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Episode 2 of the Anstey Chess Club podcast – Mr Engine and the start of the new season

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It has been an interesting period for our club as Anstey Chess Club and its members grow both over and off the board. Following the growth of the club, we have decided to take the next step in our development through the release of a monthly podcast. Throughout the next year, we will use this new platform to give you updates on the season and Leicestershire chess in general. Our team is also committed to do their absolute best to interview each episode a member of the club or the community.

In the second episode of our podcast, the hosts Boris “The Toaster” and “El Presidente” Ben were joined by Julian ‘Mr. Engine’. Our top-rated player spoke about his background in chess and provided some tips for the aspiring chess players out there. After the interview, Julian, Boris and Ben all discussed the first four games of our teams and also addressed the biggest topic in the world of chess these days – the matter of cheating and the accusations of cheating.

To listen to the episode, follow this link. It is also available on Anchor, Spotify and Amazon Music. Subscribe, comment, like and share!

The Anstey Chess Club Podcast kicks off with a summary of the summer campaign

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It has been interesting period for our club as Anstey Chess Club and its members grow both OTB and off the board. After the successful season and the significant improvement in the last few months, we have now decided to take the next step in our development through the release of a monthly podcast. Throughout the next year, we will use this new platform to give you updates on the season and Leicestershire chess in general. In the future episodes, we will be interviewing people from the club as well as from the area.

In the very first episode of our podcast, Boris “The Toaster” and “El Presidente” Ben gave a little background on the club and the podcast as well. Then they went on to discuss the three summer competitions where four Anstey teams participated and won two trophies. (admittedly, the Harrod cup was a joint win with Ashby 2)

To listen to the episode, follow this link. It is also available on Anchor, Spotify and Amazon Music. Subscribe, comment, like and share!

The Monthly Knockabout starts in Bradgate park this Saturday

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This Saturday will be the first social event of The Monthly Knockabout. The idea of these events will be to get our members and friends together in a casual setting where they will be able to get some friendly chess games.

This Saturday (17th September) we are going to Bradgate park where we will have a nice walk and then sit down for some knockabout chess. Chess sets and clocks will be provided by the club. If you want to join us, regardless of your rating, ability, and whether you are a member or just want to have a casual knockabout game, pop down to the main entrance to Bradgate park in Newtown Linford at 11am. The main entrance is on Bradgate Road, postcode LE6 0HB. If you are joining late, browse around the park and you will be able to find us, most likely at the outside tables of the café, or if you are not sure, just call Boris ‘The Toaster’ on 07904015188.

Anstey Chess Club made an outstanding return to the Anstey Summer Gala as the local community showcases their love for chess

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Plenty of new and old faces stopped by and engaged in friendly games with our club members

The Anstey Chess Club slightly improvised stall

On Saturday, 10th September, Anstey Chess Club participated with their own stall in the annual Anstey Summer Gala. Almost a last minute decision, Ben and Boris utilised the two weeks prior to the event to organise a basic stall consisting of a table, a couple of chess sets with boards and clocks, and some advertising material in what appeared to be a learning experience for them. Having participated in the annual Anstey event a few years back, Ben anticipated a quiet afternoon, with the expectations for himself and Boris to be able to handle the stall effortlessly. However, the Anstey community proved both of our team members wrong, as both the visitors and the other participants showed great interest in the local chess club due to their respect and love for the game of chess. Luckily for “El Presidente” and “The Toaster” who were wearing their Anstey Chess Club branded t-shirts, Julian “Mr. Engine” and Oskar “El Capitan” stepped in and demonstrated their immense passion for the game of chess and the club.

Our top-rated player and the second team captain (at least for another week) helped with setting up the stall and moving things around, and Oskar even went back to his home to get some chairs, as Ben and Boris in their typical style forgot that they need to sit somewhere. While the chairs were being supplied, the latter two set up the table, losing their posters and signs a few times in the process, and in anticipation of using the cover for the sets, as heavy clouds were still hanging in the sky. Oskar and Julian returned promptly with the chairs and around noon the four members of the Anstey Chess Club sat comfortable waiting for people to come around.

