ECFOLCC U1825 Final: Essex 7½-3½ Lincs
On chess.com – A top six boards performance of 5-1 without loss, fired Essex to their first ECF Online Championship at U1825 level in the Final against Lincs. Two more wins and a draw from the lower order completed the convincing victory. The six Essex wins and three draws are given below (Essex were Black on odds).
History is usually written by the victors, but we have an exception with the Lincs skipper, Kevin McCarthy, leaving a report on the ECF LMS:
Congrats to Essex on the win
Proud as punch of Lincs getting to the final and thankfully the two games that slipped away from us on 5 and 12 would have only meant losing on board count anyway!
Board 4 could well have gone their way too, with Edison low on time.
On 12 Mae Catabay was a late substitute for Pranay Gogia (delayed at cricket, which was not entirely unexpected so Mae was on standby) just before the start of play. Board 10 was agreed aborted by the players after neither could escape from a bullet time control despite entering the correct timings. It was not for the want of trying. One former County Match Controller (SCCU) and one current (MCCU).
Key wins from Edison took Essex close to the finishing line and then by Ian sealing the win, with Anup then converting his Q v R and dangerous passed pawn ending.
Here are the six Essex wins and three draws (Essex were Black on odds).