End of season report, part one
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End of season report, part one
... where JR summarises the fortumes of the teams in the first division, bemoans that no one else writes about 4NCL remotely promptly, and ignores Leonard's otherwise admirable coverage in the Guardian because JR does not entirely approve of Leonard's call to other teams to pinch his best players.
Guilford 1
The records keep on being broken. This was their best season yet, which is saying something. As with last year there was just one defeat in 88 games and this time at the entirely plausible hands of Jonathan Hawkins playing White. Roger will have been delighted to recruit both Adams and McShane over the season and to have played three English GMs on the top three boards, as if to make a point aganst the challengers from Manx Liberty, and to have trounced Manx so comprehensivley in their first encounter. Next year they will likely not be able to call upon Hou Yifan but much more than would seem to be needed for Manx to make up the difference.
Manx Liberty
Everyone expected them to challenge for the title; few expected them to succeed. That came to pass but nonetheless, like Cheddleton in previous years, they finished much closer to third than to first. The gap between them and Guildford seems wide, because as well as needing to be close to full strength every weekend (this year everything went pear shaped when a sub standard team lost to White Rose) they will also want to win their matches by higher scores. The best way to finish above Guildford, they should surely be reflectcing, would be not to have win their individual match and to be able to draw it on account of better game points - as did Wood Green in 2005 and 2006. For all of that, to finish second in their first season is an achievement of sorts, even if six 2600+ players were available at the end. It should also be said that their players were willing to conduct post mortems and to do what they can to integrate into their new league.
Cheddleton
This is going to sound like an end of term report on the top teams in the football premier league, but Cheddleton actually impressed a lot too - ironically, more this year than in the years when they finished second. They were out of the running for first when they lost to Manx in round five, but carried on and only finished third behind Nanx by one gamepoint, after Manx lost to White Rose. This meant that Cheddleton themselves beat all of White Rose, Wood Green, and Guildford 2 for the first time in the same season. Had they managed to do that in any of teh recent previous years they would have played a "real" title decider against Guildford in the last round. They also managed to win a game against Guildford 1 for the first time in memory (see above) and handed Barbican 1 their heaviest defeat since they entered the 4NCL in 1996. It will be interesting too to see what the English team selectors will make of the marvellous form of Jonathan Hawkins - will they feel pressure to diverge from the recent practice of playing a regular top four in every match?
White Rose
Similarly you would expect White Rose to achieve plaudits for their season; they certainly could not have realistically finished any higher. White Rose seem accustomed to not getting the credit they think they deserve though, and this may prove to be the case again since their cause was undoubtedly aided by catching Manx Liberty at the right moment; their fourth place would could easily have been seventh had they played Manx in the last weekend - and they only played Manx at the right moment because they finished fourth in their starting pool. James Adair remains their most enigmatic player; he started the season with a loss with White against Wood Green and was literally absent for some weekends, but frighteningly strong and seemingly closing in on the GM title again towards the end of the season. They may find life easier again next season when their second team rejoins them at the same venues.
part 2 to follow at some convenient time
Guilford 1
The records keep on being broken. This was their best season yet, which is saying something. As with last year there was just one defeat in 88 games and this time at the entirely plausible hands of Jonathan Hawkins playing White. Roger will have been delighted to recruit both Adams and McShane over the season and to have played three English GMs on the top three boards, as if to make a point aganst the challengers from Manx Liberty, and to have trounced Manx so comprehensivley in their first encounter. Next year they will likely not be able to call upon Hou Yifan but much more than would seem to be needed for Manx to make up the difference.
Manx Liberty
Everyone expected them to challenge for the title; few expected them to succeed. That came to pass but nonetheless, like Cheddleton in previous years, they finished much closer to third than to first. The gap between them and Guildford seems wide, because as well as needing to be close to full strength every weekend (this year everything went pear shaped when a sub standard team lost to White Rose) they will also want to win their matches by higher scores. The best way to finish above Guildford, they should surely be reflectcing, would be not to have win their individual match and to be able to draw it on account of better game points - as did Wood Green in 2005 and 2006. For all of that, to finish second in their first season is an achievement of sorts, even if six 2600+ players were available at the end. It should also be said that their players were willing to conduct post mortems and to do what they can to integrate into their new league.
