Derby B Defy Ratings to Take Point from Rolls-Royce A
The B team travelled to face Rolls-Royce A on Thursday (30/10/25). They outgraded us on every board by roughly 300 rating points overall. A 2–2 draw was therefore an excellent result — and gets us off the mark for the season.
Board 1 – David Smith (1830) vs. Andrew Stevens (1979)
I adopted a Colle System against an early …Bg4. The game developed into a balanced middlegame, with Black gaining the two bishops before a clever knight manoeuvre by myself led to simplifications into an ending with queens and opposite-coloured bishops. With neither side able to make progress, the players agreed to a draw.
Board 2 – Justin Smith (1773) vs. Daniel Blumenow (1838)
Justin reports that his game was evenly poised throughout. His opponent held a slight edge for much of the middlegame but mistimed a pawn break, allowing Justin to win a pawn. However, this exposed his king to tactical threats, and with a perpetual check imminent, a draw was agreed in a dynamically balanced position.
Board 3 – Stuart Marshall (1704) vs. Andrew Robins (1821)
Stuart employed the Richter–Veresov Attack, leading to a sharp middlegame with his opponent pressing on the queenside while Stuart advanced on the kingside. He felt comfortable for much of the game and expected a draw, but overpressed with a pawn push on the e-file. His opponent defended accurately, traded queens, and converted the endgame with a two-pawn advantage.
Board 4 – Shah Hussain (1702) vs. Ranjit Nath (1752)
Shah adopted a compact and solid defensive setup, carefully covering all key squares. His opponent overreached in an attempt to break through and miscalculated, losing a rook in the process. Shah made no mistake in converting his advantage, finishing with a confident win for the black pieces.
A well-earned draw against stronger opposition — an excellent all-round team performance from Derby B.
David Smith 31/10/25
| Rolls Royce A | 2 - 2 | Derby B | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stevens, Andrew | 1979 | ½ - ½ | Smith, David | 1830 |
| 2 | Blumenow, Daniel | 1838 | ½ - ½ | Smith, Justin | 1773 |
| 3 | Robins, Andrew | 1821 | 1 - 0 | Marshall, Stuart | 1704 |
| 4 | Nath, Ranjit | 1752 | 0 - 1 | Hussain, Shah | 1702 |