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

Daily Telegraph

Malcolm Pein's daily chess column is available at the Telegraph's web site. You need to register, which is free. The daily chess column can be found by clicking the "Chess Club" link in the Arts section.

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

On Saturday I reported on the success of White Rose who won the 4NCL Division 2

Three other teams including Pride and Prejudice were also promoted to Division 1. This was Pride and Prejudice’s third straight promotion.

The first two were achieved with seven female players plus GM Aaron Summerscale on top board. This season the team was strengthened with the addition of GMs John Emms and Chris Ward but the majority of the players are still female.

A win for Summerscale who employs a funny opening called the Clarendon Court. It was popularised by GM Jonathan Levitt who named it after the block of flats in North London where he was residing at the time.

A Crombleholme - A Summerscale
4NCL Div2
Hilsmark Kingfisher 2 - Pride and Prejudice
1.d4 c5 2.d5 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Qb6 5.Qd2 Qxb2 6.Rb1 Qa3 7.Bxf6 gxf6 8.e3 d6 9.Bb5+ Nd7 10.Nge2 a6 11.Bxd7+ (11.Ba4! b5? 12.Rb3 traps the queen so Black might have to submit to the terrors of 11...c4 12.Rb6!?) 11...Kxd7 12.0-0 b5 13.Ng3 Kd8! (13...Kc7? 14.Rxb5)

Summerscale
board

Crombleholme

Position after 13...Kd8!

14.Nce2 (Despite a wandering king and only a queen in play Black is better as White cannot regain the pawn sacrificed or open lines) 14...Bh6 15.c3 Qa4 16.Nf4 Bxf4 17.exf4 h5! (A cavalier move but pretty strong as it forces a weakening of the white kingside) 18.h4 Bd7 19.Rfe1 Rh7 (Black can improve his position with Kc7 and Rg8. White's plan is far from obvious so he tries a sacrifice) 20.Re6 Bxe6 21.dxe6 Kc7 22.Re1 b4 23.Qd5 Rg8 24.Qxf5 Rhg7 25.cxb4 Qxb4 26.Rb1 Qd4 (Threatening to take on g3, a benefit of his 17th move) 27.Kf1 Rb8 28.Nxh5 Rb2 0-1

Summerscale
board

Crombleholme

Final position after 28...Rb2

C Ward - ID Thompson
4NCL Div2
Pride and Prejudice - Guildford & ADC 3
Slav Defence Moscow Variation
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Qb3 Nd7 8.e4 dxc4!? (8...dxe4 9.Nxe4 Qf4 is the main line as played by Topalov, Kramnik and others) 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Be2 e5 (10...Qg6!? 11.0-0 b4 12.Na4 Qxe4 but 11.Qc2 Qxg2 12.Rg1 is sharper) 11.d5 b4 12.dxc6! Qxc6 (12...bxc3 13.cxd7+ Bxd7 14.Bb5 Rd8 15.Bxd7+ Rxd7 16.Qxc3 leaves Black a pawn down for nothing but this loses) 13.Nxe5! Nxe5 14.Bb5 bxc3 15.0-0 Bd7 16.Bxc6 Nxc6 17.Rad1 Rd8 18.Qxc3 Ne7 19.Qc7 h5 20.Rxd7! Rxd7 21.Qb8+ Rd8 22.Qb5+ 1-0