South Bristol A and Downend & Fishponds B fought out a thrilling 3–3 draw in a match full of lively positions and tense finishes.

On top board, Aldrin Malibiran played a wild attacking game against Freddie Pick, sacrificing material to open up the Kingside. The attack looked promising, but after complications he emerged a knight down for a couple of pawns, with Queens still on and both Kings exposed. With both players running short of time, Freddie sensibly forced a repetition to secure a draw in a chaotic ending.

On board two, Peter Chaplin ground his way toward a comfortable positional advantage against Shane Roberts. He almost blundered his Queen in a tactical sequence, but his position was so strong that he was still able to secure a draw despite the slip, showing remarkable composure under pressure.

Humphrey Andolo scored Downend’s only win of the night, mounting a strong Queenside attack in an advanced French, where Black had castled Queenside. His precise calculation and tactical awareness enabled him to break through and convert a promising position.

The middle boards were closely matched: Martin White blundered a pawn in the opening against Chris Edwards but fought back to secure a controlled draw, demonstrating resilience under early pressure. Aleksei Zverev played a solid, blocked game against David Neagle, keeping the position closed and secure, which resulted in a peaceful draw.

On board six, Jon White delivered South Bristol’s win, breaking through against Alexis Kristoff Malibiran to level the match overall.

The result leaves both teams with plenty of positives - Downend showed fighting spirit on every board, while South Bristol proved difficult to beat.

Final score: South Bristol A 3 - 3 Downend & Fishponds B

Peter Chaplin