England’s national chess league, the 4NCL, is heading towards a seasonal showdown at its final weekend in May when the Midlands team Cheddleton will try to dethrone Guildford, who have dominated for the past three seasons. Both have won all their six matches so far, but Guildford are well ahead on game points, 41.5 to 33.5.
It will be a tough assignment for Cheddleton, even though they are led by the England No2, David Howell, and the reigning British champion, Jonathan Hawkins. Guildford can counter them with three of England’s Olympiad team plus their dependable French and Dutch grandmasters on the middle boards.
Germany’s Bundesliga, the strongest in Western Europe, is also heading for a climactic finish between Solingen and Baden-Baden, who drew 4-4 and have both won their other eight matches. Baden-Baden are stronger on paper, but Solingen are narrowly ahead on game points and have the easier run-in. The England No1, Michael Adams, plays for Baden-Baden, and there is another inter-league link in a 21-year-old Dutch GM who scored a key point for Solingen and also has 4/4 for Guildford.
Robin van Kampen’s victory was rather banal since his elite GM opponent missed a trivial tactic in an equal position. Black should play 21...Rxc6, when a handshake half is not far off, but Poland’s No1 Wojtaszek overlooked that 21...bxc6?? 22 Rg4 g6 allows 23 Rxg6+ fxg6 24 Qxe6+ and 25 Qxc8. As played, his position quickly collapsed.
Robin van Kampen v Radislaw Wojtaszek
1 c4 e6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 Nf6 4 Nf3 Be7 5 0-0 0-0 6 b3 c5 7 Bb2 Nc6 8 cxd5 Nxd5 9 d4 cxd4 10 Nxd4 Bd7 11 Nc3 Nxc3 12 Bxc3 Rc8 13 Rc1 Nxd4 14 Bxd4 Bf6 15 Qd3 Bxc3 16 Rxc3 Rxc3 17 Qxc3 Qb6 18 Rc1 h6 19 Qe5 Bc6 20 Bxc6 Rc8 21 Rc4 bxc6?? 22 Rg4 g5 23 Qf6 Qd8 24 Qxh6 f6 25 h4 1-0
The leading English and German clubs should now be watching the collapsing global oil price with interest. SOCAR of Azerbaijan and Siberia, currently the best teams in the European Club Cup, the chess version of soccer’s Champions League, are bankrolled by oil money which could dry up by 2017. This would make the Eurocup more open, and Western teams into serious contenders. Baden‑Baden and Solingen have the funds and the players to mount a challenge, while for England the six-board Eurocup format is the best possible, giving the chance to create a designer 2650-rated team of Adams, Howell, Gawain Jones, Matthew Sadler, Nigel Short and Luke McShane.
3431 1...h5! wins. After 2 d8Q+/Qf8+ Kh7 White has no useful checks, while Black can mate by Qxh1+ or Qf1+.
