The 4NCL Final Weekend,
30th April-2nd May 2011, Hinckley Island by John Carleton
 |
|
| |
 |
|
WGM
Sheila Jackson, 2155, with 2/3 this weekend |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Barcelo
Hotel, Hinckley Island |
|
It was in high spirits but
with some apprehension that we set out for the
final weekend of the 4NCL not only to play in
the combined 3rd Division but to enjoy the
company of the great and the good of British
[indeed European] chess settling down to do
battle in the 1st and 2nd divisions. For the
first time in the tournament we had been
struggling to field a full team for the weekend
but an approach to a former Atticus regular,
albeit her last game played was thirty two and a
half years ago, [still short of Andy Mort's all
time record] found Sheila Jackson responding
enthusiastically to the call. In the first match
we were scheduled against the 2nd placed team
from the [Southern] 3rd division, Wessex 2 and
we were ready for a tough match against buoyant
and resilient opponents.
As ever, we were not to be
disappointed in our expectations: there was
quick interaction on two of the boards where we
were white: Steve Connor and Philip Taylor-Bowd
on board 4 whizzed off a long theoretical line
whilst I was still filling in the headings on my
score sheet and Andy Mort and Roger Marsh on
board 6 were soon embroiled in a queenside
versus kingside attack from an English. In
Sheila's game on board 2 moves came at a more
sedate rate but the conflict was intense from an
early stage with tactics to the fore. In our
black games Peter on board 3 and Dave on board 5
accepted small opening disadvantages and set
about neutralising their opponents attacking
intentions. My game was unbalanced and unclear
from an early stage with Allan Pleasants having
a central preponderance and targets in the shape
of my fractured kingside pawn formation but in
return I had an advanced protected passed pawn
on the queenside.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Ilian
Mladenov, 2194 vs. John J Carleton, 2307
(½-½) |
|
Andy was first to finish
agreeing a draw after netting the exchange for a
pawn but messy complications emerging. Steve's
game was also agreed drawn, the position never
veering much from level. As the time control
approached Dave consolidated his position and a
flat ending had emerged; the draw agreement was
a formality. Peter too, once he had equalised,
had to recognise the limitations of his position
and in due course the draw was agreed.
Thus we had four draws with
Sheila and I still in play. Sheila had moved on
to a difficult ending with rook, bishop and
knight and inferior pawn formation against rook
and two bishops. In severe time pressure Sheila
rattled off some great counter-attacking ideas
to establish a stone cold draw. Now it was five
draws with my game ongoing: after the time
scramble we had arrived at an ending where I
still had my big passed pawn but the final
outcome was uncertain. It was however certain
that Allan faced a tough early evening even if
the position could indeed be held. The truth of
the matter was not tested as Allan adopted the
wrong formation and I was able to deliver us the
match-clincher by the traditional "narrowest of
margins". This was the cue for our customary
post-match celebration in a delightful
restaurant near [well, quite near] our base in
Daventry which itself was some twenty miles to
the south. As ever, the venue was unearthed by
Robbo in his role as entertainment secretary and
as usual the ambiance, service and quality were
first rate. We were proud to find ourselves top
of the league and once we had shared our tales
of the joy of the royal wedding we settled into
our traditional preparation for the following
day's match.
The reason we found ourselves
top of division 3 was that Brown Jack, our
opponents on Sunday [and league leaders from the
South at the merger stage] had beaten Bradford
4-2, leaders from the North. Sunday's game
offered an enormous challenge and we approached
it with a mixture of relish and trepidation. The
early stages appeared evenly balanced: maybe a
slight edge for me on board 1, Sheila very
comfortable with black on board 2, Peter looking
ready to attack on board 3, Steve under some
discomfort on board 4, Dave's position unclear
on board 5 and Andy just slightly cramped.
The match situation took on a
different outlook when Peter won the exchange
and a pawn with a simple combination but was
forced into a big think when it became apparent
that his opponent Pablo Padilla Cabero had seen
further and held a sizeable initiative. My game
fluctuated heading back to even and then on to
unclear with my position the easier to play.
Sheila was improving her position, gradually
gaining the upper hand. Peter had been given no
choice but to bail out into a knight and rook
versus good bishop and rook ending and the
promise of much suffering to come. Steve was
also under big pressure and his position was
looking very loose. Dave and Peter Girdlestone
had constructed a position that remained hard to
read: Dave's castled king's position looked in
some danger but neither was the black king
necessarily safe stuck in the middle. I ,for
one, could not work it out but gained some hope
from the fact that Dave had nearly an hour more
left on his clock. Perhaps Peter was thinking
back to the day before where he had been on
board 1 putting Ben Hague to the sword ... [yes
board 5 for this match!] Andy seemed equal but
no more.
Then the results started
flowing: Steve's opponent missed a big move,
exchanges into a lifeless position ensued and a
draw was agreed. Andy grabbed a pawn but faced
with two raking bishops was content with a draw.
