League toppers Witney 1’s defeat of second place Cowley 2 last week has secured Witney another first division title. Last year there was strong competition to the finish from City 1 and Cowley 1; but this season Witney have swept all before them — winning every match so far.

It’s up to the league’s other clubs to rise to the new standards set by Witney 1 and make next season more of a fight.

This season though, the real first division excitement concerns the battle over the one relegation place.

Bottom of the league and with only 3 points, Cowley 1 at last woke up to the danger and recruited visiting International Master Adam Hunt for last week’s tough match against University 1.

This paid off, and the 3.5-2.5 victory for Cowley in that match means that their bottom of the table clash with Bicester 1 on Monday will likely decide who makes the drop. In the Chiltern Cup first division, Oxfordshire trounced Buckinghamshire last Saturday to record their fifth straight win and secure the title.

The 16-4 victory reflected the grading difference between the teams and Oxfordshire captain Ian Brooke’s happy knack of persuading the county’s best players to turn out.

The goal now for Oxfordshire is to win their last match and record the first ever one hundred per-cent season.

Personally, my Chiltern League adversaries this season have been particularly generous.

On Saturday, my opponent made it easy for me by blundering a pawn on move 8 and against Berkshire’s John Wager in January, I was allowed to build a near perfect attacking position for minimum investment. White: Matthew Rose Black: John Wager 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. d5 Ne5 5. Bf4!? Played like this, Black’s Nimzowitsch defence is not too testing and now several sources give 5. Qd4 Ng6 6. Qxe4 as a simple way to a pleasant position for White.

5... Ng6 6. Bg3 a6 7. h4! h5 8. Qd4 Nf6 9. O-O-O Bf5 10. f3! Making the pawn sacrifice permanent to increase White’s development lead yet further. 10…exf3 11. Nxf3 Qd7 12. Bc4 Bg4 13. Rhe1 White is a pawn behind — but his position is so dominant that nothing can save Black.

13…Rc8 14. Bd3! Bf5 This is the move I was hoping for — but it’s difficult to see what Black can do against the threat to take on g6 ruining Black’s pawn structure and clearing the way for Ne5.

15. Bxf5 Qxf5 16. Qa7 Qd7 17. Qxb7 Ng4 18. Ne4 1-0