Inverclyde A produced an outstanding performance to draw with the very strong Shettleston team in a exciting match in the East End Of Glasgow. As well as being heavily ougraded on every board - by over 300 points in some games - Inverclyde were further disadvantaged when a car bringing four of their players was stuck in traffic, causing them to lose over twenty minutes of their allotted hour for their first thirty moves.
Jim Montgomery made a positive start for Inverclyde, drawing with black on board two, but although Inverclyde's Kevin McDonald played well on the top board against International Master Douglas Bryson - one of Scotland's best players - he was eventually overcome. Boards three and four for Inverclyde, John Calder and Stephen Hilton, also played well, securing draws against their stonger opponents to keep Inverclyde in contention. Andy Smith on board eight lost his game, but he faced the most difficult challenge, an opponent graded almost four hundred points above him.
The outstanding performers of the evening for Inverclyde were Stephen Riley and Gary McPheator, both upsetting the odds in impressive fashion by beating their much higher rated opponents. This left the scores at 3.5 points with only the game on board six left to finish, the result of which would decide the match.
The finish to this game was dramatic, with the players from both teams crowded round the board. The game had been spectacular, with which both players having sacrificed rooks, and having had to negotiate traps which would have meant instant defeat. With less that one minute to left on his clock, and threatened with checkmate, Inverclyde's David Logue found a series of checks, and then a second rook sacrifice to open his opponent's position enough to force a draw be perpetually checking his opponent's King. The draw meant the match finished 4-4 and gave Inverclyde arguably their best result of the season.
Inverclyde's next Glasgow League match is against Giffnock A, a tough, and unpredictable match - Inverclyde have lost three of the last four meetings, but won 7.5-0.5 two seasons ago.
Full Results:
| Bd | Grade | Shettleston A | (2) | vs | (7) | Inverclyde | Grade | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2408 | Bryson, Douglas M (IM) | 1 | - | 0 | McDonald, Kevin | 2107 | Home Win |
| 2 | 2112 | Nolan, Graeme A | ½ | - | ½ | Montgomery, Jim | 2085 | Draw |
| 3 | 2141 | Allor, Chukwuka | ½ | - | ½ | Calder, John | 1797 | Draw |
| 4 | 1976 | Hulme, William | ½ | - | ½ | Hilton, Steve H | 1751 | Draw |
| 5 | 1897 | Doyle, James | 0 | - | 1 | Riley, Stephen | 1705 | Away Win |
| 6 | 2018 | Henderson, John B | ½ | - | ½ | Logue, David | 1675 | Draw |
| 7 | 1942 | Gillies, Alex | 0 | - | 1 | McPheator, Gary | 1670 | Away Win |
| 8 | 1837 | Cochrane, Richard | 1 | - | 0 | Smith, Andy | 1487 | Home Win |
| 4 | - | 4 | ||||||
