Electric dreams

 Back on schedule! For now. This game was played just under a fortnight ago, in the University's away match against Clifton A. Last season, after we strung out a title fight for far longer than our relatively threadbare resources suggested, they won the league for the umpteenth time in a row - but this year a determined challenge from South Bristol looks set to succeed.

 This year, Clifton have been uncharacteristically giving points away carelessly all over the place - so even with our own bloopers against South Bristol B and Clifton B, if we could get a result out of this then we would have serious chances to overtake them as well. Unfortunately the challenge became even greater when two of our players fell ill just before the match (one of them missing a game for the first time all season) so we certainly faced a big ask: 194-225, 176-181, 185-186, 160-175, 156-182, 104-164.

 I played white against David Collier (182) on board 5. Though it was a bit of a surprise that he was so low down, I had nevertheless prepared for the eventuality and was actually delighted to see it. For I had discovered that the line of the Sicilian he's played for decades simply loses by force. Once he failed to differ, the outcome was already decided:

 A happy start to the match for us, but despite having chances on a couple of other boards, we couldn't resist the grading differential elsewhere; 2-4 (LDDLWL) was the final score. Our opponents, then, are probably out of reach, and with a tough set of matches to finish off with, we should turn our attention to consolidating third place.

 I chipped in the only win - the best win by grade that I've ever had, no less. However I don't think it's the most impressive, if only because this 26-move win was, unlike that one, almost entirely the result of computer preparation. Still, hard work is a skill in itself, and of course I can't complain - people are actually walking into prep now! With everything suddenly going my way, my grading performance is up to 175 from 12 games since January. Unlike the win against Tipper I actually forged a new path rather than regurgitating known theory. No doubt some obscure master will get the credit when they play it in a few years time, but you heard it here first! The real blemish was 21. Bd8+?? - as in the previous game, I didn't adjust very well to the changed situation, this time of having to think for myself.

 The team's next match is this week against Bath, who inexplicably are mired in the relegation places - with a fierce battle going on to avoid the drop, no doubt the teams around them will be watching closely. However I am hopeful that I will be able to have that one off, in which case I will next play against Clifton's heirs-apparent, South Bristol A, on the 27th March.