Lichfield A v Rugeley A (15.1.26)

The final result was 4-0 to the home side, but the emphatic victory didn't quite tell the full story. Both myself & Cath (boards 2 & 4) had lively encounters, forcing our opponents on the backfoot but ultimately falling short in the endgame. Bill on board 3 seemed to be a match for his opponent, but a rook against 3 connected pawns forced a resignation right at the end. Matt on board 1 gave a really good account of himself, causing his opponent all sorts of problems which resulted in extreme time pressure for the home player. Unfortunately a mistake right at the end with Matt's pawn position proved costly. So a difficult night, but some really entertaining close games nevertheless.

Rob Fell

Wolverhampton Div 1 Captain