Peter's defensive battle was rewarded with a
hard- earned draw and we started to have big
hopes. Sheila had played a fine game but Timothy
Headlong engineered a nice save to salvage the
draw in the knight and pawn ending. The big news
was on board 5 where Dave had an advanced passed
h pawn, an imminent outside passed pawn on the
queenside supported by a bishop and his king was
more active. Peter struggled manfully but his
knight and central pawn mass were just not at
the races. Dave completed the win which put us
onto 3 points and the glory- hunting skipper
delivered the win by agreeing the theoretically
drawn ending, where he had the nominal advantage
of rook and two pawns against rook and pawn, as
an actual draw.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The
Windmill Inn Hotel at Badby |
|
We were extremely proud of
this good win in a season of good wins and were
impressed immensely by the losers' grace and
sportsmanship in the face of what must have been
a big disappointment. We were thus assured of
promotion and those who had had concerns
regarding Bradford's prospects after round 9
were put straight, as they also scored a fine
success against our "hotel-mates" Celtic Tigers
and were also guaranteed promotion. They were
now the only team who could pip us for the third
division title. And so to the celebration;
champagne provided by Dave [only fair, the match
win can be laid firmly at his door] was added to
the normal beer, wine and fine food to be
consumed by the assembly. The venue was
"provided" by Andy who is waiting in the wings
should a younger man be needed for the
entertainment position. In making the toast Dave
rightly paid tribute to the fighting spirit and
esprit de corps of our team with a special
mention for the contributions of the absent Mike
Driscoll and Dave Stuttard.
The final round was a special
occasion for us as we took our seats beside the
great players in the 1st division title-deciding
show-down between Wood Green Hilsmark and Pride
and Prejudice as the 4NCL brilliant techies
prepared to relay our games along side those of
Luke McShane against Michael Adams, etc. to the
waiting world via the internet. I am unreliably
informed that two fans seated at their laptops
in the coffee bar were overheard to have had a
conversation along the lines of "Are you
following that pawn sac in the Pert v Flear
game?" "No, I'm waiting to see how Alan Byron
handles Steve Connor's set-up against the
Caro-Kann". We were playing e2e4.org.uk2 a team,
very similar to ourselves, with their high
ratings and useful balance of youth and
experience. [well, on reflection there is
absolutely no similarity].
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Dave
Robertson scored 2/3 in rds 9-11 |
|
We were buoyed by the
knowledge that our fans all over the world were
able to follow our efforts and will us on. There
was evidence of understandable battle-weariness
and two quick draws resulted. On board 6 a flat
position arrived speedily between Andy and David
Coates. On board 4, between Steve and Alan Byron
there was more scope in this level position if
the players had had the energy. Steve had every
right to be weary having had a busy weekend of
chess and celebrations topping off each day by
working into the wee hours on the 4NCL website
in the service of our chess community [thanks
Steve!]. The most startling evidence of mutual
fatigue came in the latter stages of Dave's game
on board 5; to your roving reporter's eye Dave
appeared to have blunted white's attack and
maybe stood slightly better for a while but had
faltered in letting the white knight into f6
allowing a draw shortly afterwards. However
after the game Rybka told us white is simply
winning [other rook to d file, Rxf8 and mate to
follow]. Meanwhile Peter Ackley, our big hitter
over the first, unbeaten [for him] 10 rounds was
playing the supporting role in a very fine game:
his opponent James Jackson responded admirably
to Peter's bold plan to castle queenside.
Peter's king's position was ripped apart before
he could generate a meaningful counterattack.
The interference theme in the finishing move was
a lovely conclusion to the sustained aggression
shown by the young e2e4 player.
Our team was not without
menace and Sheila squared the match up following
a game of flowing logic. Having trapped her
opponent's king in the centre Sheila showed
great composure in building up pressure and
then, counter intuitively, perhaps, exchanging
queens. This enabled her to demonstrate the
superiority of her reduced army over her
opponent's, gain a pawn and move into a knight
ending which, this time, she won easily. This
left my game which meandered on with my
structure better if I could ever open matters
up. There was one wild sacrifice available but
it would most likely lose; it wasn't clear if
Bradford would draw [O.K. for us, we capture the
title] or win [not so good, if we draw they win
the title on points scored]. Unwilling to risk
us losing and Bradford winning the title by
drawing, I dithered long enough for the
sacrifice not become even vaguely viable. My
opponent was not the demonstrative sort of
fellow but was clearly enjoying my company:
firstly a complaint was made to the arbiter that
I had left the board [to view the Bradford match
which was being played downstairs] during my
move; secondly he turned down a draw offer after
the exchange of rooks and played another 10
meaningless moves before acceding to my claim
for a draw by repetition.
|
 |
|
Round
10: Brown Jack vs. Spirit of Atticus
(Final score 2½-3½) |
Later we heard that Dave
Patrick had "brought home the bacon" with
success in the long, last game for Bradford to
win their match and take the title. Many
congratulations to Bradford, deserved champions,
the only team to beat the second placed team
[us!]. Congratulations too to the other promoted
teams Brown Jack and FCA Solutions 1 [winners in
each of the last 3 rounds]. Commiserations to
Celtic Tigers who, despite a storming last round
win found themselves squeezed out of the last
promotion spot by just half a game point.
This, for us, is the end of a
memorable season and as soon as we recover we
will be looking forward to the new campaign in
division 2. Many thanks to all those tireless
workers in the 4NCL cause who make it all
possible. One who deserves particular praise and
thanks from us is Mike Truran, whose vision of
the Northern 4NCL has, due in no small part to
his energy and enthusiasm, arrived and produced
a new string to the 4NCL bow. We anticipate
rejoining a flourishing Northern flock in
2012-13 season after a gallant but unsuccessful
fight against relegation. If you are a Northern
team looking for a new challenge or a Midland
team contemplating a different challenge or a
"Southern" team with predominantly Northern
players, then this is the competition for you.
The chess is tough and uncompromising. There is
genuine respect between teams at and away from
the board. The venues are, as in the South,
fantastic, but the playing facilities tend to be
more spacious. You are guaranteed black pudding
as an option with your full English. The
attractions of this competition are numerous; we
heartily recommend you join the party.
•
Rd9-11 results
•
Spirit of Atticus team page
•
Division 3 league Table •
Games in
PGN
This report can also be seen
here.
