Oxford 1 expected their first season in the top flight of British chess, the Four Nations Chess League 1st division, to be a testing one. Though their first match against the champions, Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher, did not disabuse them of this notion and led to a 6-2 defeat, Oxford put up stiff resistance on all boards.

If such a resounding defeat could augur well, it did so, and in the second round Oxford won 4.5–3.5 against Barbican 2.

Against Wood Green — a team composed entirely of titled players — Oxford’s top board Ben Savage had reached a drawn ending against grandmaster and England international Nick Pert; but had faltered just as the draw seemed inevitable.

As this week’s game shows, the following day he managed to put this disappointment behind him and, though severely tested by one of Barbican and England’s best young players, he saw off the attack and registered the full point in terrific style. White: Ben Savage (Oxford 1) Black: Peter Poobalasingam (Barbican 2) 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 c6 Black cannot play 6...Bf5? because after 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.Qb3 he cannot defend both b7 and d5. Now, however, 7…Bf5 is a positional threat — so White must claim the b1-h7 diagonal. 7.Bd3 Ne4!? 8.Bxe7 8.Bf4 has been played but it looks illogical for White to expend a tempo in keeping his bad bishop.

8...Qxe7 9.Qc2 Nxc3 If 9...f5? then 10.Nxd5! reveals that White has two threats — not just one.

10.Qxc3 10.bxc3 is an equally valid approach.

10...Qg5 11.Kf1 Ben gives up his castling rights; but there was no pain-free way to defend g2. 11...0–0 12.Nf3 Qh5 13.Ne5 f6 14.Be2 Qe8 15.Nd3 Nd7 16.Bf3 f5!? 17.h4 Nf6 18.Ne5 Ng4 19.Bxg4 fxg4 20.f4!? Not to defend his knight — but to give his king somewhere to call home.

18…gxf3 Hoping to expose the White king. 20...Bf5 could have been considered when Black’s ‘bad bishop’ would be as good as White’s knight. 21.gxf3 Qh5 22.Ke2 Bf5 23.Kd2 If 23.Rag1 then Black could play 23…Be4 with pressure against White’s f3 pawn. Ben’s move was intended to stop this.

23...Be4?! Black plays it anyway! Now, though, it is a highly speculative gambit.

24.fxe4 Rf2+ 25.Kc1 Qe2 26.Kb1! Black was threatening to win the rook in the corner. Perhaps Black missed this defence when he played his 23rd move. Indeed after 26.b3? Raf8! he is winning.

26...b5 27.Re1 Now, White is easily consolidating with his extra piece and both 27.a3 and 27.Nd3 will do just as well.

27...Rf1 28.Rxf1 Qxf1+ 29.Qc1 Rf8 30.Kc2! Qg2+ 31.Kb3 Qxe4 32.Qxc6 Qxe3+ 33.Qc3 Qh6 34.a3 Qxh4 35.Rf1! Rxf1? Allowing a pretty finish. Peter had probably had enough and did not want to see 35...Qe7 36.Rxf8+ Qxf8 37.Qc6 when White bags Black’s d5 pawn with an easy win. 36.Qc8+ Rf8 37.Qe6+ Kh8 38.Nf7+ Kg8 39.Nh6+ Kh8 40.Qg8+ Rxg8 41.Nf7 checkmate.