The evening started with small issues. John Ashley took on the role of captain and confirmed the team order.
The next hurdle was the digital clocks . This caused a headache as none of the Limit league team could set the clocks. As there are no reliable manual clocks available ( they have been replaced over the last few years), Every member now needs to learn how to set these clocks .
On to the match itself.
Our experienced Limit league team were treated to a harsh lesson from the Ashton school. 0-4 ! The lads from Ashton played very well.
John Astley on board one (black) was the first to fall against an opponent who had done his homework on the Sicilian defense. Sacrificing a piece for 2 pawns to get an overwhelming queenside attack. Marc Jouannet was the next to fall after attempting a king side attack.
Brian Woodhall defended to the end but losing a piece earlier on proved too much of a challenge.
Finally, Brian Woodhall had to give in when he couldn't prevent the pawn advantage resulting in a queen.
Will lessons be learned? We hope so