Hendon 3.5 - Ealing 4.5
: Created:20 Mar 2009 , byEaling completed the double over Hendon in Middlesex league division one but it was by the narrowest margin in a close-fought match.
The exchange of team sheets revealed that Hendon were not as strong as usual on the lower boards so the call went out to Ealing's bottom order to clean up. The advice although sound was only partially successful and the match went to a nail-biting finish.
Veljko Stanisic was first to finish with a solid draw on board four and soon after Mike Lamb and I posted wins to give Ealing an early two-point advantage. However on board eight things were not going so well because Syrym Shalabayev lost a piece to his youthful opponent and no amount of wriggling could save the game.
Board three was another disaster area for Ealing with Simon Randall hampered by the short time control, his late arrival and his foe's good play. Sainbayar Tserendorj had the freer game on five but an unfortunate blunder by his opponent cost the Hendon player a rook and the game.
So with only the top two boards to be decided Ealing led by one point. Alan Perkins played some vintage chess with the Black pieces to achieve a good advantage on board one and was very disappointed only to achieve a draw but the half point gained inched us nearer to victory.
Martin Smith arrived with the beginnings of a heavy cold and was the picture of ill-health early in his game, making the odd decision to castle queenside against the Winawer Variation of the French Defence. Perhaps Adam Raoof took pity on the stricken Martin because he wasted a clear advantage and lost a pawn. Martin no doubt bucked by events on the board perked up considerably and was well enough to give his captain heart palpitations by thinking about a draw offer when he had only a minute left on his clock. Thank goodness sanity prevailed and he held out his hand to shake on the draw that gave Ealing the match.
Hendon v Ealing
1.C Mures 0.5-0.5 A Perkins
2.A Raoof 0.5-0.5 M Smith
3.D Ellis 1-0 S Randall
4.M Bennett 0.5-0.5 V Stansisic
5.C Jones 0-1 S Tserendorj
6.T Brown 0-1 D Ebbett
7.R Bhalla 0-1 M Lamb
8.F Salvin 1-0 S Shalabayev