Division One 2017-18

[David Robertson]

The 'how' of it is given on p. 471 of my very old, much-thumbed copy of Basic Chess Endings (Fine, 1964). According to reports from my team, Gary Quillan & Glenn House knew the 'golden rule' (see Arkell, above), having studied the position together years back, but had forgotten the details.

It is a 'special case' ending. Fine makes a key point about the colour of the queening square in relation to the defending B and K. The win is "far more complicated" in the conditions under discussion here (ie. not the same colour).

But who - really, who! - reads down to p. 471 in BCE??

[Alex Holowczak]

But who - really, who! - reads down to p. 471 in BCE??

"Basic" certainly seems a misnomer!

[MartinCarpenter]

Can't get hugely more basic than only two pieces and one pawn
(Games like this do make you realise that increments aren't always quite as pleasant an invention as you sometimes think!).

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Can't get hugely more basic than only two pieces and one pawn
(Games like this do make you realise that increments aren't always quite as pleasant an invention as you sometimes think!).

What would have likely happened in a game without increments, assuming both players entered the ending with about the same amount of time and were the sort of players that were able to play fast enough to keep up with their opponent on the clock?

[Roger de Coverly]

What would have likely happened in a game without increments, assuming both players entered the ending with about the same amount of time and were the sort of players that were able to play fast enough to keep up with their opponent on the clock?

When one player gets down to the last two minutes, they make the arbiter work by making a draw claim under 10.2/Appendix G etc. An easy decision if the player with the Rook is the one to claim, difficult if it's the player with the Bishop.

It would be easy to mistakenly award a "lack of progress" draw when the side with the Rook was relocating the King via h4 as recommended. It would be just as easy to award a win to the Rook if the Bishop ran out of time in a position that was a theoretical draw.

That's why World Championships used increments after adjournments had been abolished.

[Matt Mackenzie]

But who - really, who! - reads down to p. 471 in BCE??

I went through the whole thing when I was younger, took me a while though

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Basic Chess Endings" is a classic. I think a few errors have been discovered over the years, but surprisingly few. It is well worth reading all of it at some stage!

[David Robertson]

Match report online from John Carleton, including reference to the ending discussed up-thread. He describes me as 'chief researcher' for Spirit of Atticus. Ha! I wish The reference to 100 Endgames You Must Know by Jesus de la Villa (NIC, 2006) did indeed come from me, but only because Roger Emerson told me first! It's Ending #98 in case you need to know; and it's a very lucid explanation that illuminates Keith Arkell's comments in the discussion above.

[David Robertson]

Alsina Leal - Howell

Match hangs on this, down in the eighth hour. It's drawn, but...ah...the increment. Howell was facing a 50-move settlement, but captured the final pawn at #140. So 50 more to come in K+R v K+N

[later] pfft...not even close. Draw at #186

[Andrew Bak]

Longest game in 4NCL history I’m guessing?

[David Robertson]

Tense stuff in the D pool, rd 11. Barbican 2 v. Alba - winner stays up; draw advantage to Alba.

Currently, deep into the sixth hour, it stands 3.5 - 3.5 with Greet - Morrison in play. Greet looks to have the draw in hand [0.10]; and Morrison may have just blundered, pressing for a win. Indeed, he has. Alba nailed on to survive now

SoA, ADs, Cambridge U already down. Barbican staring at a double demotion

[Mick Norris]

Good to see Andy Horton getting a 2nd IM norm; I had wondered about the short draws this weekend

Division 1 Winners:

Champions: Guildford 1

Runners-up: Cheddleton 1

Third: White Rose 1

Fourth: Guildford 2

Relegated:

Barbican 2

Spirit of Atticus A

The ADs

Cambridge University 1



Division 2:

Champions: Manx Liberty

Runners-up: Celtic Tigers

Third: Wood Green Monarchs

Fourth: North East England

Relegated:

Kings Head

Poisoned Pawns 1

White Rose 2

Barbican Youth



The following norms were also achieved this year:

GM Norms AUS Justin Tan (Oxford) - 3rd and final GM norm. Rating required.

IM Norms IRL David Fitzsimons (Wood Green) - 3rd and final IM norm. Title achieved.

ENG Andrew Horton (3Cs) - 2nd IM norm.

ENG Adam C Taylor (Wood Green) - 2nd IM norm.

[LawrenceCooper]

Good to see Andy Horton getting a 2nd IM norm; I had wondered about the short draws this weekend

The following norms were also achieved this year:

GM Norms AUS Justin Tan (Oxford) - 3rd and final GM norm. Rating required.

IM Norms IRL David Fitzsimons (Wood Green) - 3rd and final IM norm. Title achieved.

ENG Andrew Horton (3Cs) - 2nd IM norm.

ENG Adam C Taylor (Wood Green) - 2nd IM norm.

Congratulations to all those above. Marcus Harvey & Richard Weaving both needed to win in round 10 and then after draws to win again in round 11 but sadly neither were able to do so albeit games against Pert N & Arakhamia and Stefanova & Alsina Leal respectively were somewhat tougher than they needed. Thanks to the opposing captains (Ben Purton of Grantham, Paul Dargan of North East England, Mark Whitehead of Manchester Manticores and Paul Townsend of White Rose) for their help in ensuring my four norm seekers (the two above plus David Fitzsimons and Adam C Taylor) faced the required titled players.

[Mick Norris]

John Carleton's report