For the away fixture against Horfield the odds were stacked against us. We'd been schooled 5-1 in the home fixture and were missing our grandmaster slayer Indy, as well as form player Graham.

Then again this is not your average B team, and coming into the fixture second in the league it was all to play for.

Dominique got us off to a solid start, notching up a half point as black on board six. Mike steadily prosecuted an edge on board one against Derek Pugh, and notched up our first win. More points than last time at least.

Elsewhere, both Reinhold and Stephen looked under serious pressure out of the opening, whilst Oli had won a pawn on the black side of a kings Indian. Things delicately poised.

Mark playing the white side of a French against Peter Kirby, had allowed black to exchange his weak bishop and with an exposed king needed delicate play to retain equality. A series of exchanges ensued and a slip by Peter lead to a sudden transformation into a won queen and pawn endgame.

Stephen had fought gamely, but eventually the rook and pawn endgame could no longer be held and Horfield pulled one back.

Meanwhile Oli had become a little passive in defending his extra b pawn. It dropped, and left a knight ending that suddenly looking drawing but fiddly with whites queenside passed pawn against Oli's kingside majority.

With Reinhold still under the cosh, it looked as though we might be held or worse.

No such thing! From a defensive bind, a rook tour from h5, h8, a8, a4 to f4 suddenly saw activity surge into the position and white crumbled a few moves later. The game and the match was in the bag.

In the dead rubber sadly Oli overextended in search of a result, although given how often he carries the team he can be excused that.

Overall, an immensely satisfying 3.5-2.5 win against tough opposition.

And for 24 hours, top of the league, until knocked off our perch by our own A team! A good time to be Downend.