4 NATIONS CHESS LEAGUE - DIVISION 4

Rounds 7-11 of this year's 4NCL will no longer take place on the original dates in April and May due to the present pandemic.   Tentative plan at present is reschedule these for later in the year with a knock-on effect on the 2020-21 4NCL which will accordingly not get under way until early 2021.    That could change - up-to-date information should be available on the 4NCL website although it is planned to summarise this here.

Main points to note are that 4NCL entails one round each day, with the rate of play 40 moves in 100 minutes (plus 30 second increments from move 1) followed by the rest of the game in 50 minutes (again with 30 second increments). That means a 60-move game could conceivably take as long as 6 hours, far longer than local league chess.  All games are ECF-graded and, subject to meeting the usual conditions, FIDE-rated.

Division 4 [34 teams] summary after round 6:  

			P		W	D	L		GP		MPts
1		Sussex Martlets 2	6		6	0	0		27		12
2		Fischer's Catch	6		5	0	1		21½		10
3		Wood Green Youth	6		5	0	1		20		10
4		Watford A	6		4	1	1		23½		9
5-20
21		Watford B	6		3	0	3		14½		6
22-34

 

 

 

HERTFORDSHIRE CHESS LEAGUE

 

The 2019-20 competition, which began on 30 September, has been suspended as a result of the present pandemic.  See 'Fixtures' page for a list of fixtures and 'Results' page for reported results.    No recent results reported here for Watford 1.

Watford 2 are well-placed in Division 2 and promotion back to Division 1 is not out of the question.

 

		P		W	D	L		MPs		For	Agst
1	Watford 2	8		6	1	1		13		26.5	13.5
2	B Stortford 1	8		5	2	1		12		24.5	15.5
3	H Hempstead 2	8		3	2	3		8		19.5	20.5
4	Borehamwood 1	8		3	0	5		6		17	23
5	Stevenage 1	8		2	3	3		7		21	19
6	Welwyn H'f'd 1	8		0	4	4		4		14.5	21.5
7	St Albans 2	8		2	2	4		6		17	23

 

In Division 3, Watford 3 is also doing well with four wins, three draws and one defeat, from its first eight completed matches.   Watford 4, in the next division, is in mid-table with three wins, two draws and four losses from its nine matches to date.    In the separate under-120 league, the Watford u-120 team has won five, drawn one and lost two of its first eight matches.

 

ARCHIVE:

Article in Watford Observer, 19 February: https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/18247132.watford-chess-club-looking-sponsors-ahead-international-tournament

Club rapidplay, 30 December 2019, results at  http://chess-results.com/Tnr501649.aspx?lan=1

3rd Watford Junior (u-12) Rapidplay, 29 July 2019, results at http://chess-results.com/tnr457143.aspx?lan=1

Club rapidplay, 8 July 2019, results at http://chess-results.info/tnr453784.aspx?lan=1

Price Cup (2018-9 club championship), October 2018 to June 2019, results at  http://chess-results.com/tnr382758.aspx?lan=1

2nd Watford Junior (u-12) Rapidplay, 27 May 2019, results at http://chess-results.com/tnr435032.aspx?lan=1

Club rapidplay, 13 August 2018, results at http://chess-results.com/tnr374277.aspx?lan=1

1st Watford Junior (u-12) Rapidplay, 30 July 2018, results at http://chess-results.com/tnr373197.aspx?lan=1

 

 

CLUB NEWS IN BRIEF

Junior news appears in the right-hand column below, from which it will be seen that, the first Online 4NCL and Junior 4NCL having ended earlier in June and the National Club last weekend, Watford juniors are now playing in the Online 5 Counties League [2 teams] each Tuesday.    They also form a core part of the Hertfordshire team competing in inter-county junior team battles on the first and third Mondays of each month.

