Alex got off to a great start, a bishop up after half a dozen moves. Of course he gave it back twenty moves later (the same white squared bishop) and later had his request for a draw accepted. By this time David Reed had won and David Froud drawn. So 2-1. Kevin had a pawn on the seventh that he lost to go a pawn down but he too was offered a draw. Mike and Howard to go; Horfield needing a point for the match. Mike is offered a draw, he declines. Howard is ahead on time and has a more active knight in a knight and lots of pawns each ending. Alex too nervous, goes and starts putting pieces away. Kevin comes in; Mike has won. Howard wins. Joy. (AD)

Horfield C are champions of Division 2!

As Howard said, Alex Dunn produced the worst ever piece of endgame play in the history of Horfield to win the match. Alan did very well to win on board one but his result was immaterial as Horfield had already bagged the points. Howard won quickly and easily. Dave agreed a draw in a balanced position. Graham was too good for his opponent.

This result takes us back to the top of the table. But University have beaten us 3.5 to 2.5. (AD)

Another win for the C team against a weakened Keynsham. Howard's win was the last game to finish with very little time left on the clocks. Alex should have won more easily and the experience will have done Neil good. Kevin finally won. David nearly achieved a double bishop sacrifice but Doreen only took one of the offered clerics. Prakash accepted a draw with bishops of differing colour meaning a decisive outcome was unlikely. (AD)

A good performance from Horfield C. The Horfield B team lost David Froud at the last moment so Kevin Thomas the board 1 for the C team went to the Polish club for the evening. So starting a point down the C's did well to win. Dave won first to level the score and then a series of draws were agreed. Alex being the only Horfield player who had any advantage with half an hour left. Eventually Alex a rook up blew his win only for Anton to give it back in a tight finish with only seconds left. Looking tough for promotion after two recent close defeats but it could still be done. (AD)

3/3/09: Hanham A 3½ - 2½ Horfield C

A triumph for an under strength Horfield C against a struggling Grendel B. Andrew Russell was the first to victory when his opponent a pawn down resigned in what looked a hopeless but not necessarily lost position. Dave Reed and his opponent happily agreed a draw in a dead level position. Then Kevin Thomas and Roger Hardy too agreed a draw. Alex was gaining the upper hand at this time and board six looked drawn. Alex broke through now on the queen side with a devastating attack that would eventually force his opponent to resign with mate unavoidable. Then in his opponent's time trouble Mike won and finally Neil agreed a draw.

So a great result and aside from the previous week's loss against the University the C team still have a good chance of joining the big boys in division one next season. (AD)

4/2/09: University A 3½ - 2½ Horfield C

This was a tale of three lost rooks. Firstly Dave Humphries lost his rook for a bishop and slowly succumbed to Andrew Russell. Then Alex gave his rook away for a pawn rather carelessly. There were two draws on boards on boards 2 and 3. So 2 each with boards 1 and 4 to be decided. Things were looking very good for Yate. Howard was in very serious trouble indeed. Andy Penn had a queen but Howard did not. Howard activated all his pieces but it was not enough and Andy had a minute or more left when Howard was mated. But the tragedy was Mike Blackford's, he was a good pawn up and looked to be able to win relatively comfortably. But that third rook was lost for nothing and the match was was drawn.

Horfield still have a fair chance of making it to division one next season but they must avoid dropping points like this if they are to continue to be title contenders. They remain top of division 2. (AD)

Alan Clarke won on board one to tie up the match for Horfield. Previously Howard had agreed a draw. Roger got the evening off to a dodgy start by losing. Mike on three was offered a draw but declined only to offer a draw back later that was accepted. Alex won on six his opponent offering a draw when all the bishops came off (nothing else) but Alex carried on to win (it's a long journey. David's opponent was too unfamiliar with the Staunton Gambit and was always struggling but put up a gallant fight. But it was Alan to whom the night belonged.

A splendid back to back couple of wins over big rivals Clevedon that sets the C team up nicely to join the big boys in the top flight. (AD)

The default balanced our gradings disadvantage. We were outplayed on boards 1 and 3 , but Andy was solid throughout and Dave stayed cool under pressure before breaking out decisively. There followed a collective holding of breath as Kevin's flag climbed and Stuart, declining a draw offer, soaked up his 15 extra minutes trying to survive a complex combinative attack. Kevin kept the crowd in agonies as he deployed the Strickland method of recording his opponent's moves in his own acute time shortage but, amazingly, it was the other flag which fell first - by less than 5 seconds. (HKM)

Graham was first to finish and win. Mike was last to finish and won too making three wins for Horfield with David whose opponent blundered. Second to finish was Kevin whose is not enjoying the black pieces and did not have a pleasant evening. As usual he managed to get a pawn ahead but his position was always precarious. Howard wisely agreed a draw with equal pawns (six each) and four rooks (two white two black) still on the park. Prakash was the exchange ahead but wily Jim Boyce conjured up a draw.

A great result. (AD)

Goodness me. Things did not start badly and just got worse and worse culminating in Prakash blundering into mate when winning. By then all was already lost. David drew first and Alex followed. Mike lost and eventually Graham too. Howard could find no way to free his king to help his passed pawn to the promised land and then poor Prakash.

Still only a game, well six. (AD)

 Well, a better start for the C team than last year; when our first three or so matches were lost. The three bottom boards were completed first. David strangled his opponent and Andrew swindled his. Andrew was tempted to resign - so far behind was he in material - but there is little to do in Yate on a Tuesday night so he carried on playing, and eventually his persistence was rewarded as Mr Lobb lost various pieces. Alex's opponent resigned merely a rook down. Then the news came that Prakash had drawn: an excellent result. Howard succumbed, but Mike escaped with a draw many pawns down when it was observed that both players' clocks had fallen.

So a good night's work (AD).