Dragons C Win at Bank of Scotland
The Chestrels came away from Tuesday night with a strong win against Bank of Scotland, winning 4-2.
| Bank of Scotland 4 | 2‑4 | Dragons C |
|---|---|---|
| McVey, E. (1319) | 0‑1 | Falconer, W. (1476) |
| Melvin, J. (1265) | 0‑1 | Browning, I. (1412) |
| Ferrie, L. (1167) | ½‑½ | Bishop, L. (1384) |
| Austin, A. (1018) | ½‑½ | Jessing, M. (1369) |
| Craigmile, N. (938) | 0‑1 | Forrester, A. (1174) |
| Powell, P. (UG) | 1‑0 | McCosh, E. (1123) |
The first game to conclude, in a reversal of the match against Corstorphine, was Ally Forrester's, who once again demonstrated his endgame skills by calmly converting his extra pawn in a R & N vs R & B endgame.
There was less good news in Ed McCosh's game, where a promising attack had petered out into an inferior endgame. White's king activity and passed c-pawn eventually secured him the point.
Lee Bishop was exerting some pressure from the white side of a Philidor's defence, but the game eventually simplified into an endgame where both sides had a light squared bishop and knight. Although white was definitely to be preferred, Lee was unable to break through, the game ending in a draw.
Michael Jessing's game also ended peacefully after a rare line of the Caro-Kann turned into a sharp middlegame. White's decision to play the intermediate Ne2 instead of the immediate recapture on f4 allowed a rook sacrifice on h2. Michael's queen infiltrated the white position, but he was unable to find a win in time trouble, being forced to settle for a draw by repetition.
In Isaac Browning's game, James Melvin had inexplicably blundered an exchange after apparently overlooking the attack on his rook. White had some compensation in the form of some kingside pressure, but Isaac was able to defend. Just after reaching the time control, a further error from white led to the loss of another piece. The resignation followed swiftly after.
Bill Falconer had played a fantastic game, his advanced d5 pawn cutting off all counterplay for his opponent, before beginning a strong attack. Black's knight, in particular, looked very sad, reduced to shuffling aimlessly between b7 and d8, with very little to do at all. Bill sacrificed a bishop in order to expose black's king, taking full advantage of the immobility of black's pieces. Black missed some opportunities to put up a sterner defence, but, with his severe time pressure, the result was never in any doubt.
The happy conclusion of this game left the score at 4-2 to the Dragons, a long-awaited and well-deserved win.