We had reasonable expectations of a successful outing to Hanham in the first round of the 2024-25 Knockout. Followers of WhatsApp will know that by 9pm we had achieved wins on boards 4,5,7 & 8 to give us a commanding 4-0 lead.

Very favourable comments kept coming about the Hanham set-up, notably the quiet playing conditions, the bar and, not least, the spacious car park!

Peter was very happy about his win with Black against Matt on board 4, with 99% accuracy according Lichess. Max on board 8 against Richard got 80% accuracy and he reckons his percentage was somewhat restrained because he was spoilt for choice as regards sacrificial possibilities. An excellent first outing for the club!

On board 5, Aleksei demonstrated excellent strategic play to defeat Adrian and on board 7 James outplayed Roger in a well-structured game.

All of which left four games still to finish. Steve, on board 2, agreed a draw in a tightly contested game, showcasing balanced play from both sides – a creditable result for the heavily outrated Reuben. Meanwhile Oscar, on board I, was too strong for Jonathon.

Martin (board 6) capitalised on tactical opportunities to defeat Luke, which left Mark still playing in an apparently level ending against Phillip on board 3. But Mark’s bishop and knight were far better placed than his opponent’s and he duly clinched the win to bring the final score to 7½-½.

Hanham were always up against it with an average rating deficit around 500 but they welcomed us in fine spirit. Oscar summed the evening up by saying in his opinion it was the best venue in Bristol. Praise indeed!

Thanks to Max for this report.