Surrey League division 5 (Minor Trophy) match played at the North Star, Chessington on 18 October 2023

This was a good result for Kingston’s newly inaugurated fourth team away to Chessington 2 – a victory by 4-2, capped by some fine displays on both sides.

It is not often I would highlight the opposition play, but credit where credit is due – Meena Santosh, who is due to give birth in less than two weeks, bombarded James Kerr’s kingside with an unrelenting attack. James was steadfast until the end and had opportunities of his own early on. A good old-fashioned kingside attack. The 19th-century masters would have been proud of both performances.

Solid wins by Sean Tay, Josh Lea, Ergo Nobel and me took us into an unassailable 4-1 lead. It was a great first win for the club by Ergo, who joined recently and has already proved his worth with a crucial draw in the Lauder Trophy victory away to South Norwood. Sean and Josh continued on their upward trajectory, and have also become important components in Kingston’s teams.

My game saw me win two pawns in a swashbuckling opening in which my opponent’s aggression but held at bay by a solid pawn formation. This new strategic awareness was a notable improvement in my game. A series of exchanges saw my two-pawn advantage manifest itself in two potential passed pawns. My opponent resisted doggedly until the promotion of one of the pawns finally forced resignation. 

Ed Mospan continued his Kingston comeback with an attack which at one stage saw him go several pawns to the good. But alas time trouble and a durable display by his opponent (whose ECF grade is 1686) saw the game hijacked at the eleventh hour. Nevertheless a solid performance by, to quote Julian Way, a great Kingston stalwart. Julian had come along to support the team, and his advice on the bus home was much appreciated. An enjoyable night of chess.

Stephen Daines, Kingston 4 captain