And so starts the 31st season

[Jonathan Rogers]

Or the 30th season, if you discount the one lost to covid. Or the 29th complete season, so we trust. Whatever.

Wood Green play each other again, and I can only imagine that Loz is just pleased to get the damned thing out of the way (also the effect of having virtually their preferred female squad playing for England is thereby reduced). Sharks have improved again, having added Daniel Fernandez to their list. On the whole, Manx are surely favourites again, but they have never been the bullies that Guildford were, and there is room for doubt.

Division two looks considerably stronger than it has been for some years. No fewer than five teams average over 2200 over the top seven boards, which is good in this age where rating deflation seems to be hitting those between 2000-2400 especially harshly (though having said that, perhaps it is four teams. Warwickshire Select are playing their teams on the basis of converted ECF, not official Elos; as too are the Sharks 2, though they would surely be above 2200 even if using official ratings). Even I am not foolish enough to predict the top three finishers in this division.

[LawrenceCooper]

Or the 30th season, if you discount the one lost to covid. Or the 29th complete season, so we trust. Whatever.

Wood Green play each other again, and I can only imagine that Loz is just pleased to get the damned thing out of the way (also the effect of having virtually their preferred female squad playing for England is thereby reduced). Sharks have improved again, having added Daniel Fernandez to their list. On the whole, Manx are surely favourites again, but they have never been the bullies that Guildford were, and there is room for doubt.

Division two looks considerably stronger than it has been for some years. No fewer than five teams average over 2200 over the top seven boards, which is good in this age where rating deflation seems to be hitting those between 2000-2400 especially harshly (though having said that, perhaps it is four teams. Warwickshire Select are playing their teams on the basis of converted ECF, not official Elos; as too are the Sharks 2, though they would surely be above 2200 even if using official ratings). Even I am not foolish enough to predict the top three finishers in this division.

I do feel like I've created a monster with my youth team, they finished last season with six match wins and although outrated on every board today are very capable of getting a result.

One other thing that caught my eye is that Sharks outrate Manx by an average of 40 points and play each other tomorrow. They even had the luxury of playing Peter Roberson in Division Two today but I suspect he may be back where he belongs tomorrow.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Indeed, the defending champions do seem to be on the ropes (albeit not because of Peter Roberson. They probably remember him from the time he beat Parligras). If they lose, it will be their third loss in 4NCL (White Rose was first, beating a very understrength Manx in a weekend which clashed with Bundesliga, in March 2018/19, and Guildford beat a full Manx side, at the end of 2018/19).

[LawrenceCooper]

Indeed, the defending champions do seem to be on the ropes (albeit not because of Peter Roberson. They probably remember him from the time he beat Parligras). If they lose, it will be their third loss in 4NCL (White Rose was first, beating a very understrength Manx in a weekend which clashed with Bundesliga, in March 2018/19, and Guildford beat a full Manx side, at the end of 2018/19).

Sharks win 5-3!

[Jonathan Rogers]

That might be the first significant loss by the defending champions in the first weekend since Midland Monarchs lost to Slough at the start of the 98/99 season. There have been subsequent losses but only by defending champions who had since lost sponsorship and were no longer seriously competing for the title, e.g. Wood Green in 2006/7.

It is rather wonderful to have an unpredictable first division, no?

[LawrenceCooper]

That might be the first significant loss by the defending champions in the first weekend since Midland Monarchs lost to Slough at the start of the 98/99 season. There have been subsequent losses but only by defending champions who had since lost sponsorship and were no longer seriously competing for the title, e.g. Wood Green in 2006/7.

It is rather wonderful to have an unpredictable first division, no?

Impressive. How long have you been storing that one up waiting for a good excuse to mention it?

[Jonathan Rogers]

twenty five years, I suppose! I still have a good memory for events at which I was actually present ...

If it helps to restore the balance, MM did beat Invicta Knights in the first weekend of the previous season, and that turned out to be a match between the top two teams (I think). It didn't get a mention above because that was a victory by the defending champions, and the post was about early defeats.

Generally, premature matches between top teams seem to have been more common back then (remembering that Slough and Wood Green, the top two teams in 1999/2000, played each other in the first weekend in the following season, the match in which Miles famously beat Baburin with the Hippo - and so, another win by the defending champs).

[Roger de Coverly]

Generally, premature matches between top teams seem to have been more common back then

Was it a deliberate pairing policy that for each weekend the top half would face one of their own and one of those they were expected to beat? It took a while for the tradition of invited guest stars at the final weekend to become established.

