The Four Nations Chess League, the 4NCL, is Britain's team competition and is played in five divisions. According to the rules on the official 4NCL website "Divisions 1 ... will each comprise two preliminary pools of eight teams for the first seven rounds, with the two pools in each division of broadly equal strength as determined by the 4NCL Board. The top four teams in each preliminary pool will form final championship and promotion pools. The bottom four teams in each preliminary pool will form relegation pools. The teams in each final pool will carry forward only matches played between themselves during the first seven rounds. Team placings at the end of the first seven rounds will be decided in the first instance on match point totals in the preliminary pool. ... Each team in Division 1 must include at least one male player and at least one female player."
The top team of Division 1A is Cheddelton with David Howell and Jonathan Hawkins on the top boards. Fiona Steil-Antoni plays on the women's board.
David Howell (Cheddleton 1)
Howell vs Gordon
Fiona Steil-Antoni (Cheddleton)
In Division 1B Guildford 1 is clear favorite - the team has seven grandmasters in its ranks, top board is Matthew Sadler. Sophie Milliet plays on the women's board.
Dutch GM Robin van Kampen (Guildford 1)
The 4NCL is international: Sebastien Mazé (France), Robin van Kampen (Netherlands),
and Romain Edouard (France) fight for Guildford 1.
Romain Edouard (Guildford 1)
Sophie Milliet (Guilford 1) v Sue Maroroa (White Rose 1)
Last weekend the first two divisions played rounds five and six of the current season in the Holiday Inn Airport Hotel in Birmingham. Cheddelton 1 and Guildford 1 both won their matches and continue to lead their groups with the maximum number of points: 12 out of 12.
Division 1A
Round 5
Round 6
Games of rounds five and six
Standings Division 1A
Division 1B
In the match Guildford 1 against White Rose 1 Guildfords top board Matthew Sadler won an interesting game against James Adair. He employed a concept that Sergei Tiviakov explained in detail on his ChessBase DVD Gegen den jungen IM verfolgte er mit Weiß in der Italienischen Partie ein Konzept, das zum Beispiel Sergey Tiviakov auf seiner DVD "Attacking with the Italian Game and the Ruy Lopez": White defers castling or castles queenside to attack on the kingside.
Adair decided to counter White's plan offensively with an early ...d5, but later fell victim to a strategic error.
Matthew Sadler (Guildford 1) v James Adair (White Rose 1)
Round 5
Round 6
Games of rounds five and six
Standings Division 1b
John Shaw
Richard Palliser (White Rose 1)
Jacob Aagaard, Jon Speelman
Jon Speelman (Wood Green) v Daniel Fernandez (Guildford 2)
Peter Wells
Lawrence Trent
Photos: John Saunders
Schedule
Rounds 1-2 | Weekend 1
14-15 November 2015
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport Divisions 1 & 2
Park Inn Telford Division 3 & 4 South
Cedar Court Hotel Division 3 North
Rounds 3-4 | Weekend 2
16-17 January 2016
Park Inn Telford Division 3 & 4 South
De Vere Wychwood Park Division 3 North
23-24 January 2016
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport Divisions 1 & 2
Rounds 5-6 | Weekend 3
13-14 February 2016
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport Divisions 1 & 2
Park Inn Telford Division 3 & 4 South
Cedar Court Hotel Division 3 North
Rounds 7-8 | Weekend 4
19-20 March 2016
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport Divisions 1 & 2
Park Inn Telford Division 3 & 4 South
Cedar Court Hotel Division 3 North
Rounds 9-11 | Weekend 5
30 Apr-2 May 2016
Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport Divisions 1 & 2
Park Inn Telford Division 3 & 4 South
De Vere Wychwood Park Division 3 North
4NCL website...
