2nd Match Report 09/05/24
2nd Match Report 09/05/24
Eccles 5.5 – 0.5 Marple
https://ecflms.org.uk/lms/league_fixture/200889
D Division
Manchester League
Well played Eccles! Marple were out rated on all 6 boards but put up a good fight as always.
Eccles have now played their last MCF – D division match of the season and guaranteed promotion from D to C Division next season.
There’s still the possibility Eccles could win the Silver Knight but only if Bury lose to The Blue Club in Oldham on Monday 13th. So all still to play, or not to play for to win the MCF Silver Knight.
My favourite to win is the newly regenerated Bury Chess Club who have worked really hard all season and in my opinion deserves to win D Division, if not Eccles wins by default.
Man of the Match: James Buckley
Jim played his 1st Chess match for Eccles in June 2023 after being retired from the game for over 34 years.
Jim is proving to be a great asset to the club volunteering and helping out when he can, he’s also one of these people who finds it difficult to accept defeat on the inside but does a brilliant job of keeping his emotions from showing on the outside, well done Jim for learning the art of accepting defeat like a gentleman and thankfully you have won your last 7 games and drew once and will soon be getting an ECF known rating to replace his estimated rating of 1350.
Jim wrote:
It was to be a night of destiny at Marple Chess Club.
Eccles had been vying with super club 3Cs all season for the title and promotion. After a hard season of solid effort it seemed that we had achieved the target. However, a late twist in the tail arose: a game had mysteriously gone missing, and in the last match of the season it was do or die. Nothing less than outright victory against Marple would do if we were to beat the super club to the title.
Team manager Barbara inspired us with a Churchillian speech. We would fight them on the beaches. We would fight them on the landing grounds. We would NEVER surrender. All team members were instructed on pain of death not to offer or accept a draw, and to do our utmost in the cause of Team Eccles.
Grown men were visibly shaking in their boots, but there was a steely resolve in the minds of all the Eccles players. We would NOT let Barbara down when it came to the crunch. Team Eccles put in a display which simply blew Marple away. Far from offering or accepting any draws, we proceeded with a display of chess which will surely have other super clubs sitting up and taking notice. We blew them away, and when the score was 5-0, a draw in the final game was gracefully conceded.
For my own part, after answering the call of duty by giving three team members a lift, I sat down to do battle with opposition captain Neil Dainty. A thoroughly decent chap, and even more so when he thoughtfully put his queen in a pin against my bishop. He did see it, but he didn’t see the danger. Unfortunately for him, my pawn advanced from b7 to b5, and in order to save his queen, he had to give up his knight. After that I was able to double my rooks on the e file and all resistance was crushed.
The result was texted to Manager Barbara, and I have no doubt that a bottle of wine was cracked open in celebration.
Go Go Team Eccles!!! (GGTE)
Next Match:
Monday May 13th
Macclesfield v Eccles
A Division
Stockport League
Monday: Ladies Night
Wednesday: Chess for Fun Night.