Mixed feelings for the club as the eighth team show more teeth away at Ashby
Latest Results
The league season is now in the thick of it, and last week our second and eighth teams played their third matches in their respective divisions. Anstey 2 welcomed a strong Wigston 2 side at our home venue, the Anstey Methodist Church. With Dave leading four juniors in a valiant battle, our second team lost by the slimmest of margins, with two unlucky losses, two draws and a brilliantly executed win by Harry. Unfortunately, his twin brother Leo had a bit too steep a hill to climb against his experienced opponent, so had to agree to a draw. In spite of the loss, Dave, Theo, Sophie, Harry and Leo showcased their resilience in division 1, proving their points in the strongest echelon in Leicestershire.
While the second team was struggling against their strong opponents, the eighth team breezed through a similarly rated Ashby 4. Some of our newest stars, Joe, Hajin, Suwon and Aarav, led by their captain “Dr. Back Rank” Jatinder, showcased their clear intent to throw proverbial chess punches from the get go. Our team’s energy proved too hot to handle for their opponents, and our eighth team scored their second win this season, and in three matches achieved as many wins as the whole of last season, again highlighting the rapid development of our club.
With the completion of the above matches, most of our teams are firmly in the battle for the top spots in their respective divisions:
Our top performing player continues to be Yvon with full 100% record this season, 4/4 wins.
Looking Ahead
Next week will include what El Presidente defined as probably the most important fixture in the club’s history. Our first team welcome the reigning champions Wigston 1 in what is expected to be a “cracker”. Young captain Ted has already started working out the strongest team to take on the division favourites, as a win would put our first team ahead in the battle for the title.
On the same night, the eighth team will be looking to continue their good form against a struggling Kirby 2 side. As usual, we are expecting many boards in this match in what would be another celebration of chess at our venue! A win for the third team would consolidate them in the top 3, setting them up as a contender for the top spot only half year after they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon of the county.
Two more fixtures will take place the previous evening (Wed, 18th). The third team will continue their quest for first win of the season which might again prove to be a tall order against their strong opponents, the current leaders Melton 1. Anstey 3 is expected to be outgraded on every board, however, our ambitious players will not get flustered by their highly rated opponents, and will bring the fight to the hosts. On the same night, our fifth team will travel to mid-table Loughborough 2, also looking to get their first win of the season. With no major rating mismatch expected in this match, the fusion of experienced tricksters and young ambitious players in Anstey 5 will be looking to find their rhythm and start climbing the division 4 table.
