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

Press Release

2005/06 season
Weekend 4
Divisions 1,2 & 3

The 4NCL season moved towards an exciting climax when Divisions 1, 2 and 3 played rounds 7 and 8 at the Paragon Hotel, Birmingham. It was the first 4NCL weekend following the sad death of John Robinson, who was one of the league’s longest-standing and most popular arbiters.

In Division 1, table-toppers Wood Green 1 and Guildford-ADC 1 continue on their merry way with a pair of comfortable victories apiece. Although both teams have had plenty of scares this season, it’s beginning to look like their final round encounter will again decide the title. Wood Green have the advantage on games points … perhaps this turn out to be important if the pair tie on match points. Slough Sharks 1 lead the chasing pack … an honourable mention to their GM board 1, David Navara, who now has a perfect six wins from six in his first 4NCL season.

In the Division 1 relegation battle there are 5 teams looking to scramble away from danger. Almost all the matches between these 5 have now been played, so it looks like they will all be looking to land upsets in the final weekend. Reading from the bottom, it’s going to be tough for Barbican 4NCL 2, 3Cs Oldham 1 and North West Eagles 1.

Division 2 remains very hard-fought. The round 7 clash between the two leading teams, Bristol 1 and Warwickshire Select 1, resulted in a very tight 4-4 draw. In round 8, the Bristolians managed a narrow win against Richmond A, but Select were downed by White Rose who have now taken over in second place. South Wales Dragons 1 and Cambridge University 1 have also squeezed past Select on game points, so any 3 from these 5 will most probably feature in the top flight next season.

Slough Sharks 2 seem to be progressing serenely towards the Division 3 title with a pair of 5.5-2.5 victories. Hilsmark Kingfisher 2 lead the chasing pack.

The final rounds will take place at the Paragon on the May Bank Holiday weekend (April 29th to May 1st).

Selected games

Neil Berry vs. Jonathan Speelman
Barbican 4NCL 2 vs. Wood Green 1, board 2
Division 1, round 7

1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. e4 Bb7 4. Qc2 Bb4+ 5. Nd2 c5 6. d5 Qe7 7. Be2 exd5 8. exd5 Nf6 9. Ngf3 O-O 10. a3 Re8 11. O-O Qxe2 12. axb4 Na6 13. b5 Nb4 14. Qd1 Qxd1 15. Rxd1 a6 16. bxa6 Rxa6 17. Rxa6 Bxa6 18. b3

Berry vs. Speelman

18... Nfxd5 19. cxd5 Be2 20. Re1 Nd3 21. Nf1 Nxe1 22. Nxe1 Bd1 23. Ne3 Bxb3 24. Bb2 Bxd5 25. Nd3 Be6 26. Be5 d5 27. Bc7 d4 White resigns

James Plaskett vs. David Navara
Guildford-ADC 2 vs. Slough Sharks 1, board 1
Division 1, round 7

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3 Nc6 4. Bb2 d5 5. Bb5 Nge7 6. exd5 exd5 7. Qe2 Be6 8. Ne5 Qc7 9. Na3 a6 10. Bxc6+ Nxc6 11. Nxc6 Qxc6 12. O-O O-O-O 13. Rae1 h5 14. d3 h4 15. Nb1 d4 16. f4 Bd6 17. Nd2 Qc7 18. Qf3

Plaskett vs. Navara

18... g5 19. fxg5 Bxh2+ 20. Kh1 Bg3 21. Rxe6 fxe6 22. Ne4 Qe7 23. Nf6 Rdf8 24. b4 Be5 25. bxc5 Qxc5 26. Qh3 Bxf6 27. Qxe6+ Kb8 28. gxf6 h3 29. gxh3 Qxc2 30. Ba3 Qxd3 31. Bxf8 Qxf1+ 32. Kh2 Qf4+ White resigns

Mark Hebden vs. Mark Ferguson
Guildford-ADC 1 vs. Barbican 4NCL 1, board 3
Division 1, round 7

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 a6 5. Bd2 e6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. Qc2 Bd6 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Nf6 11. Qh4 c5 12. O-O-O Qc7 13. d5 e5 14. Bg5 Nd7 15. Bd3 b5 16. Rhe1 bxc4 17. Bxc4 O-O 18. Be7 Re8 19. Ng5 h6

Hebden vs. Ferguson

20. Ne6 Bxe7 21. Qxe7 Rxe7 22. Nxc7 Nb6 23. Nxa8 Nxc4 24. d6 Black resigns

Sven Zeidler vs. Ian Webster
South Wales Dragons 1 vs. Oxford 1, board 6
Division 2, round 7

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. c4 c6 6. Nc3 Ne7 7. Bd3 Qc7 8. O-O Be6 9. c5 Bf4 10. Re1 Nd7 11. Ng5 Nf8 12. Qh5 g6 13. Qh4 Bxc1 14. Raxc1 Nf5

Zeidler vs. Webster

15. Nxd5 cxd5 16. Bb5+ Nd7 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. Qf6 Black resigns

Richard Almond vs. Jerry Humphreys
Mindsportsltd.com vs. Bristol, board 4
Division 3, round 7

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2 Bg7 6. e4 Nxc3 7. Bxc3 O-O 8. Bc4 Nd7 9. Ne2 Nb6 10. Bb3 Bd7 11. O-O Rc8 12. a4 c6 13. Qd2 Rc7 14. Ng3 Nc8 15. e5 e6 16. Ne4 Kh8 17. Qf4 Be8 18. Rad1 b6 19. Rfe1 Rd7 20. Re3 c5 21. Rh3 Ne7

Almond vs. Humphreys

22. Nf6 Bxf6 23. Qh6 Black resigns

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