- Details
- Written by: John Redmond
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
Season 5 of the 4NCL Online will soon be upon us. The new Atticus captain is Steve Kee. If you wish to join the squad please let Steve know. Players of all strengths are welcome to take part.
Teams need to be entered by January 15th.
- Details
- Written by: John Redmond
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
Atticus ½-3½ Guildford Young Guns
2294 |
John Redmond |
0 |
1 |
GM Mark Hebden |
2480 |
2079 |
Steve Kee |
½ |
½ |
IM Matthew Wadsworth |
2466 |
1857 |
James Rothwell |
0 |
1 |
FM Harry Grieve |
2299 |
1701 |
Steve Burge |
0 |
1 |
Viktor Stoyanov |
2330 |
|
|
½ |
3½ |
Atticus had a tough opening match in the fourth season of the 4NCL Online which began on Monday. Steve Kee had a tremendous battle with IM Wadsworth and was winning for most of the time before - presumably in time-pressure - he repeated moves in a winning position. I had a good opening against GM Hebden but got ground down in a position where I just needed to 'do nothing' (and do it well). Steve Burge had some attack whilst a pawn down in a Fantasy Caro-Kann but missed some equalising shots in the middlegame. James Rothwell also had chances and was better in a double-rook endgame before time-pressure got the better of him. So - a creditable start to the new season despite the lop-sided look of the score!
- Details
- Written by: John Redmond
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
The next season of the 4NCL Online will begin in late August. Games will be played on Tuesdays on a fortnightly basis.
While we have played 3 successful seasons in this competition thus far, we need to see how many wish to play online now that OTB chess is (somewhat) resuming.
If you do wish to play please contact me asap.
John Redmond (
- Details
- Written by: John Redmond
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
Atticus A ½-3½ Brentwood A, Division One 4NCL Online, March 9th 2021
2298 | John Redmond | ½ | ½ | IM Richard Pert | 2513 |
2239 | FM Charlie Kennaugh | 0 | 1 | FM David Haydon | 2435 |
2147 | FM Dave James | 0 | 1 | Karl Bowden | 2340 |
2098 | Steve Kee | 0 | 1 | Russell White | 2105 |
½ | 3½ |
In this match we were facing higher-rated opposition. Charlie faced a dark-square clamp on the Black side of the Reti, missing one or two tactical opportunities to free himself. Steve Kee also conceded space in the opening and was unable to 'break out'. Dave described his game as being messy before it got away from him near the end. I got a level-ish position in the Anglo-Catalan until I unwittingly disimproved on theory. Still my position was compact even after I won a pawn and gave it back and so my opponent offered a relatively early draw.
Atticus B ½-3½ MCS Oxford A, Division Three 4NCL Online, March 9th 2021
1877 | James Rothwell | 0 | 1 | Tom Shepherd | 2018 |
1680 | Steve Burge | 0 | 1 | Hari Selveraj | 1934 |
1666 | Mark Wadsworth | 0 | 1 | Hou Ning Zhou | 1830 |
1480 | John Lawton | ½ | ½ | Samir Khan | 1664 |
½ | 3½ |
While John Lawton managed a creditable draw we had difficulties on the other boards. Typical hard going in the 4NCL!
- Details
- Written by: Martin Blasczyk
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
4NCL Replay: Here are all games from this and previous seasons available for replay and as pgn for download.
Unfortunalely this is an "old" http-website without SSL encryption.
This might be useful if you want to preparte yourself for the next match.
- Details
- Written by: Martin Blasczyk
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
4NCL Online Season 3, Division 1, Round 1
Atticus A -v- Alba Bon Accord 1 1½ - 2½
4NCL Online Season 3, Division 3, Round 1
Atticus B (1689) -v- Hertford 1 (2086) 1½ - 2½
Last season Hertford 1 won the 4NCL Division 4 Group C (6 wins, 1 draw, 0 loss) and was promoted to 4NCL Division 3. This season Hertford 1 is the strongest team in our division and they may aim to win the league again. Atticus B was largely outrated on all boards and at the end the result is a good one for us.
I want to draw your attention to the game FM Byway, Paul -v- Burge, Steve, board 3. Steve sacrificed his f-pawn, then his whole queen side, exchanged his attacking rook against a knight and an even stronger attack against the white king. White tried to make the best of this bad job but there was no place to hide, his position was doomed. Congratulations to Steve for this phantastic win.
- Details
- Written by: Martin Blasczyk
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
Atticus A -v- Blackthorne Russia 2½ - 1½
Redmond, John P. (2335) ½ - ½ Gormally, Daniel W (2522)
Kennaugh, Charles W (2249) 1 - 0 Bates, Richard A (2470)
Kee, Steve (2147) 0 - 1 Taylor, Adam A (2267)
James, David J (2140) 1 - 0 Varney, Zoe (1997)
- Details
- Written by: John Redmond
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
Atticus A 2½-1½ Blackthorne Russia, 4NCL Online, October 6 2020
Atticus A | Blackthorne Russia | |||
2335e | John Redmond | ½-½ | GM Danny Gormally | 2522e |
2249 | FM Charlie Kennaugh | 1-0 | IM Richard Bates | 2470e |
2147e | Steve Kee | 0-1 | Adam Taylor | 2267e |
2140e | FM Dave James | 1-0 | Zoe Varney | 1997e |
2½-1½ |
Atticus A had a great result against Blackthorne Russia in Division One of the 4NCL Online. Full report to follow.
