4NCL 2023-24 Division Four

[Matt Mackenzie]

Blackpool is and always has been a big event, so in this case I think Neil's point is quite reasonable.

[Mick Norris]

Yes, and easily answered by looking at who are the organisers I guess, although what we don't know is venue availability, which can be affected by all sorts of other bookings

[Neil Graham]

Round Seven Pairings


41 ToBeDecided - - - North West Eagles
42 Coventry - - - Average Woodpushers
43 Celtic Tigers 3 - - - Desert Penguins
44 Guildford Young Guns - - - The Full Ponty
45 Oxford 3 - - - CSC/Kingston 3
46 She Plays To Win Young Stars A - - - Crowthorne B
47 English Deaf Chess Association - - - Ashfield 3
48 She Plays To Win Uni - - - Watford A
49 Barnet Knights C - - - Wessex B
50 Oxford 4 - - - Apprentice Woodpushers
51 War and Piece B - - - She Plays To Win Young Stars B
70 Iceni 2 - - - War and Piece A
71 War and Piece A - - - Ashfield 2
72 Ashfield 2 - - - Iceni 2

Iceni/War & Piece A/Ashfield 2 is a Triangular match

Absentees: Lancaster (again - have they withdrawn?); Watford B.

[LawrenceCooper]

I noticed that Mr. Dodgy made an appearance in Division Four on board six and helped his team to a narrow victory.

[Mick Norris]

I noticed that Mr. Dodgy made an appearance in Division Four on board six and helped his team to a narrow victory.

And again in round 8 where NW Eagles, who look very strong, easily beat the Desert Penguins

Table has (or will have when updated) NW Eagles and Average Woodpushers (the only team to beat NW Eagles) on 14 with To Be Decided and Desert Penguins on 12; the top 4 have all played each other, so the pairings for the final weekend will be interesting

[Neil Graham]

Round Nine pairings

41 Average Woodpushers - - - War and Piece A
42 North West Eagles - - - Iceni 2
43 Celtic Tigers 3 - - - ToBeDecided
44 Coventry - - - Desert Penguins
45 Watford A - - - Oxford 3
46 CSC/Kingston 3 - - - Guildford Young Guns
47 The Full Ponty - - - Wessex B
48 Ashfield 3 - - - Apprentice Woodpushers
49 She Plays To Win Young Stars A - - - Lancaster
50 Ashfield 2 - - - She Plays To Win Young Stars B
51 She Plays To Win Uni - - - War and Piece B
70 Crowthorne B - - - Barnet Knights C
71 Barnet Knights C - - - English Deaf Chess Association
72 English Deaf Chess Association - - - Crowthorne B

Absentees :- Watford "B"; Oxford 4

[Phil Neatherway]

We are back in Telford and unfortunately we just can't get enough players for Oxford 4.

[Roger Lancaster]

We are back in Telford and unfortunately we just can't get enough players for Oxford 4.

Same for Watford. It's unreasonable to complain about Telford as teams from Manchester, say, will find this more convenient than Daventry or Milton Keynes. All the same, had we known in advance that 3 weekends were at Telford, we'd have saved our money and entered just one team.

[Mick Norris]

Has there been any hints about venues (and dates) for next season?

I know it's been really tough for the 4NCL with hotels this last couple of seasons

[LawrenceCooper]

We are back in Telford and unfortunately we just can't get enough players for Oxford 4.

Same for Watford. It's unreasonable to complain about Telford as teams from Manchester, say, will find this more convenient than Daventry or Milton Keynes. All the same, had we known in advance that 3 weekends were at Telford, we'd have saved our money and entered just one team.

The dates and venues were announced about a year ago though so about six months before the deadline for entering teams.

[Ian Thompson]

It's unreasonable to complain about Telford

Agreed for the geographical location of Telford; not agreed for the fact it's the town of Telford which seems to me to have nothing at all to recommend it.

[Ian Thompson]

The dates and venues were announced about a year ago though so about six months before the deadline for entering teams.

But not where each division was going to play each weekend. Even when that had been announced, weren't some changes subsequently made? I'm pretty sure Division 3 Knights were initially allocated 3 weekends in Telford and then got a reprieve for one weekend.

[Mick Norris]

The original email in April 2023, when it was thought that there might be a maximum of 64 teams accommodated, had

Division 1 & 2 Venue

3-5 November Milton Keynes
12-14 January Warwick
9-11 February Telford
15-17 March Telford
3-6 May Telford

Division 3 Venue

17-19 November Telford
5-7 January Telford
9-11 February Warwick
8-10 March Warwick
3-6 May Warwick

It changed a bit from there

[LawrenceCooper]

The original email in April 2023, when it was thought that there might be a maximum of 64 teams accommodated, had

Division 1 & 2 Venue

3-5 November Milton Keynes
12-14 January Warwick
9-11 February Telford
15-17 March Telford
3-6 May Telford

Division 3 Venue

17-19 November Telford
5-7 January Telford
9-11 February Warwick
8-10 March Warwick
3-6 May Warwick

It changed a bit from there

Fair enough. I know I had all my Div 1 accom booked and confirmed by early July but maybe there were venue changes to Div 4 that I wasn't aware of.

[LawrenceCooper]

It's unreasonable to complain about Telford

Agreed for the geographical location of Telford; not agreed for the fact it's the town of Telford which seems to me to have nothing at all to recommend it.

Apart from a train station and many restaurants in walking distance.