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craiyon

4NCL round 1

AnalysisChess
Analysis of my first round of 4NCL games.

I think I'll blog an analysis of my 4NCL games, probably on a fortnightly basis. 4NCL is the Four Nations Chess League (the Four Nations being the constituent parts of the UK who tend to organise sports separately), perhaps more famous for the OTB weekends they arrange where some very strong players take part, but they also organise online stuff. I'm playing in the 4NCL Online Congress (Open section) and my club is in Division 4 of the 4NCL online League. Both competitions have 7 matches in a season, played fortnightly on alternate Tuesdays. So I'll usually have 2 games to talk about each fortnight, though I probably won't be playing all rounds throughout. We have 6 active players for the 4-board team competition so I expect to sit out some of those matches.

Both competitions are 45+15 time controls (which counts as "classical" chess under ECF rules at least), played on lichess on Tuesday evening UK time. It's a convenient alternative to the local OTB leagues which all involve too much travel for me and other members of my club in Settle. There's only one club within an hour's drive of us, most are closer to 90 mins, it's too much each way in a weekday evening. There's also a broader range of opposition online with players from all over the UK, including some very strong juniors.

First round of the 4NCL Congress was last Tuesday. Being in position n/2+1 on the rating list, I was up against the top seed who I'd coincidentally also played at the start of the previous season. This time the colours were reversed and I had white. As in our previous game, the opening went rather well for me I felt, but I over-pressed and collapsed in the middlegame complications.

https://lichess.org/study/uv8fABrB/AFIBtYwI#0

No surprise really with the result, but I'm a bit disappointed that I lashed out with a bit of a "hit and hope" move which I saw looked dodgy, rather than playing a reasonable alternative that would have kept me in with a good chance. A case of following up a poor move with a worse one.

My local club team is in Division 4 in the league, having been promoted from the bottom division in our first season (spring 2024) and then held our place in the autumn season that's just gone by. First round on Tuesday, we were up against one of the newly promoted teams and they looked like they had a few strong players on their roster. I had a tough game on board 1 with black, was under pressure for a chunk of the middle game but had just wriggled free to equality when I blundered away a whole piece. Oops.

https://lichess.org/study/uv8fABrB/2Gh6RQX7#0

The team lost 1-3 with the top three boards all struggling against rather higher-rated opponents and a consolation win on board 4.

Not a great start in either competition but there's a long way to go. The next games I should have significantly weaker opponents, not that that is a guarantee of success of course.