The happy “Mr. Engine”

People passing by started looking at the slightly improvised stall and before long, the games started, unsurprisingly, with the great Mick “Squish” Squire back playing OTB against Julian. Our teammate and one of the founders of the club only stopped “for a quick game”, only to see his better half to do a couple of laps around the stalls while he was trying to hold on the aggressive attacks from “Mr. Engine”.

Boris trying to survive against Brian under the watchful eyes of Oskar and Julian

More people started visiting the club stall, with Brian and Dan giving Boris and Julian very good games, while Nick who used to play for the team in the past even checkmated “The Toaster”. At the beginning of the gala there was also a two-minute silence for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II followed by a beautiful performance of the national anthem. The games on the stall started getting even more frequent and a good-sized crowd gathered around as the youngsters from Anstey went on to play first themselves, and then each had a go at playing “Mr. Engine” and some of them – “The Toaster” as well. Julian went even further by offering reward to the adolescents if they were able to defeat him.

Ben was happy to discuss junior chess with many parents as they were looking to get their children more involved in the game, mainly for the many benefits and soft skills which the game develops, such as decision-making, problem-solving, strategical and logical thinking, pattern recognition, visual memory, etc. Prompted by their parents, several juniors had a go at playing proper OTB chess against “El Capitan”, “Mr. Engine”, and “The Toaster”, and we are looking to welcome a good part of them in the upcoming junior sessions held every Saturday in Beenies Soft Play in town. In-between the games with the many young participants, our club members played also some of the adult visitors of the gala, including firefighter Dave who gave “The Toaster” a good game, only to narrowly lose due to the time pressure. At some point during the busy period John “The Torturer” stopped by to say hi as he was also visiting the Gala. As the saying goes: “Time flies when you’re having fun.” and with all the fun going around, Boris could not believe his ears after upon asking Oskar about the time, the latter replied that it was 16:35 and the gala had pretty much finished.

Julian and Ben in a Central Park style blitz display

A happy Anstey Chess Club gala team finished with a blitz display from Ben and Julian over two games and then packed up. Our members left the event happy after meeting so many great people not only from the local community, but also visitors from as far as Cambridgeshire. An amazing afternoon and a great learning experience for our club, as we are looking to come back next year with more boards, more advertising materials and a lot better prepared over the upcoming year.

Big thank you to Julian and Oskar for their great help and support for this year’s event after they volunteered their services. Thank you to Boris for getting the table from Newtown Linford and printing out posters and signs, as well as helping greatly with the stall layout. The biggest gratitude as always goes to Ben who continues to work really hard for the good of the club and his members. “El Presidente” did not spare any effort and time during this hectic period and in spite of his busy personal and professional life, he managed to organise the stall, the posters, a big sign and even refreshments for our team.

Anstey Chess Club to participate in the Anstey Summer gala!

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El Presidente and The Toaster looking to present the club to the local community while engaging in a few friendly games

The Anstey Summer gala is back this year on Saturday, 10th September. As usual, there will be all sorts of entertainment, local stalls and food. Being one of the local venues for recreational activities, Anstey Chess Club will also participate in the gala with its own stall.

Ben ‘El Presidente’ and Boris ‘The Toaster’ are looking forward to a great afternoon on the Stadon Road Recreation Ground where they will be able to engage with the people from Anstey and the area. Our chairman and the Bulgarian website admin will make use of their brand new Anstey Chess Club t-shirts and play friendly chess games with people willing to have a go at tasting the challenge of competitive chess.

Ben will be playing in blitz format 5/0, giving the gala attendees the opportunity to spend a little more time in thinking strategies and combinations. Boris, on the other hand, will engage in the high-pressure bullet games in 2/1 format. Our teammates will also provide flyers with information about the venue and ways to contact us and will present to the local community the joy of being part of our great club. Regardless of whether you are just curious, want to try some games on a proper board with a clock, or just to show your support for the club, come and say ‘Hello’ to our friendly representatives at the Anstey Summer gala!

