| Bd | Col | Customs I | 2½ | 3½ | Wickford I |
| 1 | W | Peter Walker | ½ | ½ | David Millward |
| 2 | B | Charles Bowering | ½ | ½ | Dave Pearse |
| 3 | W | Matt Jellett | 0 | 1 | Steve Collins |
| 4 | B | Nick Jellett | 0 | 1 | Ian Morgan |
| 5 | W | Ellen Walker | 1 | 0 | Roy Hare |
| 6 | B | Daniel Hedges | ½ | ½ | David Hutchings |
Wickford were at full strength when they visited Customs at our alternative home venue: indeed, Steve Collins, having been registered since the original list was published at the start of the season, rather strengthened their middle order in his first appearence for the club.
The early results went against us as Nick and Matt both came second while Charles and I could do no better than share the points with our respective opponents. In both cases White tried to whip up an attack only to find that Black was equal to the task and exchanges into fairly sterile positions were inevitable.
Ellen, facing a Caro-Kann, went a pawn down but when she attacked, Roy Hare didn't find a solution to his problems and at the adjournment Ellen is a pawn ahead in a same-coloured bishops' ending which looks to be a fairly straightforward win (Roy resigned without resumption when he learned the board 6 result). Dan's position is more complex with the queens off but most of the other pieces still on. White has some isolated pawns which Dan can attack and it is not without hope that we can draw this match.
Try as he might, Dan was unable to unpick David Hutchings defences and the game ended as a draw. Congratulations to Wickford, who have become the first team to beat Customs I this season. They are unlikely to be the last!
