At Christmas our Harvey Cup side have a 100% record and are the only team in the competition to not have either lost a match or conceded two draws.

Our side playing against Petts Wood in the first match of the season was rather weak with six players unavailable. When one player could not find the match venue and arrived seven minutes after the default time prospects did not look good, but Janis Elton equalized the score with a fine win against a player graded 32 points above her and Chris Cheeseman won a piece and the game. One of Petts Wood’s good juniors brought the score back level, but then Ian McAllan ground out a win playing against a bad bishop and Lee Brockwell, having turned down a draw offer, won on time to complete a surprising 4 - 2 victory.

In the second match of the season against Charlton seven players were unavailable, but Tony Packham and Greg Edwards won and then Ian McAllan’s opponent got his own king trapped in a drawn position. On seeing this Lee Brockwell agreed a draw in an equal position to win the match 3.5 - 2.5.

Ian McAllan