The Monthly Knockabout starts in September, VOTE NOW CLOSED!

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In the Anstey Chess club, the love for chess is the main driving force for everyone involved. Nevertheless, in spite of the notoriously solitary nature of the game of chess, in our club we are proud of our thriving community full of great memories and positive attitude. To promote the great relationships between our members, we have decided to introduce The Monthly Knockabout. As suggested by the name, each month the members will choose a date using a website poll and the club will find a suitable location in Anstey or the surrounding area – park, club, café, pub, etc. There our members will be able to enjoy games of chess, including “hand and brain”, “Crazyhouse” and various time controls. All necessary equipment such as pieces, boards and clocks will be provided by the club(except for Boris’ set, “The Toaster” will bring it anyway).

You can find the available dates for September, please vote as the results from the poll would decide which date will the event be held. The date will be announced on the website on 31st August and the club will organise the venue and announce the event shortly after.

UPDATE! The vote is now closed and the first Monthly Knockabout will be on 17th September!

Three teams for Anstey Chess Club next season following AGM

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A growing Anstey Chess Club prepares to attack three divisions in the Leicestershire league in the 2022-23 league season

On 11th August thirteen Anstey Chess Club members gathered in the Anstey Methodist church for the the club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). Chaired by ‘El Presidente’ Ben, the meeting consisted of lively discussions, important decisions, presentation of the new Presidents trophy and the usual informal and friendly environment which distinguishes our club. Next to the chairman, Boris ‘The Toaster’ almost set his hand on fire trying to keep up with the conversation as the minute taker. ‘El Capitan’ Oskar, Matt ‘The Dark Destroyer’, Mick ‘Just Mick’, Julian ‘Mr. Engine’, Mike, Brian ‘The Griller’, ‘The Lion’ Leo, Bob, ‘Big Daddy’ Valdas, and regular Dave were all at the venue, seated and ready for the meeting which started promptly at 7:30pm sharp.

The first point of attention were the reports from the chairman and the captains, and ‘El Presidente’ began with a long dramatic speech of gratitude aimed at the members, mentioning the growth and progress of the club throughout its short but colourful life. Ben continued with the numbers, showcasing his and John ‘The Torturer’ ‘s great book-keeping ability, which came as no surprise with the latter being a former accountant. The first team captain then preseted the report for the first team and gave the deserved honourable mentions for Matt and Julian who made the big difference in the second part of the league season. (for a full league season report, click here) With the last report, the chairman passed the ball to our second team captain Oskar who presented his report which included interesting stats which highlighted the great progress for our Anstey 2. Honourable mentions received Mike, Boris, Leo, Matt and Hal, all deeed responsible for the amazing performance of our second team in the second half of the season. ((for a full league season report, click here)

The meeting continued with a lively discussion about a Club Championship to be held this year. ‘Just Mick’, ‘Mr. Engine’, ‘The Griller’, ‘The Dark Destroyer’ and Mike all stepped in with ideas and opinions about the idea. The pros and cons of all formats were outlined and in the light of the expressed interest Ben summarised that there will be a sort of Club Championship in the incoming year, and that he will organise it appropirately with the members interested to take part. Following the agitated conversation, ‘El Presidente’ went on to present ‘The President’s Trophy’ which was given to ‘The Toaster’ for the time he had spent last year in developing the club’s website and Facebook page.

The membership fees were discussed and Ben confirmed that all subs would be due by the end of September.

