4NCL - The Four Nations League - www.4ncl.co.uk/pre2010

Press Release

2004/05 season
Weekend 3
Divisions 1 and 2

Divisions 1 and 2 played rounds five and six at the Nottingham Moat House on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd January. The 4NCL made a welcome return to Nottingham after an absence of many years.

Division 1 now looks like being a two-horse race, with Wood Green 1 and Guildford-ADC 1 still on 100%. Wood Green 1 were particularly severe on third placed Barbican 4NCL 1, with a 6˝- 1˝ victory. It now looks like the title will be decided by the final round clash between the two big guns. Barbican 4NCL 1 and Wood Green 2 managed to consolidate their third and fourth places.

The rest of Division 1 is still incredibly close, with two match points covering the remaining teams. For example, Richmond A’s narrow 4˝-3˝ win over Wessex 1 moves them from last place out of the relegation zone; and Wessex have now taken their place at the foot of the table. But all the relegation issues look certain to go to the final round.

In Division 2, the top two teams on paper are Hilsmark Kingfisher 1 and Slough Sharks 1, and both sides continue to draft in an impressive array of talent. Up until this weekend, Barbican 4NCL 2 had managed an impressive 100% score, but round 6 saw Barbican downed by the Sharks. Still, it looks very likely that these three teams will secure the promotion berths. Hilsmark have a one point lead at the halfway stage.

Weekend 3 also saw a shake up at the foot of Division 2, and a gap has opened up between the bottom three and safety. Kings Head, Mindsportsltd.com and Bristol 2 will be looking to close the gap.

Before play started, two new trophies were presented to last season’s champions. Nigel Povah of Guildford-ADC 1 accepted the Chris Dunworth trophy for the Division 1 championship. Chris was the 4NCL’s founder and it was largely his vision and drive that led to the league’s success. The Division 2 champions receive the Richard Furness trophy, in memory of the league’s chief arbiter who died in 2004. We were very pleased to see Richard’s wife Judy and daughter Clare. Judy presented the trophy to Jack Rudd on behalf of Bristol 1.

Divisions 1 and 2 meet again on 9th and 10th April at the West Bromwich Moat House.

Selected games

David Howell vs. John Littlewood
Guildford-ADC 2 vs. North West Eagles 1, board 4
Division 1, round 5

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O f6 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nb3 Qxd1 9. Rxd1 Bd6 10. Be3 b6 11. a4 Bb7 12. Nc3 f5 13. exf5 Ne7 14. a5 Nxf5 15. axb6 cxb6

Howell vs. Littlewood

16. g4 Nxe3 17. Rxd6 Nxc2 18. Rc1 Nd4 19. Re1+ Kf7 20. Nxd4 cxd4 21. Rxd4 Rhd8 22. Rf4+ Kg6 23. Re6+ Kg5 24. Rf7 Bc8 25. Rxg7+ Black resigns.

Andrew Martin vs. Jonathan Rowson
Wood Green 2 vs. Guildford-ADC 1, board 1
Division 1, round 5

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Qc2 Na6 8. Bg5 c5 9. dxc5 Nxc5 10. O-O Rc8 11. Rad1 Nce4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 13. Qa4 Qc7 14. Rd4 d5 15. cxd5 Bxd5 16. Ne1

Martin vs. Rowson

16... b5 17. Qd1 Bxa2 18. b3 Rfd8 19. Nf3 h6 20. Bd2 Bc5 21. Rh4 e5 22. Qa1 Bxb3 23. Ba5 Bb6 24. Bxb6 Qxb6 25. Nxe5 Bd5 26. Bh3 Be6 27. Bg2 a5 28. Nf3 Bd5 29. Nd4 Bxg2 30. Kxg2 g5 and White resigns.

Richard Webb vs. Luke McShane
Wessex 1 vs. Wood Green 1, board 1
Division 1, round 5

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d3 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 e5 6. O-O Nge7 7. c3 d6 8. a3 a5 9. a4 O-O 10. Na3 h6 11. Nb5 Be6 12. Nd2 Na7 13. Nc4 Nxb5 14. axb5 b6 15. Re1 Qc7 16. f4 Rad8 17. h4 Kh8 18. Be3 exf4 19. Bxf4 f6 20. Qe2 g5 21. hxg5 fxg5 22. Bd2 Bd7 23. Qh5 Kg8 24. Na3 Qc8 25. Qe2 Bg4 26. Qe3 d5 27. e5 Nf5

Webb vs. McShane

White resigns.

Adam Collinson vs. Darren Wheeler
Barbican 4NCL 1 vs. The ADs 1, board 5
Division 1, round 5

1. e4 e6 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2 dxe4 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Qe2 Be7 6. Nxe4 Nxe4 7. Qxe4 Bf6 8. d4 c5 9. O-O-O cxd4 10. Nf3 Nc6 11. Nxd4 Bxd4 12. Bxd4 O-O 13. Bb2 Qe7 14. g4 e5 15. h3 f5 16. Qe3 Be6 17. Bb5 Rac8 18. Bxc6 Rxc6 19. Qxe5 fxg4 20. hxg4 Rxf2

Collinson vs. Wheeler

21. Rd8+ Rf8 22. Rxf8+ Qxf8 23. Rd1 Qf6 24. Qb8+ Rc8 25. Qxc8+ Bxc8 26. Bxf6 Black resigns.

Thomas Nixon vs. Chris Duncan
Richmond A vs. Betsson.com, board 6
Division 1, round 5

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 Bf5 4. Bg2 e6 5. O-O Be7 6. c4 c6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Nd2 Nbd7 9. a3 a5 10. b3 Qb8 11. Bb2 b5 12. cxb5 cxb5 13. Ra2 b4 14. axb4 axb4 15. Na4 Rc8 16. f3 Bc2 17. Qa1 Qb5 18. Re1 Ra7 19. Bf1 Rac7 20. Kg2 h5 21. Rc1 Qb8 22. e3 h4 23. Ba6 Rd8 24. g4 Rc6

Nixon vs. Duncan

25. Nc5 Nxc5 26. dxc5 d4 27. Rxc2 dxe3 28. Nf1 Rxc5 29. Rxc5 Bxc5 30. Bxf6 gxf6 31. Qxf6 Rd1 32. Qg5+ Black resigns.

Daniel Wells vs. Sabrina Chevannes
Perceptron Youth vs. Warwickshire Select 1, board 8
Division 2, round 5

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 Bg7 5. f3 e6 6. Nge2 Ne7 7. Qd2 Nd7 8. O-O-O b5 9. g4 Qa5 10. Ng3 b4 11. Nb1 Rb8 12. a3 c5 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. Bd4 Qc7 15. Bxc5 Qxc5 16. axb4 Rxb4 17. c3 O-O 18. Na3 d4 19. Ne2 Ba6 20. Nc2

Wells vs. Chevannes

20... Rxb2 21. Kxb2 Bxe2 22. Nxd4 Bxd1 23. Qxd1 Rb8+ 24. Kc2 Rc8 25. Qd2 Bxd4 and White resigns.

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