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

Daily Telegraph

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This article is used on the 4NCL web site with permission.

The 4 NCL season began with the first weekend’s play at a new venue, the Initial Conference Centre in Sunningdale. The playing conditions were excellent but the teams were noticeably weaker than last year. Several are running on reduced budgets most notably the title holders Wood Green and so their closest rivals over the years, Guildford ADC, look set fair to dominate. Wood Green have withdrawn their second and third teams and the first team squad looks vaguely like the one I played in about twenty years ago.

Guildford ADC started with an easy victory over their second team although England’s leading junior David Howell upset Daniel King on top board. King was slightly worse from the opening but had almost equalised in the middlegame when he made a careless move and his position lost all coordination.

Guildford ADC will be challenged instead this year by Hilsmark Kingfisher and Slough Sharks who also won their first round matches.

4NCL round one results

Oldham 3Cs 3-5 Barbican 1
Bristol 2˝-5.5 Hilsmark Kingfisher
Guildford-ADC 2 2.5-5.5 Guildford-ADC 1
SW Dragons 3.5-4.5 Slough Sharks
The ADs 2.5-5.5 NW Eagles
Wood Green 3-5 Betsson

Some deep opening preparation from Danny Gormally helped him win this game.

D Gormally - C Cobb
4NCL 2006/7 Sunningdale (1)
French Defence
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Qd2 Bxd4 10.Bxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Qb6 (A very solid line which has proved hard to beat after the queen exchange however in recent years Alexander Grischuk and others have explored a sharp double pawn sacrifice) 12.Qd2! Qxb2 13.Rb1 Qa3 14.Nb5 Qxa2 15.Nd6+ Ke7 16.Rc1 Qb2 17.Be2 g5 ( A very bold move trying to improve on 17...Nc5 18.0–0 Nb3 19.Nf5+!! exf5 20.Qb4+ Kd8 21.cxb3 Qxe2 22.Rc7! with the point 22...Kxd6 23.Qd6 mate and White won in Grischuk-Zviaginsev, Ordix Open 2005 Mainz) 18.0–0 gxf4 19.Nxf7! ( Improving on 19.Rxf4 Qb6+ 20.Kh1 Nxe5 21.Nxf7 Nxf7 22.Rxf7+ Kxf7 23.Qg5 Ke8 24.c4 Qb2 25.cxd5 Qxe2 26.d6 Kf8 27.h3? [ 27.Qe7+ draws] 27...Bd7 28.Qf6+ Kg8 29.Rc3 0–1 Pavlovic - C Cobb, S.Wales International Caerleon 2006) 19...Kxf7 20.Qxf4+ Ke8 21.Qg5 Nxe5 22.Bh5+ Kd7 23.c3 (Cutting off the queen) 23...Ng6 24.c4 Qe5 ( White’s attack is worth at least a draw after 24...Rf8 25.Rxf8 Nxf8 26.cxd5 Qd4+ 27.Kh1 exd5 28.Bg4+ or 24…Rf8 25.cxd5 Rxf1+ 26.Rxf1 e5 27.Qh6 Kd6 28.Bxg6 hxg6 29.Qxg6+ Kxd5 30.Rd1+) 25.Rf7+ Kd6 26.Qd2! a5 (26...Qxh5 27.Qb4+ Ke5 28.Re1+ Kd4 29.Rc7 and the end is nigh) 27.Qf2 (Attacking b6) 27...d4 (27...Ra6 28.cxd5 exd5 29.Qc5+ Ke6 30.Rcf1 Qxh5 31.R1f6+ Ke5 32.Qe3 mate) 28.c5+ Qxc5 29.Qg3+ e5 30.Rxc5 1–0

Cobb

board

Gormally

Final position after 30.Rxc5