Willesden A 3 - Ealing A 5
: Created:16 Dec 2008 , byEaling returned to winning ways in division one of the Middlesex league tonight with a workmanlike victory at Willesden.
We put aside our recent loss to King's Head to record our fifth win from six matches this season and it is highly probable that if the Middlesex officials release tables at the end of 2008, we will head the league.
Alan Perkins led the way with a solid victory on board one after his opponent mistimed a central pawn break-out. Alan seized upon his foe's pawn weaknesses to gain material and in sure-footed style brought home the Ealing bacon.
Equally meritorious were the other two Ealing victories on the night recorded by Sainbayar Tserendorj and Veljko Stanisic. Sainbayar showed the value of the better minor piece even when major pieces are on the board. Veljko produced a very smart knight adjustment to put his antagonist under extreme pressure and in the tactical battle, he emerged a rook up.
Martin Smith survived a passive position to draw and John Quinn and I, with the advantage of the White pieces but in time trouble, were ultimately happy to share the points for the sake of the team.
Alastair Johnstone did me an enormous favour in turning out for the side at short notice and I would have been delighted if his efforts had yielded success but something went wrong in a drawn position. Nevertheless, thank you Alastair for your clubmanship.
The last game to be decided was on board four and it deserves to go down in club annals because apart from the tough struggle at the board, it finished miles after all the other encounters were over, despite a prompt 7.30pm start. It will be an an eternal mystery how a three-hour game, lasted two hundred and five minutes. A faulty clock perhaps but like the hanging chads in the USA presidential race of 2000, we shall probably never know the full truth although the unanimous view among the spectators was that, whatever the excitement of the chess, 10.40 to 11.00pm is drinking time!
At the board Adrian Ociepka built up a winning position but tenacious defence by his opponent, saw Adrian go wrong several times. Disappointing for Adrian but his captain was delighted with his fighting performance.