The topic went by quickly as it preceded the main event of the evening – the decision of how many teams to participate in the next league season. As expected, all members weighed in with their opinions and conversation quickly started leaning heavily towards having three teams as opposed to two. The only concern was defaulting boards and the need for ‘doubling up’ (one player playing for two teams regularly) as the former would harm the teams while the latter was deemed as unacceptable by ethical and moral standards. Nevertheless, the members of our great club stepped in with ideas and commitments in order to ensure that even the most difficult periods will be addressed accordingly, and that all of the players would receive the opportunity to play competitive chess. Halfway through the conversation, returning Alan decided to join the meeting, apparently unaware of its starting time. At the end, all hands were raised in favour of having three teams in the Leicestershire Chess League’s 2022-23 season. Following their great performance, both the first and the second team were promoted, and in the next season Anstey 1 will be in Division 2, Anstey 2 will be in Division 3, and the brand new Anstey 3 will be in Division 4.

With the above put through, the members decided that the new first team captaincy would fall to Matt who agreed to step in, as he was already deputising for Ben at certain events. ‘El Presidente’ himself is taking the leadership of the second team while ‘El Capitan’ will be the captain of the third team. After the captaincy, the subject ‘Any other business’ encompassed several conversations about various ideas, from renaming the club to getting branded Anstey Chess Club t-shirts for the members. With topics like library initiatives, club promotion via various means, podcasts, Junior chess and even Reykjavik Open, the future looks bright and exciting for our favourite Anstey Chess Club. The meeting ended around 9pm and several members headed to ‘Passage to India’ where they enjoyed fun conversations, cold beer (except for ‘The Lion’ who naturally had Coke) and great curry.

After another great evening for the club, we are looking forward to what appears to be a bright future in front of Anstey Chess Club and its members. If you want to be part of this exciting journey, whether as a competitive player or just casual chess enthusiast, pop over to the Anstey Methodist Church every Thursday from 7:30pm. All abilities welcome!

Anstey Chess Club now on Instagram

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Following the Anstey Chess Club Facebook page, the club decided that it is time for to become even more accessible to the people by joining one of the most popular social networks – Instagram. Founded in 2010, in the last several years, the social media has established itself as one of the most recognised video and photo sharing social networks, with millions of users around the globe. Follow the club on the Anstey Chess Club Instagram page for the latest content from our teams and members. As expected, we are planning to share a little bit of everything, including photos, videos, memes, and more. The only thing we would like from you is to like and share our posts, and keep the good tone in the comments. Pop over to Instagram and see what we are up to!

Anstey’s Chapman Cup campaign kicks off with a win

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Anstey’s Chapman Cup team played host to our old friends Market Harborough on Thursday June 2nd. A feel-good feeling was in the air due to the Jubilee holidays and the boards, clocks and sets were all set up in good time. Market Harborough (hereafter MH) appeared before our guys with a very strong team, all around the 1900 mark with our good friend Mike Garland Jnr (a ‘mere’ 1650 or so) on board 4. A couple of division 1 players were on show. El Presidente had selected a mixture of 1st and 2nd team players with Julian ‘Mr Engine’ on board one, John Robinson on board two, Boris ‘The Toaster’ on board 3 and Oskar ‘El Capitan’ on board 4. On paper, this was scheduled to be a long evening with us out graded on every board. Romily (MH’s captain on the evening), called wrong at the toss, meaning Anstey had white on boards 1 and 3 (Julian and Boris).

The format of the Chapman Cup is a grade-handicapped event. Whilst we were out graded on every board, this gave us 2 and a half bonus points to start with, effectively meaning that we needed to win one game (or draw two) to get the necessary point to win. In the same way, if MH were to bring their third team, we would theoretically out grade them and have to win all of the games for example. Anyway – to the action in order of boards to finish.

Board 4
Oskar ‘El Capitan’ vs Mike Garland

Oskar had the black pieces and was heavily out graded on board 4. The game started cagily, with a closed structure defined by 2. Nc3 and Nc6. Mike developed his pieces quickly and ‘allowed’ Oskar to capture his f2 pawn with check with his own threat of Qxg7, hitting the Rook if Oskar was to capture said pawn. Oskar did so (note that the threat of Qf1 mate was covered by a Bishop) and played the ‘simple’ Kf8 to defend the g7 pawn.