- Details
- Written by: John Redmond
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
Wessex Some Stars C 2-2- Atticus B, 4NCL Online, October 6 2020
Wessex Some Stars C | Atticus B | |||
1997e | Rajasekhar Pentakota | 0-1 | James Rothwell | 1870e |
1975e | John Weatherlake | 1-0 | Sanjoy Banerjee | 1720e |
1967e | Michael Krawczuk | 1-0 | Mark Wadsworth | 1690 |
1952e | William Adaway | 0-1 | Martin Blasczyk | 1645 |
2-2 |
A tremendous result for a much out-rated Atticus B. They are tied for first in Group D of Division 4. Full report to follow.
- Details
- Written by: Sanjoy Banerjee
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
4NCL online (week 3)
22nd September 2020
Atticus B 3-1 Temple Sutton
It would be churlish not to admit that the draw has been favourable to Atticus B this season, our first three fixtures being against the three sides that occupy the bottom places in the eight team divisional pool. Yet you have to beat what is in front of you, as they say, and this season we are doing that consistently in a way were were not last time around.
James Rothwell 1-0 John R Marshall
It was terrific to welcome James back for his first out in the 4NCL this season. Black's plan in any hypermodern system should be to destabilise white's centre, yet once the centre closed, white's space advantage looked strategically superior. Once the breakthrough came via the f4 break, black's cramped pieces simply lacked the co-ordination to defend.
Melvyn R Pool 0-1 Sanjoy Banerjee
After two decidedly streaky wins, I retained my own personal 100% tally, yet once again not without luck. The 6.h3 treatment of the Najdorf is the ultra-fashionable way to find an advantage, indeed so much so that I had neglected to brush up on my plans and ended up in a painful middlegame where my queenside attacked seemed painfully slow, versus white's direct attack. Yet my opponent was too tentative and allowed me to catch up and overtake, and the breakthrough on the queenside came with a bare couple of tempi to spare.
Mark Wadsworth 1-0 Purba Audhora
Mark survived a real scare against his tyro opponent, who appears to have a scorching kingside attacked, which resolved itself into a material imbalance of two minor pieces versus rook, which remained favourable. Yet experience is an invaluable commodity and Mark was able to capitalise in the endgame before black co-ordinated properly to take the victory.
Mark Clancy 1-0 Lee Webster
Games can be followed fortnightly on Tuesday evenings starting at 7.30pm at https://lichess.org. Simply search for the player’s online handle and navigate to the games tab. Fixtures, results and details of player account names can be found on the 4NCL website an hour before games begin.
Round 4 is this evening (Tuesday 6th October).
- Details
- Written by: Sanjoy Banerjee
- Category: Atticus@4NCL
4NCL online (week 3)
22nd September 2020
Chessable White Rose 1 2½-1½ Atticus A
Conceding an average of 150 ELO points per board, one might have expected Atticus A to be intimidated by their storied opponents, boasting two GMs, and IM and an FM. In the event, we could count ourselves unlucky not to take a least an even share of the spoils.
James Adair 1-0 John Redmond
In a French Tarrasch 3...Be7, the so-called Morozevich Variation, white signalled intent with 11.Ne1 and 12.Qg4, but then I guess you don't play the black side of the French, if you are not happy to soak up a little pressure. But just as Foreman was tiring, Ali had the chance to get the queens off the board and all but nullify white's efforts, yet in seeking the natural looking counterplay on the queenside, left white one last opportunity to land the haymaker.
Charlie Kennaugh ½-½ Peter Wells
After being unavailable for round 2, it was a delight to see Charlie bring his best form on the occasion of his return to the team in what turned out to be a humdinger. Playing the aggressive 6.f4 line of the Najdorf (a favourite of Judit Polgar among others), the game transposed into a kind of Grand Prix Attack and once attacked with scant regard for reputation, it was clear that even illustrious opponent's "don't like it up 'em". As blows were traded through a tense middlegame, black had precious little time remaining when he was able to simplify down to a rook and minor piece endgame, although a pawn to the good, white was still even money favourite. Yet, just as it seemed the game would be drawn, Charlie found himself obliged to give up his rook to prevent a passer. It would have been cruel end, yet there was one last twist as honours finished even.
Alexander Raetsky ½-½ Steve Kee
Steve has taken some flack for playing Bird's Opening since the beginning of last season. Yet in my view unfairly so, since it has effectively been a Leningrad Dutch with an extra tempo. Return to the black side of said opening, he is starting to show a deep knowledge, and had achieved clear equality before his opponent pushed the envelope too far and exposed his king. With fifteen minutes on the clock, it may have cost Steve more than the odd night of sleep to consider what might have been. Yet the winning plan was not straightforward, and his opponent was able to wriggle free and secure the draw.
David James ½-½ Tim Wall
I suspect Dave has forgotten more about the positional aspects of chess than I ever knew! This game turned on subtly disbalancing black's forays towards central control. After one centralised knight found its way back into the wooden box, another took its place, yet a pin along the h1-a8 diagonal forced the second piece to be traded and landed black with weak doubled-pawns. Even once queens were traded to leave a rook and pawn endgame, Dave had enough trumps force home the win, but as a reflection on the night as a whole, will leave wondering what might have been.
...
Games can be followed fortnightly on Tuesday evenings starting at 7.30pm at https://lichess.org. Simply search for the player’s online handle and navigate to the games tab. Fixtures, results and details of player account names can be found on the 4NCL website an hour before games begin.
Round 4 is this evening (Tuesday 6th October).
- Atticus B set the early pace
- Atticus A edged out in close contest
- Our First Night in the 4NCL Online
- 4NCL Online - Round 2
- 4NCL online (week 1) highlights
- 4NCL Online (Week 1)
- Atticus B hit the ground running as well!
- Atticus hit the ground running
- 2nd 4NCL Online Congress
- 4NCL Online: Atticus remain in Division One