On Thursday 20th March the Harvey Cup team played its final match of the season against Dartford. In my last post about the Harvey Cup team I said that we would come second unless the results of other matches went our way. In fact the results of the three key matches were absolutely perfect for us: Dartford and Petts Wood drew with each other and then both Petts Wood and Gravesend lost to teams below them. This left Petts Wood and Gravesend out of it and Dartford needing a big win in their last match against us to equal our match points and overtake us on game points. Dartford put out a very strong team and for a while it looked as if Dartford might actually succeed in reaching 4.5 points. Ken Smith had to accept the draw offered by his opponent and then Chris Cheeseman and Don Chapman both lost. Gary Sharp, who had been the only Sidcup player with winning chances had to concede the draw, so with Dave Helps having a lost position and Ian McAllan under pressure, disaster was a distinct possibility, but the turning point came when Dave played a combination, which left him a knight for two pawns up. Although his game was eventually drawn, when Ian’s opposite bishops ending was also agreed drawn, Sidcup had lost the match 2 - 4 , but done enough to top the league.

Ian McAllan