C Team Excel!

Here is Mauro’s match report. Enjoy!

It was an exciting evening of chess, with all six boards producing dramatic moments and plenty of fighting spirit.

On board 5, Elliot found himself in a tense struggle that went the full distance. Both players battled hard until the board was stripped down to just pawns. Sadly, the final race didn’t go his way, and Elliot had to concede after a marathon effort.

Cinar, however, was in superb form. With calm precision and smooth positional play, he gradually squeezed his opponent until resistance collapsed. His elegant performance was a model of control and earned Portishead C an early point.

Over on Board 4, Mauro had a night to forget. What could go wrong did go wrong: a series of tactical slips meant that the game snowballed against him. His opponent took full advantage, punishing each mistake and converting efficiently. A tough outing, but one from which plenty can be learned for the future.

SJ showed excellent resilience on her board. She navigated a complex middlegame with poise and, when a dangerous skewer loomed, she spotted the resources to wriggle free – a chance her opponent missed. From there, she pressed her advantage and brought home Portishead’s second victory of the night.

On board 2, Hugo demonstrated great endgame technique. With three pawns and a bishop against three pawns, it was far from straightforward. But Hugo calmly handled his pieces (and the clock), seized the initiative, and gradually converted his edge into a well-deserved win.

Finally, Ibrahim continued his remarkable run of form (as Jane said, he's on fire!). Playing with confidence and precision, he coordinated rook, knight, and queen in textbook fashion, steadily tightening the noose around his opponent’s king. As the clock ticked down – his rival with under 10 minutes compared to Ibrahim’s 40 – he crowned his performance with a beautifully calculated checkmate, sealing the match on a high note.