Redditch suffered their third defeat from their opening three matches in Division Two of the Birmingham League with a 5-1 demolition at the hands of Tamworth. In truth, this result could probably have been predicted on paper against a team that, if they played their first team in every game, could be considered a very useful Division 1 side. 165-graded Tom Robinson fell to his first defeat of the season for Redditch on Board One although it is questionable as to how many players even in Division One would have seriously fancied their chances against 210-graded Philip Briggs. Dave Spowart (139) and Kevin Day (119) picked up credible draws against Ralph Allen (162) and Patrick Kelly (133) on Boards Two and Six but the gulf in class manifested itself on the other boards with Andrew Wiggins (130), Steve Crockett (132) and Jason Cole (132) succumbing to Trevor Bould (170), Kevin Hern (158) and Simon Walton (156) respectively. Whilst the scoreline is indeed painful viewing, this was a team that has currently won its opening four matches and is seeking promotion back to Division One at the first time of asking.
Redditch followed this defeat up with a win over the boards in the first round of the Homer Cup but falling to a handicap loss against Shirley & Wythall 3. This time around, it was Redditch's turn to have the grading advantage. Daniel Lambourne (180) returned on Board One with a victory over Robert Purcell (136) and this was followed up on Boards Two and Three with wins for Tom Robinson and Dave Spowart against Louis Rawson and Kenneth Warren. However, the club fared less well on the bottom three boards with defeats for Andrew Wiggins and Steve Crockett against Peter McGuirk and Mike Warden and a draw for Jason Cole against Roger Ball. The final score was 3.5-2.5 to Redditch but a 1.5 point handicapp for Shirley & Wythall 3 as a result of being a division lower allowed them to claim a 4-3.5 win and book their place in the next round.
Although it has been a disappointing start to the season for this team, the three league teams faced may all expect to compete for promotion to the top flight this year. Future matches against other clubs that will also need to fight against relegation will determine the fate of the team. In the meantime, some of the players involved will instead represent the Division One side from the Worcester & District League on Thursday as they face a daunting trip to Worcester, whilst the Birmingham League Division Four side travel to Boldmere on Wednesday. Preceding both of these trips on Tuesday evening, however, is the first of four quickplay evenings organised by the club. Players will have two games with thirty minutes each. Tom Robinson scored a perfect 5/5 in the season-opening Phil Church Trophy with 15 minutes each on the clock. How will he fare in the longer time limit?
Closing thought: "If you don't win, it's not a great tragedy. The worst that happens is that you lose a game." - Bobby Fischer
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