[LawrenceCooper]

Generally, premature matches between top teams seem to have been more common back then

Was it a deliberate pairing policy that for each weekend the top half would face one of their own and one of those they were expected to beat? It took a while for the tradition of invited guest stars at the final weekend to become established.

I certainly remember one final round in the mid 90s where there was a big virtually all GM clash for second place whilst my team were a point ahead and facing more modest opposition. Possibly Slough v Invicta.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Yes, to both I think, and the pairing policy is back in force now.

I think Loz is probably thinking of 97/98, when MM had beaten Invicta in the first weekend (as mentioned above) and then beat Slough in round 5 (and drew with Richmond in round 6). Invicta had won all their other matches in the meantime, and so were only a point behind before the last round - but with Slough to play. (Slough themselves were out of contention for first, having also lost to Barbican, but might have been in contention for second if they beat Invicta). I don't actually remember what happened in Slough v Invicta, perhaps because MM were always going to win their own match anyway.

[LawrenceCooper]

Yes, to both I think, and the pairing policy is back in force now.

I think Loz is probably thinking of 97/98, when MM had beaten Invicta in the first weekend (as mentioned above) and then beat Slough in round 5 (and drew with Richmond in round 6). Invicta had won all their other matches in the meantime, and so were only a point behind before the last round - but with Slough to play. (Slough themselves were out of contention for first, having also lost to Barbican, but might have been in contention for second if they beat Invicta). I don't actually remember what happened in Slough v Invicta, perhaps because MM were always going to win their own match anyway.

The thing that stuck in my mind about the other match was how much money must have been spent on the two teams and how many ended in quick draws. At the time it was quite new to me seeing multiple GM quick draws and the match being left to a couple of boards to fight it out.

[Ben Purton]

Was nice to beat Manx. Blows the season open for 4-5 teams to win division. You feel Manx might win out...but who knows...

[Mick Norris]

Round 3 results with Shirov on board 1 for Manx

Round 4 with Shirov on board 3 for Manx and Sargissian on brought in on board 1 for the match against Cheddleton

With White Rose 1 v Wood Green Youth, and Wood Green v The Sharks 1 we have the top 6 playing each other and at least one of the 100% records will go

[Jonathan Rogers]

(This post crosses with Mick's! But I've written it now, so here it is).

Round 4 of 4NCL today, and for anyone who might have overlooked it, I would say that it is worth checking out division one today. (Well, division two is worth following too, and it can mostly be followed online this year, but then every round in division two is fun, while important matters may be decided in division one today).

The table tells the full story - three teams practically on the same score at the top, then another three similarly clustered two matchpoints below them, including Manx (who you may recall lost to the Sharks in the opening weekend). The three at the top - Cheddleton, Sharks and Wood Green - and Manx are the four serious title contenders, and they play each other today. You see my point ...

Manx strengthened yesterday by reintroducing Shirov whose absurdly good 4NCL record grew better again, and today they field a surprise wildcard, Gabriel Sargissian of Armenian Olympiad fame. This makes them comfortable rating favourites over Cheddleton, whom they desperately need to beat, but it will be a well contested match, I am sure.

Wood Green are rating favourites over Sharks, although not by as much and only on account of the lower boards (it should be said that the official rating averages, which show the teams to be evenly matched, are misleading; these averages exclude board eight, where Wood Green are overwhelming rating favourites). In my view, Wood Green have added a valuable player this weekend, Matthew Turner, who made his name as quite the 4NCL assassin in the early years of the 4NCL, running up high scores for three winning teams (Midland Monarchs, Slough and the earlier version of Wood Green). He is now reunited both with one of his former captains, Loz (from Midland Monarchs days) and with Wood Green, and I expect that Loz is very happy to add another serial winner to Jon Speelman in a team whose current members are otherwise still waiting to lift the trophy. But the Sharks will have their own intentions - today they unleash a surprise wild card, Nasuta (2579), and, given their early win over Manx, just a draw in this match would leave them in an excellent position.

[ThomasEvans]

Celtic Tigers 1 vs Oxford 1 features three father and son pairs: Malcolm & Jonathan Pein for Celtic Tigers, David & Dimitrios Zakarian and Hans-Peter Hansen & William Claridge-Hansen both for Oxford 1. We're not sure if that has happened before in the 4NCL, maybe someone else is aware of a previous case of this happening?