W/C 9/12/24 – Week 11

Only two matches to report on this week, as the chess season winds down for the Seasonal break at Christmas time.

Firstly, the 3rd team made the journey over to Heathcote Arms’ 1st team. In years gone by, the skittle alley in which they play has been a cold place and the first hour is usually spent getting warm. However, the skittle alley is now a very pleasant place to play – warm from the off – and a stronger than usual 3rd team came away with an important win by 2.5-1.5.

To round off the competitive chess for 2024, the 6th team hosted Ashby’s 5th team, with the 6th team in search of their first points of the season. Sincere congratulations to them all, as they managed to pull off a 3.5-2.5 win over 6 boards. Well done to Glynn, William, and Mario for their excellent wins, and I hear that Reidan secured the crucial draw, so well done to him too. What a wonderful – and fitting – way to end the 2024 calendar year.

To round things off for the year, we will be hosting our usual blitz/rapid event followed by a curry at Passage to India – we hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Your author wishes you all a peaceful, restful Christmas season and all the very best for 2025, both on and off the board.