4NCL First weekend (divs 1 and 2)

[Jonathan Rogers]

So, we start again - at least in divisions 1 and 2.

Division 1 starts without Guildford for the first time since 1999 (they had been relegated in 1997/8), presumably due to lack of continued financial support. It also misses Barbican for the first time since the first division was created back in 1997, since the increasing lack of player availability over the last five years (which had already seen three teams shrink to one) meant that it did not qualify for the first division last year. And yet ... the competition this year looks very interesting! Partly because Sharks have recruited well, and White Rose look a bit stronger (again), and any match involving two teams from Manx, Wood Green 1, Cheddleton, Sharks and White Rose might have title implications. Their team lists are broadly comparable in this first weekend, though one imagines that Manx and Wood Green 1 might have more in reserve as the season progresses. Not that wood Green 1 has an easy pairing today, of course ...

Admittedly there are a few other teams which perhaps could thank the swiss pairing system of last year for their presence in division one this year. But since they tend to play each other towards the end of the season, probably we won't know which of them will be relegated for some time yet.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Oh, and division two is very interesting - of course. Among the top players on top board for their teams, there are two GMs, two (strong) IMs, and four FMs, with a number of teams having more titled players below. Probably then the expectation of a significantly stronger second division with just twelve teams will be met. Sharks 2, reprieved by the withdrawal of Guildford from division one, look stronger, as a knock on effect of the recruitment in their first team (also from Guildford - so the withdrawal of the latter was really a huge moment for the Sharks). As for the seeding - well, I have only said about a thousand times over the years that it is impossible to seed teams in the second division. Sure enough, among the five teams with the highest average ratings this weekend, there are already three matches - Barbican plays Spirit of Atticus and Oxford, while the Sharks will play ADs. Not that this need be such a bad thing, unintended though it is - it is just that the second division has always been a different beast from the largely predictable first division.

[Mick Norris]

The Bundesliga is on this weekend, Shirov plays alongside Mickey Adams, with Gawain & Luke playing too, so that may account for some absences

[Jonathan Rogers]

looks like another set of massacres for the top teams today in division one. It really is not a good advert for the new idea of postponing all the encounters between the top teams until the last two weekends of the season. What is Leonard Barden supposed to write about concerning the first three weekends?

[IM Jack Rudd]

He can write about our upset victory against the Tigers yesterday. Nice publishable board 8 game.

[Jonathan Rogers]

but it wasn't much of an upset, given the team that Celtic fielded - they may well lose to White Rose 2 even. And no one would regard them as a top team even at their best.

Kett's ending save was a nice touch of drama yesterday, but perhaps the only one in the whole of division one.

[LawrenceCooper]

looks like another set of massacres for the top teams today in division one. It really is not a good advert for the new idea of postponing all the encounters between the top teams until the last two weekends of the season. What is Leonard Barden supposed to write about concerning the first three weekends?

He could mention Wood Green Youth v Cheddleton which included wins for Jonah, Borna & Akshaya.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Yes, that was a good match. Not much from one whole weekend of first division chess though - you see my point, surely. If we were assured of seeing, say, three or four competitive matches next time around and in February, that would be another thing; but we are not.

[MartinCarpenter]

Yes, that was a good match. Not much from one whole weekend of first division chess though - you see my point, surely. If we were assured of seeing, say, three or four competitive matches next time around and in February, that would be another thing; but we are not.

He could write about that very interesting Division 2 perhaps

Div 1 doesn't seem to have been so awful on paper though, especially not for the early rounds. On paper you had about 2 tight matches, 4 potential upsets (~100pts/bd is only 5-3) and 6 fairly one sided matches. Of those 4 potential upsets, one yielded a draw and the other 3 all tilted towards being blow outs. Happens.

[Nick Burrows]

Taken from Nicholas Vs Payne - looks more like a game of 'Horde' Chess

8/p4k2/6p1/3pPP2/1P1P2PP/2PPK3/8/3b4 w - - 0 51

Guess the opening? Bonus point for the variation

[Matt Mackenzie]

Win for White, or does ....Bg4 save things for Black if they have the move?

[Nick Burrows]

Sorry, white to move

[Matt Mackenzie]

Presumably they won, then?

[IM Jack Rudd]

https://chessgospinny.blogspot.com/2022 ... 22-23.html

[Neil Graham]

It would make sense to have just one thread for Divisions 1 & 2 or even a separate thread for each division. If we have a new topic for every weekend we could be overwhelmed with different threads. Perhaps the management could have a look at this?