Michael Schreenan met the very experienced Kevin Perrin in a Scotch Opening. Typically, White launched an immediate attack, giving up a pawn. Black calmly dodged the tricks and consolidated, then picked up the exchange and a couple more pawns. Further losses followed before Black threw in the towel.

Chris Segrave faced John Abson who declined the Kings Gambit! A slow manoeuvring game ensued, before Black grabbed a pawn and then cleverly won a piece as well. White opened up the position looking for counterplay, but simply enabled Black to clean up.

Boris Skontra versus Jamie Brotheridge was a weird sort of Grunfeld. Black won a pawn early, then the exchange, and with a passed pawn quickly overwhelmed his opponent.

Patrick Cook faced the quiet achiever Joel Beggs and opted for the Queens Gambit Declined. White walked into a well-known trap right in the opening and lost a piece for a pawn. Thereafter, Black calmly and carefully made his advantage pay with excellent technique. Joel has now “scalped” both giants in the one event!

Peter Miitel versus Rob Loveband was a Colle System. A tense, tough positional game ensued, typical of Whites opening choice. In an even middlegame with long pawn chains, neither player could break through and a draw was agreed.

Bill Coutts had the bye, but was able to play his round 7 game versus Michael Schreenan. A Four Knights game in which all four knights disappeared early, White won a piece for a pawn in the middlegame and rammed home his advantage.