In a match that was meant to be a Halloween-themed chess showdown, Anstey’s hopes were dashed as Market Harborough snatched the victory in a gripping LRCA Division 1 clash.

The Spooky Setup

On Thursday 31 October 2024, Anstey hosted their friendly foes Market Harborough at the Anstey Methodist Church Centre, kicking off their first home game of the new LRCA league season. With summer signings Alan Agnew and Bob Taylor making their debuts, and Dave Bray off enjoying jazz in Bologna (nice!), the team was ready for battle. Sooraj led the charge on board one, supported by Julian and George, while captain Matt was left on the sidelines (you could just pick yourself – Ed).

The Tale of Mixed Fortunes

Market Harborough entered the match with a rollercoaster of results – trouncing Syston 2 five-nil but suffering heavy defeats to Loughborough 1 and Wigston 2. On paper, Anstey had the upper hand with higher ratings across all boards. But as any seasoned chess player knows, paper ratings don’t always translate to victory on the board.

The Battle Begins

With team sheets exchanged and handshakes completed, the chess pieces danced into action.

• Board Three: George, playing black against Romilly Ilersic, took a bold approach but soon found his king exposed in the centre. Despite his efforts to untangle his position, he lost pawns and ultimately succumbed to Romilly’s endgame prowess. Market Harborough took an early lead: 1 – 0.
  
• Board Two: Alan faced Patrick McHale as white. In a tightly contested match, Alan seized a slight positional edge that turned decisive when Patrick’s pawn advances created vulnerabilities around his king. With a clever tactic that trapped black’s rook, Alan levelled the score: 1 – 1.
  
• Board One: Sooraj faced off against Paul Colburn in a tight game. After equalising easily out of the opening and sacrificing a pawn for dynamic play, Sooraj then found a brilliant exchange sacrifice getting a pawn back then another. He was now an exchange for a pawn down but the position was dynamically equal. As a few more pieces came off and the time ticking inexorably down Sooraj won another pawn but with just 20s left on his clock in a complex position the players repeated moves and a draw was agreed: 1½ – 1½.
  
• Board Four: Julian took on Dave Walker in an intense game filled with tactical fireworks. After gambiting a pawn early on, Julian found himself under pressure from Dave’s aggressive kingside attack. Ultimately, Julian had no choice but to resign after being outmanoeuvred: 1½ – 2½.
  
• Board Five: Bob battled Andrew Foulds with black pieces and also opted for an early pawn gambit. The game dragged on with tension mounting as Andrew gained space and eventually converted his two-pawn advantage into victory over Bob in an opposite-coloured bishop endgame: 1½ – 3½.

Final Scorecard

Post-Match Reflections

In an interview with Sky Sports, Anstey captain Matt Connor lamented the disappointing outcome after their promising start against Loughborough two weeks prior. “What a shame! This match is a reminder that anyone can beat anyone on any given night,” he noted. Looking ahead, he expressed determination to regroup and make amends against Shepshed in the next match.

Thus ended Anstey’s Halloween adventure – a night filled with tactical tricks but unfortunately no treats!