24 April 2018 - Central League Cup

Stirling v Badgers Brook
Jim Shemilt   Steve Smith   Graham Anderson   Dave Hewitt   Craig Manson   Richard Warcup   Gordon Allcock	1767   1704   1622   1584   1455       1284	½ - ½   0 - 1   1 - 0   ½ - ½   0 - 1   1 - 0   1 - 0	2054   2012   1782   1562   1430   1375   1175	Kenny McGeoch   Mark Cooke   Fabio Biancalana   Graham Kerr   Dave McGilvray   Derek Raffan   Gordon Walker
		4 - 3

This re-arranged fixture was played in Broxburn, although it was technically a home tie for Stirling. Can chess get any more exciting than this? After an hour and a half, all of the games seemed to my inexpert eye very even. Gordon then won on board 7, followed by a draw on top board for Jim (showing how to blockade pawns) to put Stirling 1½-½ up. Steve then lost, bringing Badgers Brook right back into it. Craig got mated having run out of time a couple of minutes beforehand, swiftly followed by Richard mating Derek. 2½-2½, with Dave and me still playing. Dave then agreed a draw to make it 3-3. My game against Fabio had been a topsy-turvy affair - White (Fabio) castled Queen side, Black castled King side, and the pawn storm against the castled Kings began. Fabio sacrificed a Bishop with check to get in at my King, although I couldn't see how he could win. A few moves later, I saw exactly how he could win, but fortunately for me Fabio didn't (thanks, lucky underpants!). A Bishop up, I continued but made heavy weather of it, and Fabio constantly found mating threats against my exposed King. In the end, Fabio's clock ran down and he lost on time. A very hard-fought match, but Stirling progress to the final on 7 May against Grangemouth.