Round 11 saw the e2e4.org.uk second team fell agonisingly short of promotion, as we were only able to draw with Spirit of Atticus. There were only two decisive games in the match; James Jackson won for e2e4.org.uk, but I lost as Black on board two against Sheila Jackson. Although we outgraded Atticus on the bottom four boards, the actual strength of these players is much higher. This is shown by the fact that Atticus finished second on tiebreak in the Third Division, and had gained promotion with a round to spare.
I give my game below. There were various points at which I think I could have improved, which are indicated. Mostly, I cannot fault my opponent’s play, except that I feel that she let me off the hook a little in the middlegame, and gave me some chance of saving the game.
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