4NCL 2024-25 Division One

[LawrenceCooper]

What is the recent history of the 4NCL title?

https://4ncl.co.uk/data/history/winners-div1.htm

I see from that link that this is a resumption of Manx Liberty dominance, now 3 of the past 4 titles.

Following the very sad news about Dietmar Kolbus last July it seems fitting that his team regained the title after missing out by half a game point last season.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Manx Liberty's success headlined by Leonard Barden:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... hess-crown

Also a rundown of the norms achieved.

[Neil Graham]

Manx Liberty's success headlined by Leonard Barden:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... hess-crown

Also a rundown of the norms achieved.

..............and also stating that Division Two was over six boards.

[LawrenceCooper]

Manx Liberty's success headlined by Leonard Barden:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... hess-crown

Also a rundown of the norms achieved.

..............and also stating that Division Two was over six boards.

I was also surprised to see Wood Green called the favourites given that we started the weekend two points adrift of Manx and were outrated by them on six of the eight boards.

[Tim Spanton]

Manx Liberty's success headlined by Leonard Barden:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... hess-crown

Also a rundown of the norms achieved.

..............and also stating that Division Two was over six boards.

I was also surprised to see Wood Green called the favourites given that we started the weekend two points adrift of Manx and were outrated by them on six of the eight boards.

Surely his words (copied below) mean Wood Green were, at least in his opinion, favourites before the season started, not before the last weekend?

As expected, the 2024-25 season ended last Monday with a close 11th round match between the favourites and defending champions, Wood Green, and the winners for the two previous years, Manx Liberty.

[LawrenceCooper]

..............and also stating that Division Two was over six boards.

I was also surprised to see Wood Green called the favourites given that we started the weekend two points adrift of Manx and were outrated by them on six of the eight boards.

Surely his words (copied below) mean Wood Green were, at least in his opinion, favourites before the season started, not before the last weekend?

As expected, the 2024-25 season ended last Monday with a close 11th round match between the favourites and defending champions, Wood Green, and the winners for the two previous years, Manx Liberty.

Possibly, although looking at the two squads, even the most ardent Wood Green supporter would struggle to support that view, especially given we split our strength between two separate squads to try and help with norm opportunities.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Certainly my neutral view was that Manx were always clear favourites. Splitting strength rarely, if ever, works, at least not if the aim is for the supposedly stronger team to do its best.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The more important point, surely, is the publicity that Leonard's columns gives the 4NCL, plus this:

The 4NCL has an important role in developing young British talent. England’s star junior of the moment is Supratit Banerjee, 11, of Coulsdon, Surrey, who plays for the CSC/Kingston 4NCL team. Banerjee’s Fide rating has surged impressively this year, rising over 170 points in four months to his current 2312 Fide Master level. In that period he has played more than 100 games, with tournaments in Spain and Hungary as well as in England.

Also, discussion might be better focused on what is said about Manx Liberty's strategy:

Manx, who in their previous winning seasons had brought in the Fire on Board author, Alexei Shirov, for the decisive rounds, opted instead for a different approach, signing up the 2022 British champion, Harry Grieve, and England’s youngest grandmaster, Shreyas Royal, for the whole season to supplement their core squad of Romanian, Hungarian and Polish GMs and IMs.

It worked brilliantly.

Would it have "worked brilliantly" against the super-charged Wood Green of the past? Discuss.

[LawrenceCooper]

The more important point, surely, is the publicity that Leonard's columns gives the 4NCL, plus this:

The 4NCL has an important role in developing young British talent. England’s star junior of the moment is Supratit Banerjee, 11, of Coulsdon, Surrey, who plays for the CSC/Kingston 4NCL team. Banerjee’s Fide rating has surged impressively this year, rising over 170 points in four months to his current 2312 Fide Master level. In that period he has played more than 100 games, with tournaments in Spain and Hungary as well as in England.

Also, discussion might be better focused on what is said about Manx Liberty's strategy:

Manx, who in their previous winning seasons had brought in the Fire on Board author, Alexei Shirov, for the decisive rounds, opted instead for a different approach, signing up the 2022 British champion, Harry Grieve, and England’s youngest grandmaster, Shreyas Royal, for the whole season to supplement their core squad of Romanian, Hungarian and Polish GMs and IMs.

It worked brilliantly.

Would it have "worked brilliantly" against the super-charged Wood Green of the past? Discuss.

Possibly not but it was welcome to see some English players in their team. The downside to winning lots of games on a low board is that it makes getting a norm more problematic.

[Joey Stewart]

The more important point, surely, is the publicity that Leonard's columns gives the 4NCL, plus this:

The 4NCL has an important role in developing young British talent. England’s star junior of the moment is Supratit Banerjee, 11, of Coulsdon, Surrey, who plays for the CSC/Kingston 4NCL team. Banerjee’s Fide rating has surged impressively this year, rising over 170 points in four months to his current 2312 Fide Master level. In that period he has played more than 100 games, with tournaments in Spain and Hungary as well as in England.

Also, discussion might be better focused on what is said about Manx Liberty's strategy:

Manx, who in their previous winning seasons had brought in the Fire on Board author, Alexei Shirov, for the decisive rounds, opted instead for a different approach, signing up the 2022 British champion, Harry Grieve, and England’s youngest grandmaster, Shreyas Royal, for the whole season to supplement their core squad of Romanian, Hungarian and Polish GMs and IMs.

It worked brilliantly.

Would it have "worked brilliantly" against the super-charged Wood Green of the past? Discuss.

If the intention was to give more playing opportunity to young English talents then it it worked regardless of the outcome, in fact those past teams of 2609-2700s would have made it an even better prospect for them because it would be a risk free crack at a nice bunch of rating points and experience against top level players who usually live in a protected bubble that normal masters are never allowed to penetrate.

[LawrenceCooper]

The provisional allocation of teams to divisions for the 2025-26 season confirms one notable absentee from Division One: https://www.4ncl.co.uk/data/2526/provis ... n_divs.htm