Division Two 2018-19

Venues, fixtures, teams and related matters.
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Neil Graham
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Division Two 2018-19

Post by Neil Graham » Fri Nov 09, 2018 10:36 am

Opening a new topic for each division.

MartinCarpenter
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by MartinCarpenter » Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:42 pm

Brilliant result for Bradford today :) Great to see them back at 8 players this time round, too.

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Mon Nov 12, 2018 2:43 pm

usual plethora of 4.5-3.5 results in 2 a, with noticeably contrasting consequences for KJCA and ADs. But not a single 4.5-3.5 result in the other pool, indeed some rather extreme results.

No one trying to predict a winner yet, I shouldn't think.

Nick Ivell
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Nick Ivell » Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:09 pm

What did people think of the venue?

Turned out that four of the Div 2 games were played in two separate, small rooms. I don't like this - atmosphere is lacking in such an arrangement.

On the plus side, you're forced to concentrate on your game. And the silence was pristine. I was shocked at the noise in the main room - the analysis room was too close, and was all too audible when the door opened. I saw David Howell look up in despair as he fought to win his tricky ending on the Sunday.

Not my problem as it turned out, but I thought this needed pointing out. The whole reason I play 4NCL, and only 4NCL, is for the excellence I expect at the venues.

LawrenceCooper
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by LawrenceCooper » Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:16 pm

Nick Ivell wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 3:09 pm
I was shocked at the noise in the main room - the analysis room was too close, and was all too audible when the door opened. I saw David Howell look up in despair as he fought to win his tricky ending on the Sunday.
Fortunately his opponent gave him plenty of help :oops:

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:15 pm

curious pattern in division 2 a this season:

round 1 Barbican 2 2-6 Grantham Sharks 2
round 2 Gonzaga 1.5-6.5 Barbican 2
round 6 Grantham Sharks 2 2-6 Gonzaga

evidently everyone has good days and bad days ...

Tim Harding
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Tim Harding » Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:29 pm

Jonathan Rogers wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:15 pm
curious pattern in division 2 a this season:

round 1 Barbican 2 2-6 Grantham Sharks 2
round 2 Gonzaga 1.5-6.5 Barbican 2
round 6 Grantham Sharks 2 2-6 Gonzaga

evidently everyone has good days and bad days ...
Especially when you notice that the first weekend Gonzaga fielded two FMs (one of whom has several IM norms) whereas this weekend they had just one player slightly above 2200. Grantham Sharks seem to have had more or less the same team (all 2100-2200 range) both weekends.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

David Robertson

Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by David Robertson » Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:56 pm

The second phase Pools clarified a little today.

Pool 2A is fully resolved: Spirit of Atticus will head the group, barring a calamitous and improbable reversal in rd 7. They'll be accompanied into the promotion pool by Anglian Avengers, KJCA Kings and Barnet Knights

Pool 2B is less resolved: Barbican 2 go into the promotion pool. Probably Gonzaga will too. But thereafter, some horrible arithmetic is required to sort out what's needed for the other two places prior to rd 7.

Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes

Phil Makepeace
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Phil Makepeace » Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:22 pm

David Robertson wrote: Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes
Barbican 2 will progress with a maximum of 6 points if Sussex beat the Sharks and Cambridge beat Gonzaga by no more than 6-2. I think.

Mick Norris
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Mick Norris » Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:01 am

David Robertson wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:56 pm
The second phase Pools clarified a little today.

Pool 2A is fully resolved: Spirit of Atticus will head the group, barring a calamitous and improbable reversal in rd 7. They'll be accompanied into the promotion pool by Anglian Avengers, KJCA Kings and Barnet Knights

Pool 2B is less resolved: Barbican 2 go into the promotion pool. Probably Gonzaga will too. But thereafter, some horrible arithmetic is required to sort out what's needed for the other two places prior to rd 7.

Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes
Pool D The ADs and Bradford A both carry over 2 points; Warks 1 carry over 2 points plus anything they get from round 7 v Manticores 1, who already carry 4 points over

Wessex A are carrying at least 2 points over, plus another 2 points if Camb Univ 2 drop into Pool D; West is Best currently carry 0 points unless they take something from their match v Guildford 3 (who currently would be carrying 2 points over); as you say, Pool B is less resolved, and much less clear
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:08 am

Phil Makepeace wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:22 pm
David Robertson wrote: Pool C will be headed by Spirit of Atticus with 5 points at the outset, irrespective of rd 7 outcomes
Barbican 2 will progress with a maximum of 6 points if Sussex beat the Sharks and Cambridge beat Gonzaga by no more than 6-2. I think.
Quite a remarkable observation as it turns out, this hadn't occurred to me at the time!

Mick Norris
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Mick Norris » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:45 am

Looks like Barbican 2 are going up, although I'm more interested in who is going down
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Tim Harding
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Tim Harding » Thu Mar 21, 2019 2:44 pm

If last weekend's results are anything to go by, with all the teams from Pool B winning in round 8, at least three of them will get promoted.

Sussex Martlets carry no wins forward from Pool B so they might offer a glimmer of hope to Spirit of Atticus?

I like to see veterans succeed so I hope they make it, as long as it's not at Gonzaga's expense.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

Rhys Cumming
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Re: Division Two 2018-19

Post by Rhys Cumming » Sat Mar 23, 2019 12:58 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Thu Mar 21, 2019 2:44 pm
If last weekend's results are anything to go by, with all the teams from Pool B winning in round 8, at least three of them will get promoted.

Sussex Martlets carry no wins forward from Pool B so they might offer a glimmer of hope to Spirit of Atticus?

I like to see veterans succeed so I hope they make it, as long as it's not at Gonzaga's expense.
We (Sussex Martlets) have lost to Spirit of Atticus on our last 3 occasions so 'a glimmer of hope' is perhaps an understatement. We ruined the streak last year by not getting promoted as we had previously been in the same division as each other for 4 consecutive years while never having remained in the same division. Despite being from opposite ends of the country and having a broadly different age-demographic a friendly rivalry has developed over the last few seasons, unfortunately though it's all been fairly one-way traffic.

It seems very likely to me that the top 4 teams as things stand will go up: Barbican, Gonzaga, Spirit of Atticus and Cambridge. These are probably the 4 pre-season favourites so shouldn't be a huge surprise but Cambridge's season has perhaps been the least smooth: an early loss to Wessex, left them needing a slightly fortunate (although I would say that) win against the Martlets in round 6 and a win against Gonzaga in round 7 to sneak through to the Promotion Pool.

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