On 9 June we welcomed Albany to the Actonians for a crucial end-of-season encounter. If Ealing were to win, we would remain in division one; a draw or defeat would mean relegation.
My game was the first to finish. As White, I enjoyed a spatial advantage with slightly better piece mobility but in a position that lacked pawn breaks. Unable to find any sort of viable plan and with the clock ticking down, I offered a draw which was accepted.
A little later an in-form Alan completed his game, commenting: “I was up against Maxim Dunn for the fifth time in 15 months. As White, I faced the Slav, following our game from April 2024 until I varied on move 10. Castling on opposite sides, I was looking forward to a sharp game in which I attacked by advancing the kingside pawns. Unfortunately I played inaccurately, allowing him to plant a knight on c4. I could find nothing better than to swap this off and exchange queens. I was so disappointed that I offered a draw on move 19 which he declined. We played on until move 29 when he offered a draw which I immediately accepted. We had reached a bishop versus knight ending, each with seven pawns. According to my engine, I had an advantage of about +0.5 but to me the position looked equal and drawish.”
From what I observed, Martin and Tony had tight and evenly-balanced games, both of which ended in the splitting of the point. After four games, the match was poised at 2-all with everything still to play for.
Our board five, Jonathan, has enjoyed a good season. He writes: “I had a lively game as Black. My Dutch Leningrad led to a middlegame where both of us had play on opposite sides of the board. Whereas his side became increasingly blocked, mine became increasingly fluid, and I managed to break through with pawns and pieces, tying his King down on f1 with a pawn on f2. There may have been faster finishes available, but my advantage proved decisive in the endgame.”
Everything now hung on the outcome of the board one encounter. Reflecting on his game, Andrew notes: “As White, Thomas Rendle played the Catalan. I played a line in which Black tries to hang on to the c4-pawn by counterplay against d4 with …Nc6. This is complex and not drawish, but maybe not ideal against IM opponents – I just lost to Richard Bates in this line as well. Rendle sacced his d-pawn by playing the move 7.Nbd2. I didn’t know but this has been played at the highest level recently, e.g. Nakumara beating Caruana. Not long out of the opening, I was as good as lost with him having a crushing bind on my position with a knight on d6 in return for a single pawn. When he won my e6-pawn on move 24, my position was resignable.
As a last throw of the dice, I gave back another pawn, and a passed one on b6 at that, just to free my pieces – better to die free than in a bind! He then erred by playing 27.b7 which seemed to win a piece but actually allowed me to escape by a clever tactic.
We ended up in a R+B+3 v R+N+3 ending with me having 3v2 on the kingside and him an a-pawn which combined with the BvN gave him an advantage but nothing clear cut. He then offered a tactical sequence leading to a R+2 v R+2, all on the kingside which I grabbed eagerly. He realised h+g v h+f gave him winning chances and at least one of my pawns would fall. If I had given up hope of saving my h-pawn and simply brought my king back as quickly as possible to the kingside while preserving the f-pawn (the h-pawn was not possible to hold), I would probably have held the draw and we would have stayed up! But inaccuracies under the increment finish and I ended up losing both pawns and the game. Sorry team!”
There is absolutely no need to apologise, as we face relegation because of our performance over the season and not simply one match. That said, we came within a whisker of staying in the first division but, alas, it was not to be. On a positive note, we look forward to the second division with confidence and hopefully will bounce back to the top flight in a year’s time.
| Ealing | Rating | Result | Albany | Rating |
| FM Andrew Harley | 2158 | 0-1 | IM Thomas Rendle | 2415 |
| Alan Perkins | 2171 | 0.5-0.5 | Maxim Dunn | 2203 |
| Martin Smith | 2137 | 0.5-0.5 | Vincent Sagues | 2034 |
| Tony Wells | 2024 | 0.5-0.5 | Robert Stern | 1957 |
| Jonathan White | 2021 | 1-0 | Iozeph Okosieme | 1950 |
| Simon Healeas | 1832 | 0.5-0.5 | Howard Groves | 1892 |
| 3–3 |