Downend and Fishponds opened their Knockout Cup campaign in style, defeating Bath 5½-2½ on home ground to secure a place in the next round.

On top board, Aron set the tone with a superb display, outplaying David Buckley (2215) in a tense endgame with Black. On Board 2, Oli pressed hard throughout but ultimately had to settle for a draw after Roy Phillips (FM, 2148) showed resilient defence. Haroon also shared the point in a complex queen-versus-two-rooks battle with Paul Helbig (1970).

James produced the game of the night on Board 4, dispatching Clive Walley (1922) in just 21 moves with a devastating tactical sequence. (He has put down an early marker for the Mike Wood Attacking Game of the Season!) On Board 5, Steve pursued victory deep into a rook-and-pawn endgame, but Rob Hearne (1930) held firm and forced a draw. Reinhold added a crucial full point on Board 6, overcoming Vasyl Lopatko, while Nigel shone on Board 7 - sacrificing the exchange to unleash a powerful bishop pair against Stephen Meyler (1847).

The only setback came on Board 8, where Humphrey, short of time, fell to Spencer Lawrence (1884).

After the match, captain Peter praised the team’s collective effort, singling out Aron’s technical mastery, James’s sparkling quick win, Nigel’s creative attacking play, and the determination shown across the board order.

Downend progress to the next round, where we will meet Clevedon.

Final Score: Downend and Fishponds 5½-2½ Bath

Peter Chaplin