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Weekend 4
4 May 12 — A weekend which contained April Fool’s day saw lots of action, and saw Oxford 1 manage on 1 out of 4 possible points, but we in fact took 3 points to the relegation zone thanks to results elsewhere. And it could have been 4 points as we just fell a trace short of a win on the Sunday.Games of the Weekend: (click the board to open Playformator™) |
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Zakarian–Jirka
It's not clear for long periods who has the advantage - particularly where you've got a partisan interest in seeing White succeed! David starts off phase 1 with a promising looking middle-game, ends up struggling with 2 bishops against 2 knights, but takes the only chance offered (after 24. ... f6) to finish off in style. |
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White–Cox
A game which follows book for an uncomfortably long time - quite possibly to the knowledge of both players - and ends up quickly in a R v 2 minor pieces endgame is not perhaps a usual choice, but I found it enjoyable, and gripping (I prefer the rooks, my team-mate has chosen the pieces). The first of two wins for Mike, which sets him up for a shot at a (second) IM norm at the final weekend - a consideration that would make either game qualify. |
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Healey–Anderton
In the absence of an effective presence on the Oxford 3 boards, this game (also from Div 1) sees Mike sub-up to claim a valuable point in the fight against relegation; Mike abandons the usual path towards complication and mayhem and ends up in a double rook ending where his minor piece (knight) overshadow's Black's bishop, and Mike makes this count. |
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Weekend 3
20 Mar 12 — Read Sean's report. Games of the Weekend: (click the board to open Playformator™) |
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Oxford 1 — Rose–Pinter
Matt’s fine season continues with a whipped attack which slices through the kingside when the Black pieces have overcommitted to the queenside, but not by much. A fine piece sacrifice, finely calculated to a position where White has compensation, then a clear advantage, and then a mate on the 36th move. |
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Oxford 2 — Millward–Maria Wang
From the Sunday game against the Fermented Sharks, where both the Wang sisters won well from hard games, here is Maria’s win on board 5, where she shows a lot of cool to the position where her opponent starts to suffer time control, and then after she’s won a piece, she calmly enough deals with the foray of the a-pawn, while doesn’t get too upset at the loss of her own h-pawn, before finally converting to the full point on move 68. |
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Oxford 3 — Ehr–Woodcock
From Round 5, this game on board 6 helped Oxford 3 to get the draw, and although Sam Woolacott’s game on the Sunday was also pretty efficient, the tie breaker system came into operation (and, as we all know, tie-breakers are pretty tough things since the judges make up the rules as they go along). Here, the judges decided that since Jen’s game on the Sunday was better than Sam’s performance on the Saturday, they awarded the laurels to this game, a short demonstration of how sensible development and two bishops (and a roving knight) all combine to carve up the opponent’s defences, quickly. |
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Weekend 2
9 Feb 12 — A mixed weekend for the lads in Hinckley saw Oxford 1 achieve their expected 50%, but not as they had planned – Oxford 2 disappoint with two losses – and Oxford 3 finally get on the scoreboard with a win. Games of the Weekend: (click the board to open Playformator™) |
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Oxford 1 — Zakarian–Gormally
Not too hard to pick an outstanding game here, with David’s sparkling win on the Saturday showing strength in the fight all the way to the ending. Other contenders were Matt’s win in the same match (v Eggleston), while Tom’s game on the Sunday (vs Dagne Ciuksyte) would make it to my top slot on many an other weekend — a tense and exciting tussle. |
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Oxford 2 — Martin–Panayotov
A little harder to select here, given the amount of negative brilliancy that was going on — stand up and take a bow, Mssrs Nixon, Terry, Ludbrook, but this game (which may in happier weekends have been overlooked) is well worth inclusion, particularly when a draw isn’t agreed and the fight to the death happens. An exchange sacrifice, galloping knights, advancing pawns… checkmate. What else do you want?! |
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Oxford 3 — Jarvis–Neatherway
A few near misses here — Robert A’s loss on the Sunday might have made it (had it been a draw); and I enjoyed the combative win by Kevin H also. Jennifer E’s draw against higher rated opposition was excellent. |
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Disinformator™ 41
18 Dec 11 — For those of you unable to make it the Cowley Blitz on Monday 19 December or are just too unconcerned about the fate and future of world chess to order your own copy, here's the next instalment in the Disinformator series. Written while the live commentary on McShane – Kramnik was in full flow in Round 8, the editorial board decided to provide all 201 games considered and to pack the pages with photos, diagrams, blunderama and the occasional directional arrow. Next year we may have to write this mag in November, and hope that Santa doesn't mind. |
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2011, Weekend 1
18 Nov 11 — An excellent start to the season for all bar Oxford 3, who simply played well but not quite well enough to secure points. An overall 50% weekend, with Oxford 2’s perfect 2/2 counterbalancing Oxford 3’s perfect other score. They say that the season is a marathon, not a sprint – although why Kieran went to Marathon for a sprint is yet to be fully tapped out – but we’ve made some progress towards the right end of the table. |
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Weekend 4
31 Mar 11 — As another weekend of fun and fantasy concluded at the Twin Towers called Daventry and Staverton, Oxford 1 waved goodbye to its championship hopes, but not before the closest shave of an edge away from qualifying for the top group with a performance against Guildford ADC that board–for–board was the best chess I’ve seen online (if not quite live) in some time. Meantime, Oxford 2 threatened to win both their matches at the weekend, but found ways of reining themselves back into draws on both days. |
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Weekend 3
1 Feb 11 — A tremendous weekend for the teams, with everyone scoring something – 50% for the Oxford 1 and 3, and 75% for Oxford 2. Read Sean's report. |
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Another frenetic weekend’s activity
31 Jan 11 — … from the lads at the 4NCL sees the firsts more or less hold their own with 50%, the seconds squeak a draw on the Saturday before winning on Sunday to be in with the leaders on 7/8 after round 4, and Oxford 3 … well, trying their best, I suppose, without luck. Not content with all of this we managed an AGM and I’m sure you’re all dying to read the minutes, so we’ll leave you to it. |
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Disinformator™ 40
2 Jan 11 — Those of you wondering what that shuffling scuffing sound near the chimney amounted to around Christmas probably need to check out this link to Disinformator™ 40, produced by night and emailed by reindeer just before all means of escape from England (roads, train, airport) were closed by snow – but not before the rated reindeer could gasp that anyone would want something so slim in their Christmas stocking… … |
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New season kicks off
25 Nov 10 — “It was midwinter and the fires were warm, and while the less–than–young brigade were watching the Ashes on freeview webservers, trying earnestly to remember when they’d seen such a potent mixture of fuzzy clarity, technical error and hopeless misjudgement, it seemed completely unprecedented … until, that is, someone remembered the first round of the 2010 4NCL at Daventry.”Sean’s report from the 2–hotel Daventry scene features diagrams that have no flash photography whatsoever, but the occasional flash move. |