There were three games played last night in the Div 2 club championship. All three games were won by the underdogs as firstly George Jelliss secured his div 2 status with a win, to finish the tournament in mid-table on 4/10. Then Mike Keenan played a superb game, with a brilliant finish that forced a mate with Rook and Knight after a Queen sacrifice. Mike has finished with 3/10, that leaves him joint 10th avoiding relegation to division 3.
The Match of the Day cameras were focused on title chasing Pawel Stanny. In a complicated position and short on time, he declined a draw offer with a Queen and Bishop and some pawns facing a Rook, Bishop, Knight and some pawns where the opposition pieces seemed to be holding. In the knowledge that a draw would only allow him to possibly share the title, his Queen ran rampant picking up a minor piece and a couple of pawns before shepherding one of his own pawns to an unstoppable position on the 7th rank to gain an unlikely win.
So the Div 2 title boils down to the last game between Pawel and Kobus Nienaber, with George Bulbeck sitting on the top of the table with 7pts. If Pawel can draw, the title will be shared, and a win gives Pawel the trophy outright. Will Kobus be able to stop him next Tuesday in the decider ?