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.

As expected Rybka, which is Russian for ‘little fish’ retained the world computer chess title in a competition held alongside the Mindsports Olympiad in Beijing. Rybka is programmed by the American IM Vasik Rajlich. His wife Iweta is also an International Master. England’s Mark Uniacke continues to improve the strength of his Hiarcs program which finished second.

Rybka nearly lost against Junior programmed by Shay Bushinky and Amir Ban of Israel but escaped by forcing a perpetual check well beyond the bounds of calculation of most humans.

1. Rybka 8/9
2. Hiarcs 7
3. Junior 6
4. Cluster Toga 5.5
5. Shredder 4.5
67. Falcon and Jonny 4,
8. Sjeng 3.5
9. The Baron 2.5
10. Mobile Chess 0

Rybka (C) - Jonny (C)
16th World Computer Chess Ch Beijing
Ruy Lopez
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 Bb7 9.Re1 Re8 10.c3 Bc5 11.Bd2 h6 12.Na3 Qb8 13.Nh4! d6 14.Qf3 b4 15.Nf5! Bc8 (15...bxa3 16.Qg3 Nh5 17.Qg6 wins for example Nd8 18.Qxh5 Ne6 19.Nxg7 Kxg7 20.Bxh6+ Kg8 21.Qg4+ Kh7 22.Bxe6) 16.Nxh6+ Kh7 17.Bxf7 Rf8 (17...bxa3 18.Nf5 Bxf5 19.Qxf5+ Kh8 20.Qh3+ Nh7 21.Bg6) 18.Nc4 bxc3 19.bxc3 Kh8 20.d4 Bxd4 (20...exd4 21.e5 Nxe5 22.Rxe5 dxe5 23.Nxe5 is the end) 21.Bg5 Nh7 22.cxd4 Be6 23.Qh5 Bxf7 24.Nxf7+ Kg8 25.Nh6+ Kh8 (25...gxh6 26.Bxh6 followed by Qg6 or Qg4) 26.dxe5 Qe8 27.Qh3 Nxe5 28.Nxe5 1-0

The Guildford A&DC I juggernaut rolled on at weekend one of the 4 NCL held at Sunningdale. The defending champions defeated Bristol 6.5-1.5 despite an upset on top board when former British Champion Jonathan Rowson lost to Jack Rudd. Your correspondent, playing for Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher, a team desperately in need of a new name, then had to face Rowson the following day as Guildford recorded the season’s first 8-0 drubbing. We have already seen Stuart Conquest’s win from that match.

There was a surprise result as Guildford A&DC’s second team lost to White Rose for whom Peter Wells and Gawain Jones defeated Mark Hebden and Danny King respectively. On board 8 Amisha Palmer defeated WIM Mihaela Sandu rated 300 points higher.

4NCL Division 1 round 1 results.

Section A

Guildford-A&DC 2 2.5-5.5 White Rose 1
Sambuca Sharks 3-5 Richmond
Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher 1 6.5-1.5 Cambridge University 1
South Wales Dragons 1 4-4 Barbican 4NCL 1

Section B

Betsson.com 3-5 Pride and Prejudice
Barbican 4NCL 2 5-3 The GAMBIT ADs
WGHK 2 5.5-2.5 North West Eagles
Bristol 1 1.5-6.5 Guildford-A&DC 1

Ms Sandu had better fortune in round two.

M Sandu - CM Sirisena
4NCL Div 1 (2)
Pirc Defence
1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 Nd7 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bd3 Qc7 8.0-0 Ngf6 9.Bh6 0-0 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.Ne2 Bb7 12.Ng3 a6 13.Qg5 e5 14.Nf5+ Kh8 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Rae8 18.Nf3 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 Rxe4 20.Qh6 Qe7? 21.Ng5 f5 22.Nxh7 1-0

COMP Jonny
board

COMP Rybka

Position after 28.Nxe5 and if Qxe5 29.Nf5 g6 30.Bd2 gxf5 31.Bc3 wins the queen.