Div 3 North 2016-17

[MartinCarpenter]

I think you'd have to run Paul's game through an engine to be sure about what was going on

Think Paul has done it, and he isn't flattering himself The piece sac is OK but he should have taken on b2 to get three pawns for it or something.

Looking at it now, the game on board 2 is pretty scary as well! Even the final position is a serious mess.

[Neil Graham]

Bundesliga schedule confirms the clash

If my calculations are correct, Manx Liberty will be playing Ashfield-Breadsall 1 in Round Nine (other pairings are available). Manx have already played all the teams that could realistically challenge them unless they turn up with three weaker players as they did in Rounds 1 & 2. They have already played five different GMs, three IMs and a woman GM and with Gonzaga breathing down their necks I would expect them to appear with at least three or four titled players in the final rounds. In the Bundesliga they are in mid-table whereas here they need to win their last three matches to progress to Division Two.

[Alex McFarlane]

I will confirm in the next few days but, and ignoring colours, ...

Manticores 1 (16) v Manticores 2 (10)
Manx Lib (13) v Jorvik (9)
Gonzaga (12) v Hounds & Bears (9)
Cheddleton 2 (9) v Ash Bred 1 (8)

seems much more likely.

Just to try to balance colours and make sure there is a round 11 draw without having it crash.

I had hoped to be able to publish draw today but a few things have arisen. The publishing of round 8 games will also be delayed until later in the week.

[Neil Graham]

I will confirm in the next few days but, and ignoring colours, ...

Manticores 1 (16) v Manticores 2 (10)
Manx Lib (13) v Jorvik (9)
Gonzaga (12) v Hounds & Bears (9)
Cheddleton 2 (9) v Ash Bred 1 (8)

seems much more likely.

Just to try to balance colours and make sure there is a round 11 draw without having it crash.

I had hoped to be able to publish draw today but a few things have arisen. The publishing of round 8 games will also be delayed until later in the week.

You can't palm me off with those pairings - Jorvik played Manx in Round Two. I'm busy signing up several GMs for this match - but they'll all probably go to Bolton!

[Alex McFarlane]

Yes but I was using the Mick Morris pairing method!!!!

Sorry I mis-sorted after doing a provisional rd 10

Manx v Ash Bred 1 is one possibility but what I was also looking at was
Mant 1 v Chedd 2
Manx v Mant 2
Gonzaga v Hounds
Ash 1 v Jorvick
as this allows the top 8 to be paired together.

3Cs3 and Kts 3 will also affect things as they will possibly have to float up into the top half.

As I say I'm looking at making sure it doesn't crash leaving no possible rd 11 pairing and trying to reduce the chances of a team getting 3 of the same colour.

[Neil Graham]

Yes but I was using the Mick Morris pairing method!!!!

Sorry I mis-sorted after doing a provisional rd 10

Manx v Ash Bred 1 is one possibility but what I was also looking at was
Mant 1 v Chedd 2
Manx v Mant 2
Gonzaga v Hounds
Ash 1 v Jorvick
as this allows the top 8 to be paired together.

3Cs3 and Kts 3 will also affect things as they will possibly have to float up into the top half.

As I say I'm looking at making sure it doesn't crash leaving no possible rd 11 pairing and trying to reduce the chances of a team getting 3 of the same colour.

I think we all know that pairing is going to be a nightmare. Last year in Division Four Ashfield-Breadsall 2 were paired against the League Leaders Sussex Martlets 2 in Round 10 and then the bottom team Barnet Knights 3 in Round Eleven. By that time so many teams had withdrawn that there were only 15 teams left in the last round which necessitated a dreaded triangular pairing. Hope everyone can manage the last three rounds at Wakefield.

[Mick Norris]

Manx should get MM2, SoA B and AB1 at the last weekend I think

MM1 should get Ched 2, MM2 and Brad B I think

Gonzaga should get H&B, Brad B & MM2

At the bottom, I think 3Cs 3 have more scope as they missed a weekend, so they have AB2, and lots of other teams (though presumably try to avoid 3Cs 2)

Brad C is more of an issue, but they will presumably get MM3 and MM4

[Mick Norris]

SoA report on weekend 4

[MartinCarpenter]

Fine report it is too. Suppose that H&B are fairly likely to get fourth place, fifth place could be very close.

