In a hard-fought match Anstey 1 were held to a draw in the third round of the Harrod Cup away to Wigston. After three games we are third on “goal” difference:

There was some confusion over Wigston’s line-up, despite a few minutes grace their board 1 didn’t turn up but they must have half-expected it as they had a ready-made replacement. The teams looked fairly even on paper 6,256 vs 6,228.

The Wigston captain wasn’t really bothered about tossing for colours and the first games were played with how we happened to sit down at the boards, we had black on odds and white on evens for the first of the two 20-minute games.

On to the action. Board 2 was the first game to finish. Mick, playing white versus Les Corlett, got a great position out of the Philidor opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6), increased his advantage in the middle game and overwhelmed his opponent in what Mick described as a fairly easy game. Wigston 0 – 1 Anstey.

Not too much is known about Mike’s first game, black against Alex Milligan on board 3. After early skirmishes the game came out level and a draw was agreed. Wigston ½ – Anstey 1½.

Valdas was playing the youngster Madhav Eradi on board 4. This was going to be a tough game as Madhav had had some good results in quick play games of late. Valdas opened with the Rapport-Jobava System and played the ambitious looking Ne5 and Nb5, unfortunately running into Qa5+ pushing the knight back to c3 and giving black some pressure. White succumbed and dropped a piece for a pawn, the position coming out as 2 rooks and 8 pawns vs 2 rooks, a bishop and 7 pawns. Black played this period of the game well, exchanging pawns off to activate his rooks, forcing a rook exchange, winning another pawn and creating 2 advanced passed pawns. Valdas resigned. Wigston 1½ – Anstey 1½.

This left Matt on board 1 as black against Andrew Pike. After a weird English opening 1. c4 e5 2. a3 it looked like white was getting a small advantage on the queenside when he made a mistake with Ne4. After … Nxe4 Bxe4 f5 the bishop was trapped (Bd3 allowed … e4 forking the bishop and knight on f3) so white went with Bxf5 gxf5 and Qxf5 giving him 2 pawns and a draughty looking black king for the piece. However, Matt was able to bring his pieces to the kingside, play e4 kicking the knight and getting a counter-attack down the g-file. In the time scramble white lost the knight but created a passed pawn on d6 before black crashed through with a nice mating attack:

So, at half time the score was Wigston 1½ – Anstey 2½. The players changed ends and battle recommenced immediately, no time for a slice of orange.

Mike’s second game finished first. In a thankfully rare event Mike mis-played the middlegame after his 1. c4 English opening and ended up in a losing position and resigned. Afterward he apologised for, in his own words, cocking it up. So Wigston drew level, Wigston 2½ – Anstey 2½.

But not for long. Matt played a quiet side-line against Andrew’s Caro Kann Defence (1. e4 c6) but came out of the opening with a slight advantage after back’s pieces tangled themselves up on the kingside. He couldn’t convert it to anything meaningful and when the queens came off the position looked equal. Matt offered a draw that was declined, Andrew saying he would play on for a bit. But as so often happens (see below) a few moves later black blundered after trying to get his rooks active, allowing Matt to pin the knight on c4 against the king on c8. Matt followed by up activating his own rooks with pressure down the b file, forcing an exchange of rook leaving a completely won position which black resigned. Wigston 2½ – Anstey 3½.

Valdas’ second game mirrored Matt’s, Valdas this time playing the Caro Kann as black. After a few tactics in the early middlegame the queens came off and the position boiled down to a double rook and pawn endgame, white’s weak looking double and isolated f pawns offset by his active rooks. Madhav offered a draw that Valdas declined thinking he had a slight advantage… only to lose a pawn a few moves later! White calmly played the position well, creating and pushing his passed h-pawn and in the end there was nothing black could do about it, Valdas resigned. Wigston 3½ – Anstey 3½.

So it all came down to Mick as black vs Les. The game started as a Sicilian (1. e4 c5) but quickly headed to a St George after an early … a6. In a very tactical game and as the time slipped away Mick ended up with rook, bishop and knight against queen and 2 pawns, technically equal on paper and what would have been a fascinating game in a longer time format. But Mick’s king was a bit exposed and white’s queen started harassing. In time pressure when it looked like a draw by perpetual check was the likely outcome, a draw was agreed. Wigston 4 – Anstey 4.

So the match was drawn!

With two rounds to go in the Harrod Cup we are still in with a shout of winning it though it depends on the outcome of the other matches. For example, if Ashby 2 beat Wigston and we beat whoever we are paired against then it will be a final showdown, winner takes all match against Ashby 2. Bring it on!