University arrived with a team shorn of many of their stronger players from last season, but a team which showed consistent ratings with their bottom board only 12 rating points below their board 1. Peter had struggled a bit to get a full team, but we still had a rating advantage, especially on the upper boards.

This extra strength showed as we won the match with few alarms, although the Univ players put up some good fights. Steve quickly established a space advantage in the centre and the queenside. Hayden tried to fight back on the kingside, but his knight was stranded on a3, so Steve was able to pick up a pawn and then open up White’s king to clinch the game. I (Nigel ) found a neat combination to pick up the queen for knight and rook. Tom could have attempted to set up a fortress but he preferred to go for active play which let my queen into his position with fatal consequences. Reinhold had a smooth win with the French Defence. He dismantled the white centre and then his pressure down the f file combined with a mobile pawn centre ensured victory.

Peter played a restrained opening and then blundered/sacrificed a pawn to open a line on the kingside. He then continued calmly as if material was level and Alicja could make no progress. Dave produced a Nimzovitchian mysterious rook move to place his rook on a closed file, but this opened up and a discovered attack on the white queen won a piece and the game. Finally on bottom board Univ got their only win. Tom stood well in a Maroczy Bind structure and won material but then Samson generated some threats and Tom blundered to let the game slip.

Final score 4½-1½.