Cheddleton
This is going to sound like an end of term report on the top teams in the football premier league, but Cheddleton actually impressed a lot too - ironically, more this year than in the years when they finished second. They were out of the running for first when they lost to Manx in round five, but carried on and only finished third behind Nanx by one gamepoint, after Manx lost to White Rose. This meant that Cheddleton themselves beat all of White Rose, Wood Green, and Guildford 2 for the first time in the same season. Had they managed to do that in any of teh recent previous years they would have played a "real" title decider against Guildford in the last round. They also managed to win a game against Guildford 1 for the first time in memory (see above) and handed Barbican 1 their heaviest defeat since they entered the 4NCL in 1996. It will be interesting too to see what the English team selectors will make of the marvellous form of Jonathan Hawkins - will they feel pressure to diverge from the recent practice of playing a regular top four in every match?
White Rose
Similarly you would expect White Rose to achieve plaudits for their season; they certainly could not have realistically finished any higher. White Rose seem accustomed to not getting the credit they think they deserve though, and this may prove to be the case again since their cause was undoubtedly aided by catching Manx Liberty at the right moment; their fourth place would could easily have been seventh had they played Manx in the last weekend - and they only played Manx at the right moment because they finished fourth in their starting pool. James Adair remains their most enigmatic player; he started the season with a loss with White against Wood Green and was literally absent for some weekends, but frighteningly strong and seemingly closing in on the GM title again towards the end of the season. They may find life easier again next season when their second team rejoins them at the same venues.
part 2 to follow at some convenient time
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Re: End of season report, part one
Well, if no one else is writing about it properly, at least you are
Very good thanks.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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Re: End of season report, part one
Can't find anyone to take the queen's shilling. Sorry.
As per previous requests - please contact me if you would like to take up the pittance we can offer to report on each weekend.
Leonard has also done a great report in the Guardian. So hopefully he, like Jonathan, can also be excused from both the "promptly" and the "properly" criticism.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
Leonard has also done a great report in the Guardian. So hopefully he, like Jonathan, can also be excused from both the "promptly" and the "properly" criticism.
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Re: End of season report, part one
White Rose have been consistently good and deserve credit; they may find it easier next year, but they may have mixed feelings about the performance of their second teamJonathan Rogers wrote: ↑Fri May 10, 2019 5:53 pmWhite Rose
Similarly you would expect White Rose to achieve plaudits for their season; they certainly could not have realistically finished any higher. White Rose seem accustomed to not getting the credit they think they deserve though, and this may prove to be the case again since their cause was undoubtedly aided by catching Manx Liberty at the right moment; their fourth place would could easily have been seventh had they played Manx in the last weekend - and they only played Manx at the right moment because they finished fourth in their starting pool. James Adair remains their most enigmatic player; he started the season with a loss with White against Wood Green and was literally absent for some weekends, but frighteningly strong and seemingly closing in on the GM title again towards the end of the season. They may find life easier again next season when their second team rejoins them at the same venues.
WR2 were strong favourites for Div 3N and duly won it, but only on game points despite being the highest rated team; they needed a default to beat Spirit of Atticus B at the 2nd weekend, and the final weekend I think saw them twice coming back from 2 down with 2 to play to draw matches, and losing another couple of games in their narrow win; it was good to see them play, though, and I assume they will be strong enough to stay in Div 2
Any postings on here represent my personal views
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Re: End of season report, part one
Good report Jonathan - I hope you and Mike can negotiate terms for regular reports!
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Re: End of season report, part one
If I were retired, used databases/engines (for proper annotations) and knew how to produce diagrams, then we could be in business. As it is, I am probably still light years from all three; I don't know which will happen first!
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Re: End of season report, part one
Google for "php diagram chess" for some options.Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑Sat May 11, 2019 10:57 amand knew how to produce diagrams
If you are writing on a site that supports pgn2web (such as this one and the 4NCL site), that's another option.
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Re: End of season report, part one
Ok, in order of priority:Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑Sat May 11, 2019 10:57 amIf I were retired, used databases/engines (for proper annotations) and knew how to produce diagrams, then we could be in business. As it is, I am probably still light years from all three; I don't know which will happen first!
Retirement - sort your pension out (forgive me, I'm a pension consultant
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Reports - TBH, I prefer your verbal reports to the detailed analysis you see in other reports; anyone really interested in the games can run them through databases/engines themselves (and you can always get help here with diagrams etc if really needed)
Any postings on here represent my personal views