27/08/26 - FINAL PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY ENDS IN FIRST EVER WIN FOR WARNDON!

2 min read

Warndon Chess Club are buzzing after rounding off the pre-season campaign with a long-awaited first victory, travelling away to Cheltenham. After a series of tough fixtures designed to build experience, the win arrives at exactly the right time, giving the team a welcome boost of confidence and some momentum to carry into competitive action.

There were several standout performances, on bottom board, with the Black pieces, Harvey Cross, a relatively new member of the club, had found a sharp tactical sequence that left his opponent bemused and secured him a forcing win.

As the last game to finish, Harvey's result would decide the match. With Warndon's first victory hanging in the balance, a large crowd gathered around the board for a cinematic climax, watching in awe as Harvey transformed an equal position into a winning one and secured the match victory for Warndon. The Warndon team beamed as Harvey looked up for the first time to ask for a queen. an image of his position can be found below.

Ceylan Ozvatan, also pictured below, with just a minute on her clock at the time of the photograph, and with only ten-second increments available, produced a particularly hard-fought victory.

Viktor Gorbunov delivered another dominant display, controlling the game from start to finish and never looking in any doubt.

On Board One, Alex Nicholls was the second game to finish, equalising the score, with his opponent resigning after just 22 moves. Alex entered a rare line of his White repertoire and followed the maximum available theory before taking control of the game and forcing the resignation. The result also means Alex finishes his pre-season campaign undefeated, having played five of the club's six friendlies, winning two and drawing three.

The timing of the victory could hardly be better, with the new season beckoning and Warndon now turning their full attention to the challenge of league chess. With the pre-season programme complete, the club has established its strongest possible four-player lineup for Colin Vernon’s U1650 team, with one bold ambition in mind: to win the title and bring the glory - and the trophy - to the east side of Worcester.

Contact

Alex Nicholls, Club President

Sarah Burgess, Club Secretary

Phone

info@warndonchessclub.co.uk

alex@warndonchessclub.co.uk

sarah@warndonchessclub.co.uk

07429083372