A huge attack followed from Mike, using some well-placed piece positions which culminated in material loss for Oskar and despite Oskar’s best attempts to hang on, El Capitan soon resigned meaning a 1-0 lead for MH.

Board 2
Boris ‘The Toaster’ vs Romily Ilersic

Boris was presented with a massive task on board 3, facing Romily Ilersic – an experienced campaigner with a FIDE rating of 1900 or so.

‘The Toaster’ stuck to what he knew with the white pieces – a handy tip for club players – the London system. Looking at the game intermittently, it was quite obvious that Boris was by no means losing at any point during the middle game with pieces being traded off and minor threats being created by both players. I even thought that Boris might be winning at one point but such is the quality of these 1900 players, they dash your hopes very quickly. Unfortunately, ‘The Toaster’ missed a tactic and Romily won an exchange. As good players do, Romily traded down (whilst not giving the Toaster not much option but to do so) and an endgame ensued which was lost for Boris. Romily did the right thing and conceded the exchange back when it was smart to do so and Boris resigned.

Massive credit should go to Boris for putting up a major fight – his opponent knew he had to work hard for it. Boris was actually happy after losing a game, which says a lot about him and how he played. This was 2-0 to MH.

Board 2
John Robinson vs Dave Walker

John Robinson played Dave Clarke on board 2 and I have a real feeling that John relished the opportunity to play such a player. There was a 160 point swing in the FIDE numbers but John gave Dave a really good game.

With the black pieces, John played a King’s Indian type setup that he favours and the game during the middle game looked very equal. John offered a draw, which was declined due to the grade handicap situation that MH were in. I think that in a league game, Dave would have accepted the draw offer as it looked equal.

The game carried on and John’s Achilles heel was his light squared Bishop that got itself stuck behind his c pawn with his Rook on the a-file defending it. John repeated a few moves whilst his opponent tried to manufacture a win. The next time I saw the game, Dav’s King and Rook had infiltrated to John’s 8th rank in the rapid play finish and after a combination of trades, John’s Bishop was trapped and he resigned. 3-0 to MH.

Board 4
Julian ‘Mr Engine’ Tarwid vs Ian Clarke

Julian had requested the white pieces on board 1 and this was the closest match in terms of grade, albeit there was still a difference in our favour of over 100 FIDE points. It was good for Julian and John to play in games like this – they deserve to do so.

‘Mr Engine’ employed the London again and was an epitome of focus during the game. The game looked very even until Ian seemingly sacrificed an exchange out of the blue that he must have felt offered him some play during the game. ‘Mr Engine’ worked hard to gain control of the open e file with his Rooks and activity for his pieces whilst trying to repel any activity for his opponents minor pieces.

Exchanges took place, leaving a cemented Knight on a defensive square that Julian removed by giving the exchange back. It was then down to who had the best endgame idea during a rapid play finish. Ian’s plan was to set about the clustered 4 pawns on the b, c and d files and Julian set about Queening a pawn by employing a pin and overworking his opponents Rook that was powerless to stop one of two pawns Queening. The actual end came about by Ian making an illegal move when Julian’s pawn Queened with check and Ian captured Julian’s Rook. As El Presidente went to add two minutes to Mr Engine’s time, Ian said don’t worry and resigned.

A fitting end to a very tense and un-nerving night with every single player contributing to the tension and excitement of the evening. Losses for John, Boris and Oskar but that most certainly does not tell an accurate story of what happened and how much of a fight all 3 of them put up in the face of adversity. Julian won through in his game, cementing his position as our board 1 next year. This match embodied what this chess club should stand for, fight in the face of adversity and being an underdog. Well done to you all.

Anstey 2 – League season report

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Anstey Chess Club’s second team showed tremendous improvement to challenge the leaders at the end of the season

In May the league season finished for our second team as they found themselves mid-table in Division 4 of the Leicestershire chess league following their last game against Melton Mowbray.

