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Man with Hat

Last home game of the season (played at Wilmslow). This is now the 4th different venue for the last 4 home games and the Macclesfield Nomads aka Macclesfield C are looking to make it an incredible 9 victories in 10. First to finish was Mrs Hat and regular readers of this blog will know that Mr Hat is neither brave nor stupid and does not comment 0-1. Next an almighty thud that triggered Tsunami alerts across the globe as Marc throws down his King in disgust after ceding the advantage to a strong opponent 0-2. Dave M is having to play accurately to stay in this one as his opponent is peppering him with checks in a double Rook and Queen endgame but it’s the Wilmslow player who makes the error and 20 minutes later its 1-2. Rook and opposite squared Bishops are a recipe for frustration in endgames but David S finished with aplomb. Well played Dave and David! 2-2. Here we go again as the crowd tunes into another episode of `An audience with the Hat`. I now have not only a massive time advantage but an extra Bishop and only a passed pawn wedged into the 6th rank to worry about. Man with Hat makes this nervier than it should have been. When I finally wake up to the fact that I need to sac a pawn to create the play that will activate my pieces my time advantage has been drastically reduced. My opponent’s clock however does run out and although not the most satisfying of ways to win a game, a win is a win and this was my best of the season.

A special thanks to Wilmslow Chess Club for hosting this match as cordial as ever.

Man with Hat

Just a point required to be crowned champions of Division 3. Macclesfield `C` entertain Altrincham `B` in the basement of a community hall – with Zamba classes being held upstairs!! For those not familiar, the beat and more pertinently the loudness is somewhere between the Notting Hill Carnival and that other one in Rio. Mercifully, it ended at 9pm. Tom was first to finish with a win. Having struggled with his form in recent weeks, this was a gutsy performance to win when it mattered most. Next was Marc looking to avenge a defeat he suffered at the beginning of last month. Having engineered a passed pawn advantage, he was on top in a Queen & Double Rook ending when his opponent under pressure blundered and allowed Marc to fork his rooks. On hearing the 2-0 scoreline, Dave M exchanged a solid and promising position for an agreed championship winning draw. Objective secured in an almost anti-climatic way. David S, having fended off a vicious Kingside attack then went on to win his game meaning that the match had now been won. The only blip was Man with the Hat who played poorly throughout but full credit and congratulations to my opponent who did play well and thoroughly deserved his win. There was still time for the championship winning captain to be carried shoulder high down to the Queens Hotel where a guard of honour had been formed to throw Man with Hat into a bath full of champagne after he nodded off, contented and with a glass of scotch in his hand.

A special thanks to Jenny Soames for booking the venue at short notice and to the Altrincham team for being good sports when confronted with the cacophony that greeted them.

Macclesfield `C` stand on the brink of glory following last night's win over East Cheshire `C`. However, 2 very tricky fixtures stand in their way. If Altrincham can come anywhere close to matching their form in the 1st fixture then a title decider at Wilmslow will surely follow.

It’s not good to win a match by default so the triumphalism normally associated with these Blogs will have to be put on hold. Marc on top board kicked off proceedings. After castling kingside and presumably lulling his opponent into a sense of security, Marc then commenced to launch a kingside pawn storm. His opponent refuted this but then missed a move and allowed Marc to liquidate into a won pawn endgame. Man with Hat had to endure a piece sacrifice and used most of his time finding accurate play. I am confident that analysis will show my position was sound but it sure didn’t feel like it until some large lady began to warm up her vocal chords. Tom played Keith for the 4th time in the last 2 seasons and this time experience came out on top. David S was last to finish. David looked to have good compensation for a piece but then he inexplicably threw everything but the kitchen sink in vain – Washer, dryer, fridge/freezer i.e a fully fitted kitchen. A 2-2 draw that turned into a 3-2 win by default. Our luck needs to hold out for one more match. Watch this space!

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