A relatively busy week in Division 1 with six of the seven teams in action.

On the Tuesday White Knights A added a bit more agony to the All Blacks’ season by defeating them 4-1 at Neath. By all accounts it was closer than the score line suggests but it is the final result that counts. The Knights move inexorably towards the title while All Blacks move even closer to Division 2.

On the Wednesday, Morriston A and Swansea University met for the second time this season. In their last match Morriston had a relatively easy time of it winning 4-1 but not this time. Wins on boards 1 & 5 for the University matched by wins on 2 & 3 for Morriston coupled with a draw on board 4 gave each time a match point and Morriston with their first drawn match of the season. The result, however, boosts Morriston into third spot just above White Knights C.

On Thursday BF Nidum travelled to Llanelli to play White Knights B knowing that in their previous encounter they had been held to a draw. This time wins on boards 3 & 4 plus draws on the other boards gave Nidum the victory and keep them secure in second place but 5 points behind White Knights A.

There were just two matches in Division 2. Not surprisingly Morriston B defeated their D team in their interclub match although not as convincingly as they had defeated their C team. 3½-1½ the final score with the result taking Morriston B to the top of the division with a match in hand and an impressive game point score. In the other match UK Merlins visited Briton Ferry to take on the Giants, a team that had already defeated them last time they met. This time, however, the Giants bore no resemblance to that winning team and considered themselves lucky to escape with 4 draws and just 1 loss over the boards. The 3-2 victory for Merlins moves them a little bit further away from the relegation zone although they remain third from bottom.

Three matches in Division 3 with the first being UK Harriers playing host to St Michael’s School. Although St Michael’s won on the top two boards Harriers scraped through thanks to three wins on the bottom three. The 3-2 win takes the Harriers back into third spot above Tribunes courtesy of a slightly better game point score. De la Beche B kept up the pressure on BF Brunel by overcoming Morriston F at Sketty. It was the second match of the week which featured 4 draws and was only settled by a single win. The 3-2 victory for De la Beche B keeps them 4 points behind Brunel. The following night De la Beche C travelled to Glais where they defeated Morriston E. Yet again it was close with two draws and just the one extra win separating them and giving De la Beche C the victory 3-2. The results lifts De la Beche C above Morriston F.

Next week (w/b 29th Jan) is the week reserved for the first round matches in the three KO Cup sections. There are 4 teams in the Open section vying for the Stanley Fortt Memorial Cup, eight teams in the section for players graded 1800 or lower (Richard E Jones Cup) and eight teams in the section for players graded 1400 or lower (A.D. Nicholson Shield). Ten matches in total with twenty teams in action. Eligibility for the lower sections is governed by the July 2017 grading list.

27/01/2018