CAPTAIN FANTASTIC SAVES THE DAY IN LATE NIGHT TIME DRAMA

Pack yer bags, fill up with petrol, we’re going on a tour of the M60! So the Macc C lads are on the road again and the first stop is Urmston. A new venue for Man with Hat and a good one, good enough for ½ of a Chorlton team to come wandering in part way through (answers on a postcard)! Pete C on board 2 had a solid defensive structure that induced a draw offer from John R the ECF silver rep. and after further consideration this was eventually accepted. A good ½ to start with. The remaining 4 players looked OK but the strongest position belonged to Tom and a win over the affable Jim B beckoned. I wasn’t reading Board 1 very well and Macc’s Tony B succumbed to Jordi B. 1 ½ each and I now know how the night, if not the score, is going to end. Marc wasn’t at his best and having smashed his opponents’ defences open at a cost he overreached leaving Dave B to skilfully tidy up. Now the 2 captains, MWH and Tim P were locked horns to decide the outcome of the match. Avid readers of this blog will have noticed a certain lethargy of late due to a stressful year or two with solicitors (ssshhh, if they hear they will charge)! However, a Superhero returns, another alter ego and a Captain Fantastic proceeds to win the full point and a ½ point for his team. Mrs Hat stays up to welcome home her other half but declines to listen to the details. Still unbeaten and onwards we march.

Well played Urmston and we look forward to seeing you for the return in the New Year.

GALLANT GEOFF UNABLE TO STOP CUP EXIT

The Macc Lads arrived in good time for this tricky cup fixture at Stockport's lush venue. £5 for a pint of Peroni ! Were we in London? Perhaps Man with Hat needs to get out more often! (A trademark rolling of the eyes from Mrs Hat). This was an evenly matched tie and possibly a chance to knock out the holders and winners of the last 3 years (since our glorious victory in 2015 - never to be forgotten in Macc folklore). First up or rather down was Francis who had lost the exchange to David P for very little compensation. Denzil appeared to have an advantage over Jill but on closer inspection Jill had blocked Denzil's extra pawn and despite Denzil's best efforts a draw beckoned. Behind that game was Macc's Tony B V Jeff and this was also jammed up with Tony doing well to halve after allowing Jeff's knight to occupy a key square. Tony then explained that we needed Joachim to at least draw and Geoff to win giving us a win by board elimination. Having been there as a non-playing captain MWH had little to do apart from work out the score and he couldn`t do that right. Still Joachim managed his draw in another blocked up game with Peter T and on we marched more in hope than expectation. Geoff was in a terrible position when I slipped him the scorecard showing that we needed to win - If a picture is worth a thousand words then this was it. Andy C for Stockport was about to smash into Geoff's defences when he decided instead for a clever innovation that unfortunately for him was an oversight or miscalculation that hung a bishop. Game On! Geoff then had a lot of work to do to free himself from the shackles but he did it giving back the bishop for a position that was IMO winning. Unfortunately with the draw offers coming in thick and fast (well at least 2) the Secretary slipped into 5 minutes left and then 1 minute and the last chance disappeared when Andy kept the queens on leaving Geoff to lose on time. So a terrific fightback from the Secretary was thwarted as he narrowly failed to secure the win that would have seen Macclesfield progress to the next round. Well played Stockport and good luck for the rest of the competition.

C TEAM HELD IN PULSATING EAST CHESHIRE DERBY

Not the banner headline that I had hoped for! Macc C started the season with Man with Hat and Marc with a rendition of `the B6 appreciation society` joined by Tony with a confident King’s Gambit. Boards 4 & 5 were much quieter. Marc belted the moves out before accepting Steve K’s draw offer and fleeing into the night like a vampire with only half of his opponent’s blood. Board 2 was pivotal with my former sparring partner Tony enjoying a slice of good fortune. My eyes and ears on the ground suggested that Tony also had a slice of vanilla cake plus a lemon bun from Brassingtons with a cherry on top! When the battle stopped and the smoked cleared there was thunder from the throne and Steve Mac realised that he had thrown away too much material. Tom looked to be equal before dropping a piece and despite throwing his pawns forward to get some counterplay time pressure meant that the draw eluded him and Dave H was able to steer the ship home. 1½ : 1½ and I am making a pigs ear of my game (again). Man with Hat is getting badly beaten by Nick an opponent of similar strength who meted out a beating to MWH last March. When and where will this stop?! It’s a good job that John A came to the rescue on Board 5 using his time advantage to great effect to wear down his opponent Cath S.

Well played to East Cheshire, outgraded by a mean average of just over 10 points and perhaps unlucky not to go away with more than the draw. Mrs Hat would like to point out that one of the Hat Family has opened her account recently and that’s really not helpful