As mentioned in the report for the first team, the COVID-19 pandemic hit over the board (OTB) chess quite hard leading to a big pause in the league. Following the return of OTB chess, the club found itself in a new venue with plenty new faces eager to try playing the great board game we all love. The season started promptly in October and our young second team, led by the captain Oskar, went to Heathcote Arms for their opener.

Heathcote Arms 2 vs Anstey 2 Result: 4 – 0

The first league game for the Anstey Chess Club’s second team was not the greatest of openers. In a four board match, our team started on the back foot after the third board was defaulted. ‘El Capitan’ Oskar, accompanied by young Hal and Alan, tried their best to gain something from the match but unfortunately found themselves on the losing side on all three boards. Suffering the decisive defeat, Oskar’s team was determined to build themselves up and over the course of the season they did just that

Anstey 2 vs Market Harborough 3 Result: 0 – 4

The first home game for our second team found them playing against Market Harborough 3 who eventually won the division. Mike, Leo, Alan and captain Oskar tried their best but did not manage to get anything our of the game again.

Ashby 3 vs Anstey 2 Result: 2.5 – 2.5

The first points for the team came from their visit to Ashby to face the hosts’ third team. Unfortunately, ‘El Capitan’ and Hal conceded losses in their games, while Leo drew against the always friendly Brian Wood. Mike and Alan were the heroes of the night, getting the first wins for Anstey 2 in the 2021-2022 league season.

Anstey 2 vs Loughborough 2 Result: 1.5 – 2.5

With the team seemingly starting to turn the corner and get on the front foot, our players faced a strong Loughborough team. The game marked the return of ‘The Dark Destroyer’ Matt Connor for the second team and against a strong opponent he managed to draw. Mike and Hal also drew their games, while Leo eventually lost to the away team captain Stewart Gordon.

Anstey 2 vs Wigston 4 Result: 1.5 – 2.5

Leading into Christmas, Anstey 2 were scheduled to play “the big guns” Wigston 4 at home and Braunstone 2 away. The first of the games found our players outrated by more than 1100 points in a four-board match against ‘El Presidente’ Ben’s old club. In spite of Mike and Leo’s losses, the team managed to get some positives out of the match, with Hal drawing against 1500+ opponent and Oskar defeating a 1300+ rated player.

Braunstone 2 vs Anstey 2 Result: 3 – 1

The game against Braunstone saw only one point for our team from a defaulted fourth board, while outrated by more than 1300 points, Hal, Alan and Leo fought hard but eventually conceded against the strong experienced Braunstone players. The game marked the last game for Alan in the season as he had to focus on school. On the other hand, the match was the last loss Anstey 2 had to suffer this season.

Melton Mowbray 3 vs Anstey 2 Result: 2 – 3

And just like with the first team in January came the new year, the new website, and “the new me” for Anstey 2. The first win for the team was achieved in the away game in Melton which also marked the debut of Boris ‘The Toaster’. In spite of starting a point down due to defaulted board, the latter and Mike managed to drew their games while Hal delivered a great display of endgame play to win against 1600+ rated opponent. Fittingly, it came down to the captains to play for the decisive points and our own ‘El Capitan’ delivered with solid active play to secure the first win of the season for Anstey 2. The full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Anstey 2 vs Heathcote Arms 2 Result: 2.5 – 1.5

The first home win for the team came against Heathcote Arms 2 who arrived with a strong team led by 1700+ John Manger. However, ‘El Capitan’ answered the challenge by summoning ‘The Dark Destroyer’ on board 1 and the latter delivered again securing a win in the clash of the titans on the night. Hal quietly drew his game while Boris got his first win in the league. Unfortunately, Oskar conceded a loss but the team celebrated his captain’s birthday and the win. The full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Anstey 2 vs Ashby 3 Result: 4.5 – 2.5

