East Budleigh had a fine victory in the Championship section of the Exeter Chess League, beating Exeter University B 2.5-1.5, writes Brian Gosling.

The match started with a big slice of luck for the visiting team when the University captain, playing on board one, prematurely resigned thinking he had a lost game out of the opening.

Unfortunately, for him and his team, he was seeing ghosts and he could have played on, although he would have been a couple of pawns down.

Ken Alexander, on board two, had the better ending against his opponent, but it soon fizzled out into a solid draw with neither side being able to make any progress.

The University hit back with a win on board three when Mike Lee could not make up the deficiency of his sacrificed knight!

All eyes were now on the remaining board four, which would determine the outcome of the match. Max Lee played a pretty tactic to win his opponent’s rook.

Although tired after a long game, he kept his cool and brought home the victory for East Budleigh.

Earlier, the club had a surprising win against their old rivals, Sidmouth, in the Exeter and District Chess League.

The club captain struck first with an attack against his opponent’s King which he could not repel.

Mike Lee soon followed with an imaginative win on board four against an opponent he has played many times before.

Sidmouth hit back as Barbara Newcombe, on board four, found her Sidmouth player too hot to handle in a long tricky knight ending in which she was two pawns down.

She made him work hard for his win and was unlucky not to draw.

So it came down to Jonathan Waley on board two to seal the victory against an opponent who, to no avail, played on in order to try and stop a Sidmouth defeat, but it was East Budleigh who took the match honours at 3-1.

In other news, the club secretary and Ken Alexander have recently been involved in a county match against Cornwall in which the Devon team came out on top thanks to a 9-7 score line.

Both players managed wins, thus helping Devon retain the second team championship – the Wayling Cup.

The next club night is on Thursday, April 11, at 6.50pm at the All Saints Church Hall, East Budleigh. The club needs new members in order to survive in its present form.

For more information, please contact Brian Gosling by email at brigosling@aol.com or by phone at 01395 442060.