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

Press Release

2005/06 season
Weekend 1
Divisions 1,2 & 3

The first weekend of the 2005/06 season saw Division 1, 2 and 3 play in the majestic setting of the Paragon Hotel, Digbeth (near Birmingham city centre). For the first time in many years the league has managed to find a venue large enough to accommodate the top three divisions.

Sadly, the week before we learned of the death of the league's Chief Arbiter, Steve Boniface. Before the start of play, BCF Senior Arbiter David Sedgwick gave the following address:

“Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the first 4NCL weekend of the new season.”

“As most of you will already know, I have to begin today’s proceedings on a very sad note. Our Chief Arbiter, Steve Boniface, was found dead at his home last Monday after he failed to appear at this week’s Guernsey Congress, at which he was due to be the Arbiter. Steve was only 53 and he follows his predecessor Richard Furness in being prematurely taken from us. Steve’s relaxed and unassuming manner made him popular with officials and players alike, and to give a player’s perspective I’d like to quote my Surrey friend and colleague Dan Rosen, who wrote to me: “I shall certainly miss him, he seemed to be running almost everything in which I played outside Surrey, and playing under his direction was always an enjoyable experience.” Steve was also heavily involved in arbiter training, and newcomers and the more experienced alike benefited from his understanding and his expertise. Steve is no longer with us, but his values and standards will live on in the work of those whom he trained and helped. It would have been his wish that this weekend’s events should proceed exactly as scheduled and we will shortly commence play. Before we do so, I would appreciate it if we could pay our respects in the customary manner. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please stand for a minute’s silence.”

In Division 1, only one team managed to win both matches. Barbican 4NCL 1 top the table with convincing wins over their second team and North West Eagles 1. One of the features of the weekend was the strong performance of two of the promoted teams, Slough Sharks 1 and Hilsmark Kingfisher 1. Slough Sharks gave reigning champions Wood Green 1 a tough fight in the first round and were perhaps unfortunate to be held to a 4-4 draw. Likewise, Hilsmark scored a 4-4 draw against Guildford ADC-1, with big-hitter Andrew Greet defeating British Champion Jonathan Rowson. We reckon this is Andrew’s 15th consecutive win in the 4NCL. So already Division 1 seems to be much more wide open than in recent years, which can only be a good thing for the league!

Photo - Mark Hogarth

Andrew Greet gained revenge for the three-fold repetition draw mix-up at the British Championship.

The Division 2 table has a symmetrical look at this early stage, with 4 teams on 100%, 4 on 50% and 4 languishing pointless. The early leaders are newly promoted Cambridge University 1, together with Bristol 1, South Wales Dragons 1 and White Rose.

Last season, Hilsmark Kingfisher 2 became the first team in league history to win all their matches, so taking the Division 4B title. Their progress continues, and sees them top the Division 3 table on game points from Slough Sharks 2 and Wessex 2. Hilsmark and the Sharks will meet face to face in Round 3.

Divisions 1, 2 and 3 resume in 4 weeks’ time on 19th/20th November at the Paragon. Division 4 starts at the West Bromwich Park Inn on 5th/6th November.

Selected games

Daniel King vs. Graeme Buckley
Guildford-ADC 1 vs. Guildford-ADC 2, board 3
Division 1, round 1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 d5 4. e5 Nc6 5. d4 Bd7 6. Be2 Nge7 7. O-O Ng6 8. Be3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Be7 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Bd3 Rc8 12. g3 Na5 13. Qe2 Nc4 14. h4 h6 15. Rac1 b5 16. Nh2 Be8 17. Ng4 f5 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. b3 Nxe3 20. Qxe3 Qb6 21. Nxf6+ gxf6

King vs. Buckley

22. Nxd5 Qb7 23. Qxe6+ Bf7 24. Nxf6+ Kh8 25. Qe3 Black resigns

Bernd Rechel vs. Sophie Tidman
Wood Green 2 vs. Betsson.com, board 8
Division 1, round 1

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. c4 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 O-O 9. Bd3 h6 10. O-O c5 11. dxc5 Qa5 12. h3 Bh5 13. cxd5 Qxc3 14. d6 Nec6 15. Qc2 Qxc2 16. Bxc2 Nd7 17. Be3 f5 18. Nd4 f4 19. Nxc6 fxe3 20. Ne7+ Kh8 21. fxe3 Nxc5 22. g4 Bf7

Rechel vs. Tidman

23. Rf5 Black resigns

Matthew Broomfield vs. Katie Martin
Hilsmark Kingfisher 1 vs. 3Cs Oldham, board 8
Division 1, round 1

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Nd2 d6 5. e4 b4 6. Bd3 g6 7. b3 Bg7 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Ngf3 a5 10. O-O Bg4 11. Qc2 Nfd7 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Qb2+ Kg8 14. e5 Bxf3 15. Nxf3 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. Qxe5 Qd6 18. Rae1 Ra7 19. f4 Rd7 20. f5 Na6 21. fxg6 hxg6 22. Qg5 Kg7

Broomfield vs. Martin

23. Re6 Black resigns

Li Wu vs. James Cobb
Warwickshire Select 1 vs. South West Dragons, board 1
Division 2, round 1

1. d4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 O-O 7. Qc2 c6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 Re8 10. O-O Nf8 11. Rab1 Ne4 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Nd2 f5 15. b4 Be6 16. b5 Rac8 17. Rfc1 c5 18. d5 Bf7 19. Nc4 Red8 20. Rd1 Ng6

Li Wu vs. Cobb

21. f4 exf3 22. Qxf5 fxg2 23. e4 Rf8 24. e5 Qh4 25. e6 Be8 26. Qd3 and White resigns

David Moskovic vs. Jonathan Grant
Cambridge University 1 vs. Wood Green 3, board 4
Division 2, round 1

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c5 4. O-O Nc6 5. d3 e5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Nfd2 h6 8. Bxf6 Bxf6 9. Nc3 Be6 10. e4 d4 11. Nd5 Be7 12. f4 Bd6 13. f5 Bxd5 14. exd5 Ne7 15. Qg4 Rg8 16. Qh5 Nc8

Moskovic vs. Grant

17. f6 gxf6 18. Ne4 Rg6 19. Bh3 Be7 20. Bf5 Rg8 21. Bxc8 Qxc8 22. d6 Bd8 23. Rxf6 Rg7 24. Raf1 Kd7 25. Qf5+ Ke8 26. Qxe5+ Kd7 27. Rxf7+ Rxf7 28. Rxf7+ Black resigns

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