After our tantalisingly close defeat by Wilson's only 4 days earlier, yesterday the SGS 1st-team was back in action, making the notoriously lengthy journey to serial trophy-winners RGS Guildford. Our B-team travelled with us, but our C-team made an equally long trip in the opposite direction, heading into Central London to play the Emanuel School first team - so our players were widely distributed during the evening! They won 9-3, an improvised B-team managed a mildly disappointing 3-3 draw, but I shall focus on the top match.
It so happened that we were outgraded on 5 of the 6 boards: 192-203, 143-149, 129-147, 123-135, 114-127, 125-106. Yet things can be deceptive - our boards 2-5 are all performing in the 140s, and although he barely held a draw, I was not particularly impressed by my opponent in our previous game. So it is ironic that this time, he managed to convincingly outplay me - and lost.
Most impressively, we managed to win the match! (DWWLLW) That keeps our noses in front in the race for runners-up spot (sadly, as a result of our match on Monday, little short of divine intervention can stop Wilson's now.) The win was a fortunate one; we lost on board 5 quite quickly, and despite this equaliser, we soon went 2-1 down with uninspiring positions on 2 and 6, and stubborn equality on 1. Yet things turned in our favour as the RGS players got into time trouble - board 2 ended with a mating attack, we won on time on board 6 whilst two Queens up, and top board was drawn.
Of my own game, I still don't have much experience with the Scotch, and this is the first time I have faced the critical 4... Nf6 lines. I was too casual in the opening about my e-pawn, but was quite resourceful in reaching a tenable position, and the simple act of staying alive proved enough, when my opponent tried to push my clock and blundered. I need some luck after recent games! Unusually, my middlegame play was quite accurate and my opening less so; if white is prepared for this line then he can attain an edge, but the surprise value of 9... g5!? is not inconsiderable.
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