Crack open the mulled wine & get your tinsel ready – here at Hammer we’re putting a festive spin on our mid-term Team Captain’s reports as we present… The 8 Teams of Christmas (c)!!!
With most of our League Games now done until the new year, every few days we’ll be hearing from one of our captains how their team has done so far this season.
So, without further ado…
“On the first day of Christmas, HammerChess gave to me…”
…London League 4, by Dave Lambert!
Without a match in Division 4 since early November, I’ve very little excuse for not writing a short mid-term report at Christmas to tide us over! I’ve also just noticed that all the 2017 matches across the league have now completed, so the timing seems apt.
We’ve only played 3 of our 12 matches, but have made a positive start. We’ve chalked-up 2 points on the scoreboard and sit in 5th place as we approach the New Year.
A convincing early win against Morley College (7-1) was followed with another decisive win against Alfil (5.5-1.5).
Our defeat came at the hands of Metropolitan (2.5-5.5) whose home advantage saw them triumph. Despite the scoreline, we ran them really close with a couple of results turning their way at the death.
It’s a really competitive league this time around – perhaps more so than ever – and there’s probably around 6 sides capable of stealing promotion (top 2 finish required). We have to count ourselves amongst that number, but will need to bring our A-game against the likes of Streatham, Lewisham and Athenaeum to really put ourselves in the mix.
I can include the latest view of our individual records below, but in truth, it’s too early to get excited about this stuff. Most of us have only played one or two games! Still, it’s nice to see so many players getting games across the squad, particularly as we’ve been able to welcome the likes of Charlie, Simon, Pouya, Wyatt, Matteo and Shiraz to make their debuts this season. That’s nearly half our number! What a reflection of how far we’ve come as a club over the last 12 months.
We’ll find out what we’re made of in January when we face a couple of main contenders in quick succession!
Have a great Christmas and New Year! Let’s hope for a successful 2018.
Dave.