4NCL (Nations Chess League) – Season 9 – Round 1 report!
SEASON 2023-24
4NCL (Nations Chess League)
Tues 23rd Jan 24 – 7:30pm
Season 9 – Round 1
Time-Controls – 45 minutes + 15 seconds increments
Dundee City teams is a joint venture between Castlehill Chess Club Dundee and Dundee Chess Club.
Well here we go again with season 9 now! Not a bad start at all for Dundee City with 5 winners, one draw and just two losses! Not only that, but some absolutely outstanding chess, fighting spirit and checkmate combinations!
RESULTS
Div 1 – Group A
Barnet Knights A (1780) 0 – 4 (2232) Dundee City A
On paper, Dundee City A had a softer start than most, but you just never know! Barnet Knights A were heavily out graded, but did put up a decent fight, but met a brick wall in Dundee City A! Nice start to the campaign to win back their title! Their next match against Farnham A will be a little bit harder!
Well played, Richard Polaczek IM; Ian McDonald; David Findlay & Ed Spencer!
Div 1 – Group B
Dundee City B (1931) 2½ – 1½ (2082) Charlton Cobras A
The result of the night has to go to Dundee City B who grading wise were below their normal level, but player wise they were “The Fantastic four”, a “Marvel”, with nothing “Comic” about their chess!
Up against the Champions two season ago Charlton Cobras A, it was looking like a rear-guard action, but boy what a result! They had all the powers of the “Fantastic Four” and their opponents did not see this coming (Invisibility)! Their opponents hit a brick wall (The Thing)! Then they got their pawns burnt (Torch)! Charlton Cobras got pulled one way, then the other way (stretched)! Also, Theo`s checkmate finish was sublime!
Well played, Stephen Hogg; Andre Babin, Theodoros Vasilliadis & Dariusz Kosznik!
Div 2 – Group A
Ashfield Anonymous B (1724) 2 – 2 (1878) Dundee City C
A close fought match with not much separating them. It turned out to be a match of two halves with Dundee City`s bottom two players winning, and our top two players losing. It was in the end a good result for round one, but our top two players as always were annoyed with themselves and maybe a little too critical of aspects of their game, which goes to show how committed they are to the team!
Well played, Graham Mooney; Alan Borwell, Alastair Dawson & Joshua Crofts!
Div 2 – Group B
Warwickshire Bears A (1642) 2½ – 1½ (1654) Dundee City D
This was another close battle, but this time Dundee City D just lost out too a Bear hug! Leyton involved in the last match to finish, tried everything in the book (and more!) to get a win, but it was not to be. Indeed, in trying to win, he took risks and his opponent I think missed the winning move on move 52! It ended in a threefold repetition, a fair result for both players, but just not in our favour this time!
Well played Ross Brennan; James Anderson, Leyton Hackney & Alisdair McLeod!
Div 3 – Group B
Wessex Some Stars D (1731) 3½ – ½ (1572) Dundee City E
Sometimes you just know you are in for a hard time! Dundee City E found themselves up against Some Stars from Wessex standing on a steep hill, while Dundee City players were trying to knock them off it! All our players were out graded, but put up a battle and a half! In the end our whitewash hero was John Robertson Jnr on board one, with a great draw! Talk about being hung, drawn and quartered! Still two weeks to lick our wounds, take antibiotics, maybe some steroids and take it out on our next opponents!
Well played John Robertson; Stuart Duff; Matthew Hunter (J15) & Trevor Harley!
Div 4 – Group B
Chess Challengers A (1475) 1½ – 2½ (1520) Dundee City F
Not a lot in it grading wise and Dundee City F certainly found their opponents a “Challenge”! We quickly lost the first match, but with some determination, true grit and a slice of luck, Dundee City prevailed with captain Robert Jackson striking the last hammer-blow to sneak home as winners. Phew! Great start to the campaign and something to build on in round two!
Well played, Robert Jackson; Euan Murray; Subhayu Banerjee & Sir Philip Cohen!
Div 5 (Swiss)
Dundee City G (1441) 3 – 1 (1030) Lenzie Dementors
It`s never easy playing juniors who`s published grades rarely match their real strength over the chess board. Even worse if they are “Dementors” ready to suck the happiness and joy out of you! Thankfully our players are made of strong stuff and then throw in the “Patronus Charm” and hey presto, or as Tommy Cooper said, “Just like that”! Nice start to the campaign lads!
Well played, Cosmo Bobak, Ed Walton, Tom Wardlaw & David Ewing!
Dundee City H (1267) 2½ – 1½ (1278) 5 Towns Castleford B
Another equal grading match battle, but this time Dundee City H faced 5 towns! Castleford was the named town, but could also include players from Pontefract, Knottingley, Featherstone and Normanton (maybe South Kirby as well?)! The chess played was exciting to watch, with Chris Moore on board one and Francesco Polognano on board 3 both winning (both had white) and giving us at least a draw, with one match to go! This time Judith Firth was the unlucky player, but is getting better and better! The last match to finish was on board 2, was a corker with our Jonathan Kinnell! Jonathan had a Rook + the bishop pair against a single Queen + 1 pawn. It was a fascinating game to watch! Two battles were raging, with the queen versus three pieces and could Jonathan`s opponent promote the pawn! Jonathan battled hard and, in the end, got his reward when his opponent did queen his pawn but the resulting exchanges ended in, Insufficient Material – draw! Wow what a fight and finish Jonathan! Great way to end a match and secure the win!
Well played, Chris Moore, Jonathan Kinnell, Francesco Polignano & Judith Firth!
BRING ON ROUND TWO!
For all the results and standings so far, click “HERE“