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. Qd8 23 Rf1 exd5 24 Rf7 Qf8 25 Rxf8+ Rxf8 26 Qd6 Bc6 27 b3! Black’s scattered pieces can offer little resistance. Bf6 28 h4 Rf7 29 h5 Bg5 30 Kh2 Bd7 31 Qxd5 Bxe3 32 Qxa5 Kh7 33 Qd5 Re7 34 Qd6 Rg7 35 Ne4 Black resigns
Manx Liberty’s top scorer was the 2022 British champion Harry Grieve, who scored a magnificent 9.5/11 on top board.
Kamila Hryshchenko-Harry Grieve
4NCL, May 2025
30 Ne4? Hoping for 30…Bxe4 31 Qe5+ R8f6 32 Qxe4. A clever idea, but one refuted by Grieve’s next move. The cool 30 h3! was stronger. The main point is that Black lacks real threats, as 30…d2 is met by the interference 31 Nf5!! whereupon 31…exf5 32 Qc3+ leads to mate. Qxe4! Now Black wins comfortably. 31 Rd8 Rxd8 32 Qxf2 Qd4 33 Qd2 Be4 34 h3 Rf8 35 Qxh6 Bxg2+ 36 Kxg2 Rf2+ 37 Kg3 Rf6 White resigns
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