logo

FOUR NATIONS
CHESS LEAGUE

 
chess monthly

Latest Information

Home
How to Enter
2010/11 dates
Fixtures
Hotels
Rules
Team Captains
Current Teams
Registrations
Teams wanted

Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
Junior 4NCL

Live games
Reports
English Chess Forum

Previous Winners
Photo Gallery
Press Info
News Archive
New to the 4NCL
Downloads
Chess Monthly
Useful Links

Management Board
Arbiters
Appeals Committee

Site Index
FAQ
Email us

The Four Nations Chess League does not accept responsibility for the content of other websites, to which this site links.

This website includes information on participants in the Four Nations Chess League in respect of name, grade, title, nationality and sex (team registration lists), as well as telephone number(s), email address(es) and postal address(es) in certain circumstances (team captains/managers, management board members, arbiters etc). Participants wishing this information not to be included on the website should contact the webmaster to have it removed, but should be aware that in this event they will not be permitted to play in the league.
Paul McMahon annotates

Cooke,Charles - McMahon,Paul [A52]
4NCL Cambridge, 21.03.2009
[McMahon,Paul]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.e3 Nc6 6.a3!? Be2 or Nc3 is usual here 6...a5 7.b3 Ngxe5 [7...0-0 8.Bb2 Re8 is the recommended way to play this] 8.Bb2 d6 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.f4? Bxe3? There is no need for this. I just thought that the weakening move 10.f4 ought to be punished. Unfortunately this is not the way to do it. [10...Ng4 11.Bxg7 Nxe3 (Or even 11...Rg8 12.Bd4 Nxe3 13.Bxe3 Bxe3-/+) 12.Qe2 Rg8 13.Bc3 Bg4-+] 11.fxe5 Qh4+ 12.g3 Qe4 13.Qd3? It was while White was contemplating this move that I noticed the resource 13.Qd5 and I prepared the response 13...Bf5. However Fritz finds its way through the complications. [13.Qd5 Bf5 (13...Qc2 is objectively better but not good enough for equality. 14.Qg2 Qxb3 with compensation) 14.exd6 c6 15.Qxe4+ Bxe4 16.Ke2 Bb6 17.Bh3 Bxh1 18.Nc3+- and Black's bishop is lost.; Finally, a 3rd option for White. 13.Qe2 Bg4 14.Nc3 Qxh1 15.Qxe3 0-0-0 with an unbalanced game.] 13...Qxh1 [13...Qf3 14.Qe2 Qxh1 is the same; 13...Bf5? 14.Nc3 Qxd3 15.Bxd3 Bxd3 16.Nd5 Bb6 17.exd6+/-] 14.Qxe3 White offered a draw here. According to the cold calculations of the computer, the position is 0.37 in White's favour, but Black judged (incorrectly) he was better. 14...0-0 15.Nd2 Qxh2 [15...Re8 16.Nf3 Bg4 17.Kf2 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Qxh2+ 19.Bg2 Qh6 20.Rh1+/=; The correct move here appears to be 15...f6! 16.e6 (16.exf6?! Bg4) 16...Re8 17.0-0-0 Bxe6 and both sides have chances in this unbalanced position] 16.exd6? This allows black to trap the White king in the centre where there is no escape. [better was 16.0-0-0 Re8 17.Qf3+/=] 16...Bg4! 17.d7 Rad8? This careless move almost lets Black's advantage slip away in view of White's next. [Clearer was 17...Ra6! where the trickiest continuation seems to be 18.Bxg7! Re6 19.Ne4 Kxg7 20.d8Q! Rxd8 21.Qg5+ Kf8 22.Qxd8+ Re8 23.Qd4 Qxg3+ 24.Kd2 Qf4+ 25.Kd3 Rxe4-+; The obvious 17...Bxd7 allows White to solve all his problems with 18.0-0-0+/=] 18.Bxg7! A bolt from the blue!

board

18...Rxd7 the only move [18...Kxg7?? is losing to 19.Qd4+ f6 20.Qxg4++/- however White indicated afterwards he would have taken the draw by perpetual instead] 19.Bf6 [if 19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.Ne4 Re7-/+ and White has no defence to the threat of 21...f5 regaining the sacrificed material with interest.; Instead a good try here is 19.Bd4 f6 (19...Rxd4 allows a draw by perpetual 20.Qg5+ Kh8 21.Qf6+=) 20.Ne4 Rxd4 21.Qxd4 Re8; Another good defensive attempt is 19.Bh6 Re7 20.Ne4 (20.Qxe7?? Qxg3#) 20...Re6 21.Bxf8 f5 22.Nf6+ Kf7 23.Nxg4 fxg4 24.Bc5 Rxe3+ 25.Bxe3 Qxg3+ 26.Kd2 h5-/+] 19...h6 20.Ra2? This loses quickly, but White's position was already difficult [20.Ne4 Re8 21.Bd4 Kf8-/+; 20.Be2 Bxe2 21.Qxe2 Qxg3+-/+] 20...Rd6 21.Nf3 Qxa2 22.Qxh6 Re8+ 0-1

Download the ChessBase file here.

Division 1

WGHK 1
Pride and Prejudice
Barbican 4NCL 1
White Rose 1
WGHK 2
Guildford-A&DC 1
Cambridge Univ. 1
The ADs
Betsson.com
Barbican 4NCL 2
Oxford 1
Pandora's Box Grantham
S. Wales Dragons
Guildford-A&DC 2
Poisoned Pawns 1
Jutes of Kent

Division 2

Sambuca Sharks
Cheddleton
Warwickshire Select 1
e2e4.org.uk 1
Barbican 4NCL Youth
AMCA Dragons
Kings Head
Poisoned Pawns 2
Anglian Avengers
Wessex 1
Celtic Tigers 1
Bristol 1
White Rose 2
Brown Jack
Guildford-A&DC 3
FCA Solutions 1

Division 3

Rhyfelwyr Essyllwg
Sambuca Black Sheep
3Cs
Cambridge Univ. 2
Wessex 2
Warwickshire Select 2
KJCA Kings
FCA Solutions 2
The Full Ponty
Sussex Smart Ctls.
e2e4.org.uk 2
Iceni
Nottinghamshire 1
Nottinghamshire 2
Oxford 2
AMCA Rhinos
Braille Chess Assoc.
AMCA Hippos
Glos. Gambits
Bristol 2
KJCA Knights
Guernsey Mates
Bristol 3
SCS
Hackney
e2e4.org.uk 3
Beauty and the Beasts
Celtic Tigers 2
Oxford 3
Halesowen
Guildford-A&DC 4
AMCA Cheetahs