Four Nations Chess League

Home - updated 24 July 2021 16:00

10th 4NCL Online Congress

Friday 13 - Sunday 15 August.

Open | U2000 | U1700 | U1400 | U1100 | Games | Entries | Information | Winners

Entries close 5pm Fri 13 Aug

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4NCL Online - Season 4

Entries are now being accepted for 4NCL Online and Junior 4NCL Online season 4. The deadlines for entries and registration lists are 9 August and 12 August respectively.

4NCL Online - Season 4

Entries close, midnight Mon 9 Aug.

Season 4 dates | Start Rankings

Junior 4NCL Online - Season 4

Entries close, midnight Mon 9 Aug..

Season 4 dates | Start Rankings

25th 4NCL FIDE Rated Congress

Friday 9 - Sunday 11 July, Woodland Grange, Leamington Spa.

Thank you to all the players, arbiters and commentary team for a great event.

Jack Rudd and Nigel Davies have annotated some games from this event. Thank you both!

For your diary

26th 4NCL Fide Rated Congress: Friday 10 - Sunday 12 September, Leamington Spa (Woodland Grange).

3rd Hull 4NCL Fide Rated Congress: Friday 22 - Sunday 24 October, Royal Hotel, Hull.

27th 4NCL Fide Rated Congress: Friday 21 - Sunday 23 January 2022, Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate.

Further information (when we have it) and online entry forms will be available as usual.

Carlsen loses three in a row twice as champion heads for World Cup - Leonard Barden

09.07.21 - Garry Kasparov to take on world title challenger, Ian Nepomniachtchi, this weekend.

Magnus Carlsen suffered a rare double setback last weekend when the world champion twice lost three games in a row at the $100,000 Goldmoney Asian Rapid. The defeats occurred in his losing semi-final against the world No 5, Levon Aronian, then in his third place play-off against Ding Liren, though he still managed to defeat China’s world No 3.

The 30-year-old Norwegian had an off day, missing several tactical chances.

The No 1 has already qualified for the Meltwater Champions Tour final after winning the two previous events, so diminished motivation explains it. Next week he bids to try and put to rest a longstanding hoodoo when he makes his fourth attempt at the 206-player, $1.9m World Cup knockout in Sochi ... more.

In contrast, English over-the-board competitive chess is only now starting to revive from the pandemic, although pent-up demand is certainly there. This weekend’s 4NCL (Four Nations Chess League) congress in Leamington Spa and next Saturday’s £2500 DecodeChess Rapidplay in Manchester Square, London, have entry limits of 130-150 and are already oversubscribed.

The London tournament is followed next day, Sunday 18 July, by the ChessFest in Trafalgar Square, which may attract thousands of players.

The pandemic wiped out the last 4NCL over-the-board season, although it continued to thrive online. Now the plan is to play the first of five 2021-22 weekends in late November, with venues at Milton Keynes, Leamington and Doncaster.

The return of the 4NCL is significant not only for competing clubs but for individuals, because it offers a realistic chance of qualifying for GM and IM norms, plus the women’s equivalents, which are a prime target for ambitious players.

Diagram: Heikki Westerinen v Gudmundur Sigurjónsson, New York 1977. White to move. Black threatens Qxc2+ and Qxe2 mate. Can you find White’s winning move and winning sequence?

Read more and see solution...

Many congratulations to all the 4NCL Online Season 3 Champions

4NCL Online

Division 1: Celtic Tigers & Sharks

Division 2: Hull & Beverley Romans 1

Division 3: MK Phoenix 2

Division 4: Barnet Knights A

Division 5: Charlton Cobras A

Division 6: MK Phoenix 3

Division 7: Newport A

Junior 4NCL Online

Division 1: Muswell Hill Bishops

Division 2: Young Dragons A

Division 3: Barnet Knights A

Division 4: Leeds Juniors 1

Division 5: Lenzie Basilisks

Return to OTB chess

We continue to plan the 4NCL's return to OTB chess. As well as our 25th 4NCL Congress at Woodland Grange (Leamington Spa) on 9-11 July 2021, we have also booked the same venue for our 26th 4NCL Congress on 10-12 September 2021. More information to follow when we have it. Needless to say, arrangements may be subject to change depending on what happens later this year with Covid-19.

Mike Truran

4NCL Dates 2021-2022

We're very pleased to be able to announce the dates and venues for the 4NCL's 2021-2022 season, which can be found here. Our thanks go to our friends at Guaranteed Events for their help in finding suitable venues for us. Please note the following:

The dates may be affected (or indeed may need to be cancelled) should the Covid-19 situation not evolve as HM Government hopes. We will keep a careful eye on future developments and keep captains/managers informed.
Given the prevailing uncertainty we will not be publishing entry guidelines, rules etc until much closer to the first round - probably mid/end October.
Despite 2 above, Guaranteed Events are happy to field early accommodation enquiries. As usual, no money is taken until after arrival at the venue, so there is no financial risk to captains, managers and players booking accommodation early should, for example, a Covid-19 resurgence require weekends to be postponed or cancelled. Please do NOT try to book accommodation direct with the hotel as you will not get the preferential 4NCL arrangements.
The proposed divisional format/structure for 2021-2022 (and for 2022-2023) is explained in more detail here.

Kind regards,

Mike Truran

25th 4NCL Congress

Based on guidance from Woodland Grange and from Guaranteed Events we expect to proceed with the 25th Congress as planned. As numbers are likely to be restricted, we will be giving entry preference to people who have booked accommodation via Guaranteed Events, and hope to send the entry form link to those people in the next few days. Should restrictions be eased before the congress such that numbers can be increased nearer the time, or should we still have spare capacity after those booking accommodation have (or haven't) entered, we would hope to extend entry more widely.

Kind regards,

Mike Truran