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Last update: Friday June 3, 2005 9:44
Saturday 18 September sees the start of the twelfth season of Britain’s premier chess league, the 4NCL National Chess League. During the close season a number of new clubs has joined the league, which now has 64 teams, an increase of more than 18% over last season. The decision taken a couple of years ago to hold each set of rounds over two weekends (Divs 1 & 2 on the first, Divs 3 & 4 on the second) has enabled the league to continue to expand and to accommodate all new applicants.
The 28-team fourth division will be run as two equal strength sections of 11 rounds, with two promotion places to the third division on offer in each section . Alongside the entry of a number of second ,third and fourth teams of existing league members, the fourth division has attracted a number of new club teams as follows:
It’s very much a sign of the increasing strength in depth and competitiveness of the league that some teams in the third and fourth divisions now number top players in their ranks. We confidently expect the various battles to achieve promotion and to avoid relegation to be keener than ever!
In the 1st division the new champions, Guildford-ADC 1, will again be challenged by a strong Wood Green squad, which includes Michael Adams one of the strongest GMs in the world. Meanwhile the newly promoted teams : Bristol 1,Guildford-ADC 2 and Wessex 1 are keen to spring a few surprises.
Last season almost all the promotion and relegation issues were closely contested with each division being highly competitive. Players from 27 different countries were involved, and the international status of the 4NCL has been confirmed by the number of new foreign players that continue to be interested in participating in one of the world’s top national leagues.
Alongside the Chris Dunworth trophy, which is presented to the winners of Division 1, we will also be presenting the Richard Furness Trophy to the winners of Division 2. This is a new trophy, which was commissioned in memory of the long-standing Chief Arbiter of the 4NCL who died so tragically last year.
This season, the league will be availing itself of the excellent venue and accommodation facilities provided by the West Bromwich Moat House, the Telford Moat House, and the Nottingham Moat House hotels.
Full details of the 4NCL, including all contact details, team registration lists, fixtures, results, game scores and a variety of news reports can be found on the league’s website at www.4NCL.co.uk.