English Chess Forum

Opening a new topic for each division.

Brilliant result for Bradford today Great to see them back at 8 players this time round, too.

usual plethora of 4.5-3.5 results in 2 a, with noticeably contrasting consequences for KJCA and ADs. But not a single 4.5-3.5 result in the other pool, indeed some rather extreme results.

No one trying to predict a winner yet, I shouldn't think.

What did people think of the venue?

Turned out that four of the Div 2 games were played in two separate, small rooms. I don't like this - atmosphere is lacking in such an arrangement.

On the plus side, you're forced to concentrate on your game. And the silence was pristine. I was shocked at the noise in the main room - the analysis room was too close, and was all too audible when the door opened. I saw David Howell look up in despair as he fought to win his tricky ending on the Sunday.

Not my problem as it turned out, but I thought this needed pointing out. The whole reason I play 4NCL, and only 4NCL, is for the excellence I expect at the venues.

Nick Ivell wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:09 pm

I was shocked at the noise in the main room - the analysis room was too close, and was all too audible when the door opened. I saw David Howell look up in despair as he fought to win his tricky ending on the Sunday.

Fortunately his opponent gave him plenty of help

curious pattern in division 2 a this season:

round 1 Barbican 2 2-6 Grantham Sharks 2
round 2 Gonzaga 1.5-6.5 Barbican 2
round 6 Grantham Sharks 2 2-6 Gonzaga

evidently everyone has good days and bad days ...

Jonathan Rogers wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:15 pm

curious pattern in division 2 a this season:

round 1 Barbican 2 2-6 Grantham Sharks 2
round 2 Gonzaga 1.5-6.5 Barbican 2
round 6 Grantham Sharks 2 2-6 Gonzaga

evidently everyone has good days and bad days ...

Especially when you notice that the first weekend Gonzaga fielded two FMs (one of whom has several IM norms) whereas this weekend they had just one player slightly above 2200. Grantham Sharks seem to have had more or less the same team (all 2100-2200 range) both weekends.

The second phase Pools clarified a little today.

Pool 2A is fully resolved: Spirit of Atticus will head the group, barring a calamitous and improbable reversal in rd 7. They'll be accompanied into the promotion pool by Anglian Avengers, KJCA Kings and Barnet Knights

Pool 2B is less resolved: Barbican 2 go into the promotion pool. Probably Gonzaga will too. But thereafter, some horrible arithmetic is required to sort out what's needed for the other two places prior to rd 7.

Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes

David Robertson wrote: Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes

Barbican 2 will progress with a maximum of 6 points if Sussex beat the Sharks and Cambridge beat Gonzaga by no more than 6-2. I think.

David Robertson wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:56 pm

The second phase Pools clarified a little today.

Pool 2A is fully resolved: Spirit of Atticus will head the group, barring a calamitous and improbable reversal in rd 7. They'll be accompanied into the promotion pool by Anglian Avengers, KJCA Kings and Barnet Knights

Pool 2B is less resolved: Barbican 2 go into the promotion pool. Probably Gonzaga will too. But thereafter, some horrible arithmetic is required to sort out what's needed for the other two places prior to rd 7.

Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes

Pool D The ADs and Bradford A both carry over 2 points; Warks 1 carry over 2 points plus anything they get from round 7 v Manticores 1, who already carry 4 points over

Wessex A are carrying at least 2 points over, plus another 2 points if Camb Univ 2 drop into Pool D; West is Best currently carry 0 points unless they take something from their match v Guildford 3 (who currently would be carrying 2 points over); as you say, Pool B is less resolved, and much less clear

Phil Makepeace wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:22 pm

David Robertson wrote: Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes

Barbican 2 will progress with a maximum of 6 points if Sussex beat the Sharks and Cambridge beat Gonzaga by no more than 6-2. I think.

Quite a remarkable observation as it turns out, this hadn't occurred to me at the time!

Looks like Barbican 2 are going up, although I'm more interested in who is going down

If last weekend's results are anything to go by, with all the teams from Pool B winning in round 8, at least three of them will get promoted.

Sussex Martlets carry no wins forward from Pool B so they might offer a glimmer of hope to Spirit of Atticus?

I like to see veterans succeed so I hope they make it, as long as it's not at Gonzaga's expense.

Tim Harding wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 21, 2019 2:44 pm

If last weekend's results are anything to go by, with all the teams from Pool B winning in round 8, at least three of them will get promoted.

Sussex Martlets carry no wins forward from Pool B so they might offer a glimmer of hope to Spirit of Atticus?

I like to see veterans succeed so I hope they make it, as long as it's not at Gonzaga's expense.

We (Sussex Martlets) have lost to Spirit of Atticus on our last 3 occasions so 'a glimmer of hope' is perhaps an understatement. We ruined the streak last year by not getting promoted as we had previously been in the same division as each other for 4 consecutive years while never having remained in the same division. Despite being from opposite ends of the country and having a broadly different age-demographic a friendly rivalry has developed over the last few seasons, unfortunately though it's all been fairly one-way traffic.

It seems very likely to me that the top 4 teams as things stand will go up: Barbican, Gonzaga, Spirit of Atticus and Cambridge. These are probably the 4 pre-season favourites so shouldn't be a huge surprise but Cambridge's season has perhaps been the least smooth: an early loss to Wessex, left them needing a slightly fortunate (although I would say that) win against the Martlets in round 6 and a win against Gonzaga in round 7 to sneak through to the Promotion Pool.