Over-the-board chess clubs are permitted to open in England from 4 July [in France, this has been the case since 22 June] but subject to certain restrictions, the implications of which the club committee is considering.   The intending sponsors of our 27 July event [see below] had already decided that it would be unwise to continue to go ahead as planned and it can now be confirmed that this event has been postponed.

The English Chess Federation has [3 July] stated, "In summary, in the ECF's opinion the issue is less when chess clubs can re-open and more when and in what way the premises they can use can re-open, and whether chess clubs consider that they are able to comply with HM Government's guidance if they are minded to re-open.  Given the nature of the HM Government guidance, and because each club's circumstances are different, the ECF is unable to provide general advice, and each club needs to make its own decision in the light of the information above.  In these uncertain times clubs need to keep a close eye on further HM Government announcements and also liaise closely with their venues."

[The reference to "the information above" is to more information viewable on the ECF website]

LICHESS CHANGE - In early June, one of our juniors' parents, with club support, contacted FIDE to complain about the prima facie defamatory nature of the "This player uses chess computer assistance" allegations prominently displayed on several Lichess accounts despite no evidence being produced to support such allegations.   Lichess have since switched to an alternative, and less unacceptable, legend.

ONLINE 5 COUNTIES LEAGUE

Two Watford junior teams [6 players each] are taking part in this event, the 'A' team in Division 2 and the 'B' team in Division 3.   Each division contains eight teams who will play one another once, so 7 rounds.  The 24 competing teams comprise 14 sides formed mainly or wholly of adult players and 10 junior sides.   Matches are played with a time limit of 45 minutes per player plus 15-second increments.

In round one, our 'A' team lost 4-2 against British Bangladeshi Chess Association 'B' while our 'B' team lost 5-1 to St Albans 'D'.   Round 2 was on 30 June when our 'A' team beat Surbiton 'B' 4-2 while our 'B' team beat Uxbridge Juniors 'C' by the same score.

 

ONLINE NATIONAL CLUB COMPETITION

Watford Juniors [just one team!] took part in this event over the 26-28 June weekend at a time control of 45' + 15".

In successive rounds, the team lost 5-1 to Beckenham & Bromley, lost 4.5-1.5 to Limewood, beat DHSS "B" 4-2, lost 5.5-0.5 to Telepost and beat Uxbridge Juniors 4.5-1.5.   The result against the DHSS team was particularly noteworthy as the opposing team had drawn against the Watford adult team in an earlier round.   

Sean [+3 =2 -0] was the only Watford junior to exceed 50% but Avy [2.5/5], Maanav [2/5] and Daniel [1.5/3] also contributed points against tough opposition.   In all, nine juniors took part in some or all rounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONLINE JUNIOR 4 NATIONS CHESS LEAGUE

 

Five Watford junior teams took part in the first session of Online J4NCL which ended on 4 June.   Watford Jnrs A [+3 =1 -4] played in Division 2, our B [+4 =0 -4] and C [+1 =2 -5] sides in Division 4, and our D [+3 =3 -2] and E [+2 =0 -6] sides in Division 5.   As a result, none were either promoted or relegated.   The second session of Online J4NCL is expected to start in September when we will be re-entering.

 

ONLINE 4 NATIONS CHESS LEAGUE

Three Watford junior teams took part in the first session of Online 4NCL which ended, playoffs excepted, on 9 June.  All three played in Division 5 against mainly adult opposition with Watford Jnrs A scoring +5 =1 -4,  Watford Jnrs B +0 =4 -6 and late entrants Watford Jnrs C +2 =1 -3.   Next session, probably September.

 

JUNIOR 4 NATIONS CHESS LEAGUE   

Third and final J4NCL weekend was 15-16 February at Mercure Daventry Court Hotel where two Watford teams were among the 22 teams taking part.   We couldn't assemble a sufficiently strong team for Division 1 so our two teams [Watford Blues and Watford Reds] were competing against 12 other teams in Division 2.  

Several of our players were off form so the results were a little disappointing, with both teams finishing in the lower half of the table.

