Routledge and Sykes victories give Lichfield B conclusive win

Wolverhampton & District Division 2

Wins from Adam Routledge and Phil Sykes saw Lichfield's Wolverhampton Division 2 side score an excellent 3-1 Away victory over Mercia B.

Tony Green, playing White, finished first on Board 1. Tony adopted a very safe system and found himself in a dull, dry game, with a dark-square bishop out of the game. His opponent’s position was not much better, and neither could challenge the other in any meaningful way. Both agreed to a draw quite quickly.

Phil Sykes, next to finish on Board 4, played an offbeat system with Black to take his junior opponent into unfamiliar waters, seeking to dive deep into an ocean of uncertainty. When they both resurfaced, Phil emerged a pawn up in a Rook, Knight and Pawns endgame. He converted this expertly into a win.

Adam Routledge won his game on Board 2 against an opponent he has had many personal dealings with. Adam played a very closed, unconventional system, negating his opponent's ability to weave complications in open positions. Adam pressed and won a pawn, then another. A poorly timed toilet trip made his opponent forget the details of his position and blunder a piece on his return. Adam converted the endgame to a win.

With the match now won, Yuriy Slobodyuk finished last, and he seemed to have the edge. His weaknesses were covered, and his position was solid. He slowly pressed, but his opponent somehow held everything together. Eventually, they reached an equal endgame and agreed to a draw. (Match played: 13th October)