Marching Kings and Melting Clocks: Derby’s Unlikely Escape
Time-trouble drama and wandering kings and knights brought the curtain down on an avoidable but typically (for us) dramatic finale as we drew 2-2 at Burton & Lichfield on Monday (23/03/26).
A match draw means the race for the title is now in Belper’s hands, but who knows there could be some twists and turns to come.
It was Kevin and George’s games against Benjamin Nevett-Farman and Richard Anderson, respectively, which went to the wire with the match score locked at one apiece.
Earlier, Adam Routledge put the hosts in control with an impressive, controlled victory against Leonid, who was black on board four.
But I got us back on level terms when, as tensions rose with kings castled on opposite sides, I countered in the centre and landed a rook skewer to clinch victory with the white pieces against Mercia-Marius Mesesan.
Kevin had played solidly with black against his higher-rated opponent, who, in a four-rook-and-pawns endgame, was low on time. Also dropping to seconds was George’s rival, whose potentially dangerous central pawns were blockaded.
But both games calmly being agreed as draws just wouldn’t be the Derby way…
George declined a draw offer, erring on the side of caution as Kevin’s game continued, and perhaps also ambitiously given his rival’s clock situation and evident unease.
However, Kevin seemingly in the heat of the moment interpreted this to mean that two draws weren’t sufficient, so he had then decided to march his king forward to ask some questions - only to get it cut off on the back rank with checkmate from his opponent’s two rooks unavoidable.
And just before this, George had lost his blockade and his opponent began to make progress pushing two central pawns down the board. To make matters even worse, there was a strong chance that George could offer or accept a draw without realising Kevin was now completely lost.
But as that result was confirmed, George played on and regained a touch of composure with a dancing knight manoeuvre to threaten a pawn. Still, the match seemed to have slipped from our grasp - only for his opponent to then suddenly lose on time, ensuing the match finished 2-2!
| Burton & Lichfield A | 2 - 2 | Derby A | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mesesan, Mircea-Marius | 2022 | 0 - 1 | Tompson, John C | 2116 |
| 2 | Nevett-Farman, Benjamin I | 2024 | 1 - 0 | Dalley, Kevin J | 1855 |
| 3 | Anderson, Richard | 1929 | 0 - 1 | Burdell, George | 1831 |
| 4 | Routledge, Adam | 1923 | 1 - 0 | Siedielnikov, Leonid | 1898 |
John Tompson 25/03/26