Next over-the-board J4NCL weekend for 2020-21 will provisionally be 26-27 September at Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport.  To be eligible, juniors must be under 18 on the date of the game in question.    More background on J4NCL appears on the 4NCL website

Watford Reds [L to R:  Jeff,  Jake,  Theo,  Judith] at the J4NCL February 2020 weekend

OTHER JUNIOR MATCHES

Watford juniors play twice a year against Uxbridge juniors in a double-round rapidplay where virtually the entire Watford junior membership is invited to take part.    There were two well-contested matches in January and June 2019, with Watford running out winners on both occasions.   Watford also won the third match, on 9 December, by 18 points to 10.   

Watford juniors also now play an annual match against St Albans juniors to coincide with the annual Chiltern Trophy match between the two clubs - but at the opposite venue.   The first, in September 2019, was a close affair contested over 2 rounds of rapidplay with St Albans emerging 12.5-11.5 winners.  

 

 

Aarav [left] and Advait finished joint third in the Uxbridge u-8 UK Chess Challenge  event in March despite being only 6 years old.  [Both are now 7].

 

 

CLUB SHIRTS

Club polo shirts can be bought, in various adult and junior sizes, at  https://myclothing.com/ costing £5.50 to £6 [juniors] or £7 [adults] with £3 delivery charge.   T-shirts also available, junior sizes only, £5 to £5.50.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watford Chess Club

Annual General Meeting

held at

West Herts Sports Club, Park Avenue, Watford WD18 7HP

on Monday 16th September 2019 at 7:30pm 

 AGENDA

1.  Receive apologies for absence

2.  Approve minutes of September 2018 AGM (copies are attached)

3.  Receive report from the President on the 2018-19 year, and to approve the Accounts for the financial year ending 31st July 2019

4.  Agree Club membership subscriptions for 2019-20. The Committee proposes:

Adults Full £60, Associate £40 and Social £20. 

Juniors and students Full £35 Social £20.

Full membership entitles a member to participate in all Club activity.

Associate membership: a member can take part in the Club’s inter-club competitive activities (but not the Price Cup) but not otherwise use the club’s facilities on club nights, except for designated special events.

Social membership entitles a member to full use of the Club’s facilities on club nights but not to participate in any of the club’s competitive activities (including the Price Cup), except for designated special events.

The subscriptions represent an increase on last year because the club will pay next year for all (adult and junior) 4NCL fees. There will be a £2 discount in all categories for everyone who pays by bank transfer, with the member’s name as a reference, before 1 October 2019.

5. Present trophies to winning individuals 

6.  Elect Officers, Secretaries and Committee for 2019-20:

7.  Any Other Business  

Paul Littlefair

Secretary

 

Jennifer Hurrell presents Ernest Karumazondo, joint winner with Andrew Stone, with the Price Cup

 

 

Everyone is welcome (to access, click on pictorial below) at Geir Erik Nielsen's YouTube channel at

 

USEFUL CONTACTS AND WEBSITES
Watford Chess Club email address	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  (allow up to 2 days for reply)
English Chess Federation	www.englishchess.org.uk/
Hertfordshire Chess Association	http://www.hertschess.com/
Hertfordshire Chess League results	http://chess-results.e2-e4.co.uk/
Hertfordshire Schools Chess Association	http://hsca-chess.com/
4 Nations Chess League (incl. J4NCL)	http://www.4ncl.co.uk/
Tournament chess results (main site for this)	http://chess-results.com/Default.aspx?lan=1

 

PLAY AN AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)

 

 

Tired of playing the boring old computers that always beat you or play so weirdly you can't understand what is going on, asks webmaster Geir Erik Nielsen? Read our article on Artificial Intelligence and how you can install it at home

 

Also embedded in the updated article is now a video of how to get the best of Arena and Leela at home.

 

As a teaser for it all, and as an incredibly instructive game, here is how Leela deals with the Benoni