Last night, Horsham 1 were up against Worthing 1 at home. Although I managed to draw my game, Horsham lost the match, as the other three games saw one win and two defeats.
I was Black against Matthew Payne on board three. The opening, a Sicilian Defence, resulted in a good position for Black. White decided to bail out into an equal endgame. Although White generated a bit of pressure, Black held firm. However, as both players started to run short of time, Black made some inaccuracies, followed by a definite mistake, which landed him in a lost position. It was then White’s turn to go wrong, as he first missed a chance to go into a won pawn endgame, then misplayed the rook endgame by pushing his c-pawn too far. Soon after, he conceded the draw.
I give the game below with some notes.