Two Dunfermline SNCL Teams promoted - 24/03/19

Well shock and surprises.   Did any of us have ever imagine that from hauling together 2 makeweight Dunfermline teams that they would both get promoted!  Top billing goes to the Knaves in winning Division 4 which wasn’t a bad showing for a team cobbled together at the last minute to make up the numbers.  Gonzalo was top player with a super 4/5.  The team itself got 5 wins and a draw from the 7 rounds.

The Knights aimed to consolidate Division 2 status after winning Division 3 the previous season.  However a bit of good fortune found us playing against one of the main challengers in round 1 but who were slightly weakened on the day.  That win got Dunfermline off to a flier and although drawing 2 and losing one (to the eventual champions) of their next matches, three successive victories secured second place (ahead of our unfortunate round 1 rivals) and promotion to the top division for next season.  

Dunfermline v Cumbernauld A played at Dunfermline, 18 Mar 19

Calum Smith (c) 1612   1-0       Ralph Stirrat 1788

Douglas Rew 1452       1-0       Derek McAteer (c) 1429

Gonzalo Forero 1434    1-0       John Pearson 1495

Gordon Grieg 1396       1-0       George Ford 697

Mark McLintock 1201    1-0        - default -

Dunfermline 5-0 Cumbernauld A

Cumbernauld had white on boards 1, 4 and 5

The days start to feel a little longer as we go through March. One gets a sense that there is more time to accomplish things. Certainly, we found ourselves with the luxury of spare time yesterday as every match was finished by half eight.

First to finish was the top board. Ralph had seen my combination ending in me getting two pawns for a piece but overlooked that I was attacking his Ra1 as well as the c4 knight. We had a look at the game afterwards and found that Ralph need not follow the combination all the way through, he could pin/ win my bishop instead. We both agreed that I would have resigned. I had a look on the computer just now and I can wriggle... it goes back to two pawns for a piece. Not great, but salvageable. Hindsight, eh?

Board 2 was the last to finish. Derek dropped a knight/ rook exchange, put up a good defence, but ultimately succumbed.

To board 3, and a Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch Defence. Black soon got tied up a bit, white having a lot of centralised activity. The tactics came from this strong position, as they often do.

On board 4, Cumbernauld's George embarked on a series of exchanges only to see the "Bxh2+ leaving the queen en prise" motif when he was a knight down. Gordon then had significant pressure down the c-file, now two pieces to the good.

Thank you to Cumbernauld for coming through, some interesting, pacey games.