Sussex vs Middlesex Girls Friendly at Lindfield on Saturday 5th October 2003

This match is rapidly becoming an annual fixture and a chance for the girls to represent their county and to play some competitive chess early in the season. The aim of the fixture is to play two evenly matched teams and therefore some of the top players from both sides were missing notably Stephanie Barraclough and Ellie Hayden for Sussex and Poppy Aarons and Claire Wu for Middlesex.

However both sides fielded a mixture of very strong experienced players and players rapidly gaining that experience with the games played out to some exciting finishes. 

The format of the match was 3 rounds of 7 games played at the rapid play time control of ½ an hour per player per game. Round 1 finished 4½-2½ to Middlesex but with games swinging one way then the other in the final minutes of play, the score could easily have been in favour of Sussex. Round 2 finished 4-3 to Sussex and then came the final exciting round with some very hard fought out games. 

The first few games of Round 3 to finish went to form with the higher boards winning against the lower boards. Abi, Charlotte and Elizabeth winning for Sussex and Kate and Jenna succeeding for Middlesex. Sarah Margolis playing against Alexandra Bottemanne who with 2/2 was favourite to make it 3/3 showed the importance of end game training. Sarah took the opportunity to swap off the pieces down to a K+B+RP vs K where her opponents Bishop was of the opposite colour to her pawns queening square. Sarah then dived her King into the corner and rocked between a8 and b7 for 40 moves until her opponent had to concede the draw. 

This left the exciting finale in the capable hands Sarah Linnett and Flora McCarthy who played out a hard fought ending with Sarah holding the upper hand. However when Flora achieved equality in a Rook and Pawn ending and knowing the score of the match was currently 10-10 both girls agreed to end hostilities.

This ended one of the most exciting matches that I have seen in girls chess and all the players deserve praise and Sussex offer their thanks to Bruce Birchall and his traveling parents for making the match possible. Final score a draw 10½-10½.