Rollercoasters and Resilience: Derby E Win at Burton
Derby E travelled to Burton & Lichfield E on Monday 23rd February 2026 and returned with a valuable 2½–1½ victory, a result that lifts the team into second place in Division 4 — albeit with Belper E holding a game in hand.
The evening began with some organisational challenges, as a couple of late withdrawals required quick reshuffling. Many thanks to Curtis and Sam for stepping in at short notice to ensure the team travelled with a full line-up.
Due to my responsibilities at junior club, I was unable to be present for the start and arrived shortly after 9:15pm — just in time to meet Chris coming downstairs, having secured his win. His account suggested it had been quite a battle.
What began as a Four Knights Game quickly descended into chaos. Chris admitted to pushing his kingside pawns too early, neglecting central control and delaying castling, which gave his opponent the initiative. A free knight offered temporary relief, only for Chris to lose a rook to a skewer shortly afterwards. Fortunately, the pendulum swung again. After his king was chased across the board, his opponent slipped, allowing Chris to capture a rook and bishop in successive moves. At that point resignation followed — a “real rollercoaster” as he described it, and an important early point for Derby.
Back upstairs, the remaining three games were still in progress. My first impression was that both Curtis and Sam were pressing in promising positions, while Duncan’s board looked balanced but complex.
On Board 3, Sam’s game proved as dramatic as Chris’s. He won a queen with a discovered check on move 25 and appeared to be cruising. However, his king soon came under fierce attack from two bishops and a knight, and a miscalculation forced him to give up his queen in exchange for a knight. Even so, he remained material ahead and in control. When his opponent later offered a draw in a clearly losing position, Sam confidently declined and converted the advantage to secure Derby’s second point.
Curtis, meanwhile, had emerged from the opening in excellent shape: a pawn up with a clear spatial advantage. A tactical sequence allowed him to win further material and reach a position where he was a bishop up with queens off. Unfortunately, complacency crept in. A sudden knight-and-rook mating net turned the tables in brutal fashion. What had looked like a smooth win ended in defeat — a reminder that no position is safe until the handshake.
That left Duncan’s game as the final contest of the night. Playing White in a Queen’s Pawn opening against an Indian Defence, he felt he had emerged from the opening with strong development and attacking chances. However, a premature knight manoeuvre on move 21 allowed his opponent to seize the initiative and create a dangerous passed pawn. Although Duncan later regained a pawn through a tactical trick, the position had become messy and momentum had shifted.
With the other boards finished and both players short of time, the tension increased. Duncan eventually managed to neutralise the dangerous pawn but felt that pressing for a win would be risky. When his opponent offered a draw, he accepted — a pragmatic decision that secured the match victory for Derby.
| Team | Play | Won | Draw | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolls Royce F | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 12 |
| Derby E | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 11 |
| Belper E | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 10 |
| Wirksworth Feathers | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 14½ | 17½ | -3 | 7 |
| Spondon B | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 15 | -2 | 7 |
| Belper F | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 14½ | 21½ | -7 | 6 |
| Burton & Lichfield E | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 20 | -8 | 5 |
With the season entering its final stretch, the margins remain tight — but Derby E have positioned themselves well through resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to battle in every game.
| Burton & Lichfield E | 1½ - 2½ | Derby E | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams, Carlos | 1530 | ½ - ½ | Meikle, Duncan | 1462 |
| 2 | Whetnall, Connor | 1397 | 1 - 0 | Morrell, Curtis | 1496 |
| 3 | Drayton, Graeme | 1228 | 0 - 1 | Samra, Mohinderpal | 1472 |
| 4 | Hall, Pete | 0000 | 0 - 1 | Lacey, Chris | 1350 |
Kevin 15/02/26
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