Surrey League division 4 (Centenary Trophy) match played at the Haywain Brewers Fayre, Epsom on 16 October 2023
Epsom were very strong for this home match against Kingston 3 and ran out comfortable 5-1 winners. Charlie Cooke and Adam Nakar fought out tough draws on boards 2 and 3, but by then the damage had already been done.
I lost after being battered on the kingside, where my king was horribly vulnerable. Josh Lea and Ed Mospan’s games could have gone either way, despite each being a pawn down, but both eventually succumbed to strong opponents.
Nick Grey was a rook down, but fought back with a strong attack, helped by the fact that his opponent had two passive pieces. Ultimately, though, the piece advantage proved decisive despite Nick’s aggressive display in which he tested his opponent to the limit before conceding.
Accentuate the positives: it was a good experience against a strong team.
Stephen Daines, Kingston 3 captain
