my game (Grant), after an unforced error allowed me to capture a pawn I was feeling in a good position, and I was also ahead on time. However, I wasted a lot of time trying to come up with a plan and my bishop was severely hampered. Late on, when Aryan made a very threatening rook move, I convinced myself there was no way out, somehow ruling out the blindingly obvious refutation which would leave me with the upper hand, rather than the mate that followed. I may need therapy. sonnadamath-vs-daly

After a long game, Alan was a couple of pawns up in the end game with a bishop versus knight. The pawns were all connected and there was little that Charles could do to stop the inevitable promotion.

Last to finish was Andrew in his second game back with the club after his long hiatus. In his own words “I was up against a good solid player and he slowly crushed me as I played slowly and poorly. He played a lovely combination at the end to finish things.” Plenty of matches ahead to get back into the swing of things. munn-vs-howell

It finished 3½ - 2½ to University B