[Mick Norris]

You may be correct, though it depends who H&B can get out for the final weekend

P W D L GP Pts
Manchester Manticores 1 8 8 0 0 35 16
Manx Liberty 8 6 1 1 32 13
Gonzaga 8 6 0 2 35 12
Manchester Manticores 2 8 5 0 3 27 10
Hounds and Bears 8 4 1 3 27 9
Cheddleton 2 8 4 1 3 24½ 9
Jorvik 8 3 3 2 22 9
3Cs 2 8 3 2 3 25½ 8
Ashfield Breadsall 1 8 3 2 3 23 8
Spirit of Atticus B 8 3 1 4 21½ 7
Manchester Manticores 4 8 2 3 3 21 7
Enniscorthy 8 3 1 4 18 7
Bradford DCA Knights B 8 3 0 5 23 6
Holmes Chapel 8 3 0 5 22 6
Ashfield Breadsall 2 8 2 2 4 21½ 6
Manchester Manticores 3 8 1 2 5 18 4
Bradford DCA Knights C 8 1 1 6 15½ 3
3Cs 3 6 1 0 5 9½ 2

[Tim Harding]

Next round:
31 Manchester Manticores 1 - - - Manchester Manticores 2
32 Manx Liberty - - - Ashfield Breadsall 1
33 Hounds and Bears - - - Gonzaga
34 3Cs 2 - - - Enniscorthy
35 Spirit of Atticus B - - - Cheddleton 2
36 Manchester Manticores 4 - - - Jorvik
37 Bradford DCA Knights B - - - Holmes Chapel
38 Ashfield Breadsall 2 - - - 3Cs 3
39 Manchester Manticores 3 - - - Bradford DCA Knights C

[Mick Norris]

Manx have added a new top player

Number Player Title Jnr. Nat. DM num ECF FIDE Grade Other Current 4NCL Restrict
1 Lupulescu, Constantin g ROU 289470B 1207822 0 2616 2616
2 Parligras, Mircea-Emilian g ROU 289468D 1204297 2601 2601
3 Antoniewski, Rafal g POL 1111078 2532 2532
4 Cyborowski, Lukasz g POL 308078L 1108760 2532 2532
5 Bobras, Piotr g POL 263284G 1106880 2522 2522
6 Galyas, Miklos i HUN 300354B 707244 240 2493 2493
7 Jaracz, Pawel g POL 1102222 2470 2470
8 Seger, Ruediger i GER 4617274 2351 2351
9 Kolbus, Dietmar i GER 233784J 4610628 219 2307 2307
10 Jaracz, Barbara wg POL 1107453 2238 2238

[MartinCarpenter]

Oh, for goodness sake! They must be a long way up the 4NCL overall squad averages by now

Looks a winnable draw for Jorvik in round 9 at least, 10/11 could well be a lot harder.

[Mick Norris]

Kolbus currently playing in Zurich, so who knows who he might sign next for Manx?

[Neil Graham]

Kolbus currently playing in Zurich, so who knows who he might sign next for Manx?

All the players are from his SG Trier squad http://schachbundesliga.de/verein/232/522 including his latest listing.

1 Vassily Ivanchuk 2723 GM
2 Viktor Erdoes 2578 GM
3 Constantin Lupulescu 2622 GM
4 Mircea Parligras 2602 GM
5 Benjamin Gledura 2581 GM
6 Alexander Goloshchapov 2585 GM
7 Piotr Bobras 2517 GM
8 Felix Graf 2474 IM
9 Stewart G Haslinger 2521 GM
10 Lukasz Cyborowski 2526 GM
11 Pawel Jaracz 2477 GM
12 Laszlo Gonda 2500 GM
13 Miklos Galyas 2460 IM
14 Ruediger Seger 2368 IM
15 Dietmar Kolbus 2315 IM
16 Andrei Nestor Cioara 2437 IM

We confidently expect that Ivanchuk is to turn out at the weekend.