Kingston v Epsom, Alexander Cup semi-final played at the Willoughby Arms, Kingston on 5 February 2025
Mike Healey is playing adjacent to the radiator on the left (photograph courtesy of John Saunders)
This game on board 4 finished at 9pm having lasted 100 minutes. It was another hour before any other game produced a result. The briefness of the game is explained by White neglecting to castle in a reversed Sicilian. This allowed Black to exploit the position of the homeless king with some tactical tricks. Winning a queen on an open board is rare and brings the game to a satisfyingly early conclusion.
