Strong Team Display Earns Derby B a Well-Deserved Draw
On Tuesday (16/12/25), Derby B hosted a closely fought and encouraging match that ended in a 2–2 draw, a result that represented a strong team performance and one that Derby could easily have converted into a win on another day.
The first game to finish was on board 3, where Stuart earned a well-deserved draw against Eddie, an opponent he had previously found difficult to score against. Playing the Benoni as Black, Stuart dealt calmly with early pressure, castled safely and activated his dark-squared bishop. A long struggle followed for control of the open e-file, during which Stuart found some imaginative tactical ideas to simplify into a queen, dark-squared bishop and pawn endgame. Although his opponent retained a slight edge, Stuart’s accurate play discouraged any attempt to press and a draw was agreed.
A standout performance came on board 4, where Shah produced an excellent attacking win. Facing the Sicilian Defence, Shah chose less familiar lines that unsettled his opponent from an early stage. On move 16, an inaccurate knight move allowed Shah to strike with e5, forking bishop and knight and winning material. A piece up, he continued to attack confidently on the kingside and converted his advantage convincingly, forcing resignation on move 36.
On board 2, David secured a solid draw against David Hatton after a carefully played queen’s pawn opening. Both sides adopted a patient approach, leading to a balanced position with little risk for either player. The opening of the c-file saw the rooks exchanged, and with Shah’s win already secured, the match situation made a cautious approach entirely sensible, with the draw comfortably agreed.
The final game saw defeat for me on board 1, though it was one that could easily have gone the other way. After a Hyper-Accelerated Dragon, the game transposed into a French-type structure that I know well. I felt in control for much of the game and reached a winning endgame, going a pawn up with two connected passed pawns. Unfortunately, a single missed opportunity to eliminate my opponent’s passed b-pawn without exchanging rooks proved costly. My king was then too far away to stop his g- and h-pawns, and I lost the resulting pawn race. It was a tough way to finish, but also a reminder of how narrow the margins can be.
Overall, this was a competitive team performance, with Derby B showing resilience, good preparation and fighting spirit across the boards. The result provides a positive platform to build on as the season continues.
Skott May 18/12/25
| Derby B | 2 - 2 | Rolls Royce B | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May, Skott K | 1798 | 0 - 1 | Richmond, Frank | 2003 |
| 2 | Smith, David | 1842 | ½ - ½ | Hatton, David | 1778 |
| 3 | Marshall, Stuart | 1697 | ½ - ½ | Bromilow, Edward T | 1777 |
| 4 | Hussain, Shah | 1672 | 1 - 0 | Rutland, Paul | 1777 |
Games from the match can be found here:
https://lichess.org/broadcast/derbyshire-league-division-1-derby-b-v-rolls-royce-b/match/mjurMInW