The next home game for the second team ended being a true celebration of chess for many reasons. Seven boards saw action on the night and the game marked the debut of our first female competitor Deepa. Unfortunately, our teammate had a tough game and along with Oskar conceded a loss. Hal managed to quietly draw again while Boris and Leo dominated their games. With the teams level after five games had finished, Mike and ‘The Dark Destroyer’ had all to play for in their games. Mike dominated his game and despite his opponent’s best efforts to stay in it, our teammate had been too many times around the block to miss the win. Which led to the most exciting moment of the night when Matt found himself with four minutes left on the clock, down material and in a bad position, only to receive a gift from his opponent who blundered a mate in one. The full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Market Harborough 3 vs Anstey 2 Result: 2 – 2

Entering the last third of the season, Anstey had four big challenges in front of them in the face of the top four teams at the time. The sequence started with Market Harborough 3 (MH3) who were aiming to get their revenge following the battering of their second team delivered by Anstey 1 the previous evening. After the long commute (always the case with our friends at Market Harborough) Mike, Boris, Leo and Oskar faced a strong MH3 team. Mike and Boris went into solid and boring positions and both got the draws. ‘El Capitan’ was unfortunate to lose against the MH3 captain Rene while Leo was the hero on the night, managing to save a losing position and fork his opponent’s queen to win the game. The full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Loughborough 2 vs Anstey 2 Result: 2 – 2

The next stop for our resilient second team was Loughborough where their second team hosted a decent Anstey 2 consisting of Mike, Boris, Hal, Leo and Oskar. Unfortunately, Mike and ‘The Toaster’ lost their games setting our team back, however, Hal and Leo showcased great play to win their respective games, with Leo taking his revenge against the home team captain Stewart Gordon. Eventually, it was down to ‘El Capitan’ who managed to get himself in a winning position but missed an idea from his opponent and the game was drawn leaving the team unbeaten in five. The full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Wigston 4 vs Anstey 2 Result: 1 – 5

After the trip north, the team made a trip south to face another one of “the big guns” in the face of Wigston 4. However, this encounter was completely different than the reversed fixture as our second team brought some higher rated reinforcements as well. ‘Just Mick’, ‘The Dark Destroyer’, Mike, Leo and Oskar all defeated their opponents, with Hal suffering the only defeat on the evening. Unfortunately, at the end the win was bitter sweet as the team saw Hal play for the last time this season. The full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Anstey 2 vs Braunstone 2 Result: 2 – 2

In the penultimate fixture Anstey 2 faced the division favourites in a four-board match, where our players were outrated on every single board. Unmoved by this fact, Mike and Boris played strong solid games against their opponents and sealed the deal on boards two and three. Oskar was unfortunate to lose to young 400 points higher rated Daniel Wilkinson while Mick managed to find himself in a winning position, only to miss an idea from his opponent and lose the game. After the game ‘El Capitan’ even received praise from our friends at MH3 as Braunstone’s march towards the top was stalled. Full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Anstey 2 vs Melton Mowbray 3 Result: 3 – 1

Fittingly, the last win for Anstey 2 in the league season came against the team they achieved their first season win against. We hosted Melton Mowbray 3 as they were looking to take their revenge, however, they managed to get only one win in a drawless match on board 2 where Boris managed to blunder his rook in almost winning position. With flawless performances from Matt, Leo and Oskar, the season for our second team finished on a high. The team demonstrated an amazing improvement in the second half of the season and we are excited to see where would the team fit in the next season. Full report from the game can be accessed by clicking here.

Stats

Throughout the season Anstey 2 won 5 games from 14, lost 5 and drew 4, accounting for 36% win rate. They finish fourth in the division with 14 points overall, trailing the strong teams of Market Harborough 3, Braunstone 2 and Wigston 4. The players engaged in 64 games over the board, with a win rate of 39.1% while they drew 18.8% of their games and lost 42.1%. The best win of the season was against Wigston 4, while the best player for the second team was Leo Abraham, who finishes his first team season level for most wins with Oskar – 5, with Leo having slight edge in win percentage.