The final weekend of the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) took place on the early May bank holiday, and promised a close race between the defending champions Wood Green and the strong Manx Liberty team, who began the weekend a couple of match points in front. The league looked likely to be decided in a final round pairing between the two.
It was an underdog team, The Sharks, which played the role of kingmaker. They began by holding the Manx team to a draw, enabling Wood Green to narrow the gap in the title race. But in the next (penultimate) round, The Sharks faced Wood Green, who fielded England heavyweight Michael Adams on top board (whose win is shown below). Despite that, the Sharks scored a 4.5-3.5 upset. Meanwhile, Manx Liberty won their match easily, leaving them three points ahead of Wood Green in the title race. That dashed Wood Green’s hopes, so their final match with Manx Liberty mattered only for pride, and ended in a 4-4 tie.
Michael Adams-Peter Roberson
4NCL, May 2025
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Bd7 6 Be2 Nge7 7 O-O cxd4 8 cxd4 Nf5 9 Nc3 Rc8 10 a3 a6 11 Rb1 Qb6 12 Be3 Na5 13 Bd3 Nxe3 14 fxe3 Be7 15 Nd2 O-O 16 Qh5 16 Rf6!! was even stronger, e.g. 16…gxf6 17 Qg4+ Kh8 18 exf6 Bxf6 19 Qh5. Bobby Fischer played a similar blocking move with a rook to win a famous game against Pal Benko at the 1963/64 US Championship. g6 17 Qh6 (see diagram) f5 White threatened Rf1-f3-h3, so this appears essential. But 17….Qd8 was better. After 18 Nf3 (to prevent Be7-g5), the rook’s path is blocked, so there is time for counterplay with 18…Na5-c4. 18 exf6 Rxf6 19 Rxf6 Bxf6 20 Bxg6 hxg6 21 Qxg6+ Bg7 22 Nxd5! Using the pin on the sixth rank.
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