Derby C Show Fighting Spirit Despite Rating Gap
On Tuesday (9/12/25) a weakened Derby C team faced a strong Belper C side and, despite being out-rated by an average of around 150 points per board, put up a determined fight.
Shourya was the first to conclude, coming up against the very experienced Martin Cobham and eventually conceding defeat. Curtis adopted an ambitious approach, sacrificing a knight for two central pawns and a strong grip on the position. However, Vaughan managed to simplify by exchanging queens, and with time becoming a factor Curtis was unable to hold on.
Matt took on Mike Alderson and, following an unusual move order, found himself in a Slav Defence. A tactical oversight left him a pawn down, but he defended resourcefully and sought to use his advantage on the clock to apply pressure. Unfortunately, the position gradually unravelled and Matt resigned when the outcome became clear.
Garry was the last to finish and played a closely contested game in which he had chances to gain the upper hand. In a very sharp ending, however, Rob succeeded in promoting a pawn, and Garry was forced to resign.
| Derby C | 0 - 4 | Belper C | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caswell, Matthew | 1606 | 0 - 1 | Alderson, Michael J | 1928 |
| 2 | Sands, Garry | 1595 | 0 - 1 | Fursman, Rob | 1742 |
| 3 | Eaga, Shourya | 1603 | 0 - 1 | Cobham, Martin | 1748 |
| 4 | Morrell, Curtis | 1622 | 0 - 1 | Smith, Vaughan WG | 1590 |
Dave Williams 11/12/25