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

Daily Telegraph

Malcolm Pein writes a daily chess column in the Daily Telegraph. This article is used on the 4NCL web site with permission.

The 4NCL has published the list of ‘Big Hitters’ after six rounds and it is the British champion Sturat Conquest who is top of the pile of 635 players who have played at least once this year. Conquest, who plays for the defending champions Guildford A&DC I is the only player with a perfect score.

Stuart Conquest, Guildford A&DC 6/6 TPR 2984
Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant, Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher, 5.5/6 TPR 2725
Nigel Birtwhistle, Pandora’s Box, 5.5/6 TPR 2549
Paul Cumbers, Pandora’s Box, 5.5/6 TPR 2535
Glenn Flear, Guildford A&DC, 5.5/6 TPR 2710
Cathy Forbes, King’s Head, 5.5/6 TPR 2420
John Shaw, Guildford A&DC, 5.5/6 TPR 2658
Graham Smith, FCA Solutions, 5.5/6 TPR 2523
Mohamed Tissir, Guildford A&DC, 5.5/6 TPR 2595

D Hulmes - S Conquest
4NCL Div 1 (5)
Sicilian Defence
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 Qb6 7.Nb3 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Be3 Qc7 10.f4 a6 11.Bd3 b5 12.Qf3 Bb7 13.a3 (13.Rae1 and 13.Qh3 are more aggressive) 13...Rc8 14.Qh3 b4 15.axb4 Nxb4 16.f5 e5 17.Ra4?! d5! 18.exd5 Nfxd5 19.Nxd5 Bxd5 20.Bxa6 Rb8 (White cannot defence c2 and a6 so the pawn is easily regained) 21.Nd2 Qxc2 22.Ra5 0-0 (White is going to lose his b pawn as well) 23.f6? Bxf6 24.Nf3 Nxa6 25.Rxd5 Qe4 0-1

Conquest

board

Hulmes I

Final position after 25...Qe4 attacking rook and bishop

S Conquest - J Richardson
4NCL Div 1 (4)
Scandinavian Defence
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.Bd2 Bf5 7.Nd5 Qd8 8.Nxf6+ gxf6 9.c3 Rg8? 10.Qb3! e6 11.Qxb7 Nd7 12.Ne2 Rb8 (12...Rxg2 13.Ng3) 13.Qxc6 Rb6 (13...Rxb2 14.Ng3 Bg6 15.Bb5) 14.Qa4 Qb8 15.Ng3 Bg6 16.0-0 Rxb2 17.Bc1 Rb7 18.Re1 (Black will be unable to protect his king) 18...Bd6 19.Bd5 Rb6 20.Bf3 h5 21.d5 Ke7 22.dxe6 fxe6 23.Be3 Nc5 24.Qh4 Ra6 25.Bd4 e5 26.Nxh5 Bxh5 27.Qxh5 Ne6 28.Rab1 Qc8 29.Rb7+ Bc7 30.Bc5+! Nxc5 31.Qh7+ Ke6 32.Rxc7 Qf8 33.Rxc5 Qd8 1-0