Thursday 23/02/2023. Anstey 1 welcomed their friends Market Harborough 2 to the Methodist Church Centre for this LRCA Division 2 4^th vs 9^th fixture. It would be fair to say that the 2 sides, both promoted from division 3 last season, had fared differently in the league so far with Anstey challenging in the play-off places and Market Harborough rooted to the bottom of the table. But anyone can beat anyone on any given night of course!

With John returning from ill health Anstey fielded their regular side against a slightly weakened (on paper) Harborough. Anstey looked to have the edge with a rating total 7,031 vs 6,315. Posing for the photoshoot the players shook hands and battle commenced.

Julian’s game against David Curran on board 1 was the first to finish. Coming out of the opening roughly level, Dave, with white, took advantage of Julian’s automatic h6 in response to Bg5 with a nice tactic to win a pawn:

With the c-pawn pinned of course. Julian got some activity for the pawn deficit and white wasn’t able to castle. Play continued with white maintaining a slight advantage (+3.5 at one point) until Julian managed to coordinate his rooks and start harassing the white king. Dave pinched another pawn but then blundered retreating his bishop to f5 and then again to g4:

Allowing mate in 3 with 29. … Bg3+. 29. Rf1 was better but black, despite still being a pawn down, would have had the edge. A slightly lucky point for Julian and Anstey. Anstey 1 – Market Harborough 0.

In John’s latest comeback game, he faced off against Harborough’s captain Michael Garland (Jnr) on board 2. Mike equalised easily out of the opening and had a slight edge when John made a mistake allowing a nice queen move to threaten a fork and win a pawn:

Play continued 18. Nd1 Rxc2 giving black a near winning position. After the queens and one pair of rooks came off Mike picked up white’s loose a-pawn. With black’s king coming over to the queenside to assist, John set up a final trap:

Threatening the cheeky Nxc4+. Mike saw it and played 41. … Kc5 but after 42. Na4+ Kd6 43. Nb2 Kc5 43. Na4+ Kd6 44. Nb2 a draw by repetition was agreed. Of course, instead of moving back to d6 black should have played 42. … Kb5 and as long as he avoids 43. cxb4+ Kxa4?? 44. Ra1# he is still 2 pawns up and should be winning. So, a lucky half point for John and Anstey. Anstey 1½ – Market Harborough ½.

Mick played against Conor Hackett on board 4, a rematch from Market Harborough 3 vs Anstey 2 a few weeks back. That was a sharp game in which Conor triumphed, Mick was out for revenge this time with the white pieces. It was another sharp opening but Mick seemed to have it under control (witnessed by Matt on the next board when Mick said aloud that he’d play the odd-looking, un-developing but book move Bf1 on move 6…). Conor deviated from book giving Mick a +1 advantage but unfortunately a series of inaccurate moves followed and gave Conor a decisive advantage.

Mick blundered with 11. Bxd4??. Play continued 11. … exd4 12. Nge4 Qe5 with a -7 advantage. Conor kept up the pressure, swapping off all the minor pieces and hassling white’s king with his major ones. He did let his foot off the gas slightly swapping his two rooks for white’s queen but with advanced pawns on a5, b4 and c3 was still in control. Mick managed to rustle up a little counterplay but ultimately his rooks weren’t coordinated enough and eventually he dropped one to a queen fork. One of those horrible games when you’re on the ropes for most of it but well played Conor. Anstey 1½ – Market Harborough 1½.

This left Matt’s game against Jon Redding on board 3. Matt slightly misplayed the opening but actually got an ok position going into the middlegame. He pushed pawns in the centre and the queenside before mistakenly swapping pawns with cxb3. White’s space advantage gave him the edge and it was easier for Jon to manoeuvre his pieces forcing Matt into defensive duties. Matt missed a couple of opportunities to make a fight of it then played a couple of inaccurate moves in time trouble. With a minute left on the clock and his position deteriorating (and Mick’s game having just finished so the match score was level) Matt cheekily offered a draw. Jon though for a couple of minutes before accepting to secure the draw for his team. Another lucky ½ point for Anstey. Anstey 2 – Market Harborough 2.

A good result for Harborough:

Anstey miss the chance to move back up to 3^rd in the (still hotly-contested) division:

Anstey’s next game is against Wigston 3 on the 16^th March.

Anstey captain Matt Connor told Woman’s Weekly:
I’m very disappointed. In my last post-match interview, I warned about complacency against the division’s bottom 2 teams and that’s exactly what’s happened tonight. Having said that we could easily have lost this one so maybe it’s a point salvaged. We still have to play the 3 teams above us so there’s still a chance in the division.