Double Match Report: 28/01/25
Tuesday 28/01/25
Eccles 2.5 – 3.5 Urmston
Match Card: https://lms.englishchess.org.uk/lms/fixture/73272
MCF – E Division
Well played Urmston!! It was Eccles’ fourth team against Urmston’s second team.
Before the match I received a message from Urmston’s acting captain Mark Davies asking at which venue I would like to hold the match and we agreed that the match venue at my home was indeed an acceptable playing area to host the match.
I must admit I was left thinking why an Urmston captain and an MCF Council member had continually complained and objected to the Urmston teams playing at the Eccles home venue considering I have been fielding league matches at this very same venue in five different leagues without complaint for nearly four years?
Anyway, all players arrived in good time and the match went ahead as planned.
On paper Eccles out-rated all Urmston players across all six boards which only proves that you are only as strong as you are on the day because anything can happen during a chess game. An excellent performance by both teams!!
Seriously Urmston played amazingly well to beat Eccles and all credit goes to the Urmston players.
Man of the Match: Elliot Barnett (Urmston)
I have personally know Elliot for many years. I remember giving him an analogue chess clock back in 2018 when he used to hang out at the Málaga Drift taking part in friendly games.
Elliot has gone from strength to strength since those early days and he is now the MCF’s fixtures secretary which is a massive undertaking and well done to him for doing a brilliant job.
This is what Elliot said about his game against a very worthy opponent Patrik Tzorztakos
“My main comments are – it was a very positional and competitive game where we both used a lot of time trying to find the best moves. It looked as though the game would filter down to an equal endgame but I made the decision to decline any queen trades by taking back with the knight.
“In time trouble we eventually traded queens which resulted in black dropping a pawn which then led to more pawns falling, he tried a sneaky piece sacrifice to get connected passed pawns but with the short time left I worked out I could stop this.
“Yeah it was a competitive game and a really good fight which took a lot of brain power and energy from both sides and definitely played some excellent ideas in a tough position.
“I was hoping that game would be at the new place but wasn’t to be, sadly I can’t do Wednesdays that often anymore but will try and come down at some point and no problem at all”
Elliot, your comments were nicely written and well said, thank you!
2nd Match Report 28/01/24
Chorlton 2.5 – 3.5 Eccles
Match Card: https://lms.englishchess.org.uk/lms/fixture/73120
MCF – B Division
Nice Match: Eccles won Chorlton lost. Well played Eccles. (short match report due to lack of information).
Next Match: Tuesday 04/01/24
Eccles3 v Swinton2
Monday: Ladies, Learners & Monday night Mentors.
Wednesday: “Chess Night Birthday Party”
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21 Church Street Eccles M30 0DF
Thank you for reading “My Journey through Chess” by Barbara Farrar