This week Malcolm Clarke reports on the recent matches in the Robertson Plate and Cup.

Both Chandlers Ford teams were beaten in the Robertson Plate, but although the A team went down 4.5-0.5 to Fareham and the B team 5-0 to University B, but in truth they did well to get teams out for both matches.

The Chandlers Ford A team faced Fareham whose team consisted of players who had played in their team  that is currently top of Southampton Chess League Division 1, while the Chandlers Ford team had only David Holmes of the first choice A team players available and it was Holmes who got the team’s only half point, although all of the other Chandlers Ford players made their opponents work hard for their victories..

However rules do not allow players to represent more than one Chandlers Ford team in the competition and as a result the five players who played against Fareham could not play against the University.  Chandlers Ford’s situation became more difficult when for a match where captain Nobby George required one more player than he would for a normal league game, six of the seven players he asked to play at the club night two days before the game were unable to make it.  However phone calls from George and an email sent by secretary Malcolm Clarke yielded the three additional players.

The Chandlers Ford team faced a University B team  identical to that had played against the Chandlers Ford A team the previous week apart from the boards 3 and 4 being interchanged,  Despite being whitewashed the Chandlers Ford team gave a good account of themselves and particular credit should also be given to Suzan Dunleavy who provided transport for her husband and three other players.

In the Robertson Cup Winchester lost 4-1 to  Ringwood despite Jon Barnes and Alan Dyos getting draws against opponents more than  35 points higher graded than themselves.