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

Press Release

2002/03 season - Weekend 3

Rounds 5 and 6 of the 4NCL took place at the Telford Moat House over the weekend of March 8th and 9th. With all four divisions reaching the half way mark of the season, the competition is hotting up!

In Division 1, 4 teams have established a clear lead at the top of the table. Wood Green 1 still have their 100% records, with wins against Barbican-4NCL 2 and Bristol 1. But Betsson.com are maintaining the pressure and are just 1 match point behind. Guildford-ADC 1 and Barbican-4NCL 1 will hope to be involved in the final showdown, but the round 9 match up between Wood Green and Betsson looks like a key encounter.

Warwickshire Select moved into a clear lead in Division 2, as North West Eagles 1 slipped to defeat against Numerica 3Cs 1. At the bottom, 5 teams share last place with 2 match points, so that a relegation dog-fight is in prospect.

Division 3 continues to feature many tight matches. Despite a surprise loss to Milton Keynes, North West Eagles 2 still have a clear lead at the end of 6 rounds.

At the end of round 7 Division 4 will be divided into two for its final stages. At this stage, Wood Green 3 and Metropolitan have secured their place in the top group with Hilsmark Kingfisher and The ADs 3 favourites to join them.

Two players reached an important personal milestone this weekend by playing their 100th game in the 4NCL. Congratulations to Bristol’s Simon Ansell and 4NCL Chairman and Wood Green stalwart Paul Littlewood.

All 4 Divisions will meet again be at Telford on the weekend of 12th and 13th April.

Selected games

Roy Phillips vs. John Richardson
Richmond vs. The ADs 1, board 5
Division 1, round 5

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. Bg5 Bd7 7. cxd5 Nxd4 8. Qd1 Nxf3+ 9. gxf3 exd5 10. Qb3 Bxc3+ 11. Qxc3 Bc6 12. O-O-O Qe7 13. Rg1 O-O-O 14. Be3 Qe6 15. Bxa7 d4 16. Bxd4 Qxa2 17. Bh3+ Kb8 18. Qa3 Qc4+ 19. Qc3 Qxe2 20. Qc5 Qa6 21. Bf1

Phillips vs. Richardson

21... Qa1+ 22. Kd2 Qxb2+ 23. Ke3 Nd5+ 24. Ke4 Nb6+ 25. Kf4 Qb3 26. Bh3 Qxf3+ and White resigns.

Colin McNab vs. James Sherwin
Slough 1 vs. Bristol 1, board 2
Division 1, round 5

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d6 6. d4 Nc6 7. d5 Na5 8. Nbd2 c5 9. e4 e5 10. b3 Bd7 11. Ne1 b5 12. Nd3 Ne8 13. Bb2 Rb8 14. Qc2 bxc4 15. bxc4 f5 16. Rab1 Nf6 17. Ba1 Rb6 18. Rbe1 fxe4 19. Nxe4 Nxe4 20. Bxe4 Bh3 21. Bg2 Bf5 22. f4 e4 23. Bxg7 exd3 24. Qc3 Rf7 25. Bh6 Rb4 26. Re6 Nxc4 27. Rfe1 Bxe6 28. dxe6 Re7 29. Bd5 d2

McNab vs. Sherwin

30. Qg7+ and Black resigns.

Lawrence Trent vs. Matthew Turner
Barbican-4NCL 2 vs. Wood Green 1, board 5
Division 1, round 5

1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5 Nbd7 4. Nf3 c6 5. Qd3 h6 6. Bf4 e6 7. O-O-O b5 8. Ne5 b4 9. Na4 Qa5 10. b3 Nxe5 11. dxe5 Ne4 12. Qf3 Ba6 13. Rd4

Trent vs. Turner

13... Bb5 14. Rxe4 dxe4 15. Qxe4 Bxa4 16. bxa4 Qxa4 17. e3 Rc8 18. Bc4 b3 and White resigns.

Joseph Redpath vs. Leighton Williams
Slough 2 vs. Nidum Knights 1, board 1
Division 3, round 5

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 c6 6. Be2 O-O 7. h4 Qb6 8. a3 Nbd7 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. Bxe5 h5 11. f3 Bf5 12. Rb1 Nd7 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. g4 hxg4 15. fxg4 Be4 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. h5 Qa5+ 18. c3 Qg5 19. Kd2 c5 20. Qb3 cxd4 21. cxd4 Nf6 22. hxg6

Redpath vs. Williams

22... e5 23. dxe5 Rad8+ 24. Kc2 Rc8+ 25. Kd2 Qxe5 26. Qxb7 Qg3 and White resigns.

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