Four Nations Chess League 1996/97
The 1996/97 season was the fourth season of the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL). Newcastle was not represented by the 14 participants from the previous season, but the Invicta Knights Maidstone and the Barbican Chess Club started again after a year break, and three clubs, Northumbria, Wessex and the Celtic Knights, made their debut in the 4NCL, so that 18 teams participated that played a twelve-round tournament.
The three previous champions Midland Monarchs , Invicta Knights Maidstone and Slough made the title together with the Barbican Chess Club and Northumbria; in the end, the Midland Monarchs just got the upper hand. Since the 4NCL was divided into a Division 1 and a Division 2 for the 1997/98 season, only the first twelve achieved relegation.
For the reported team squads, see the Four Nations Chess League team squad 1996/97 .
Dates and venues
The competitions took place on October 19 and 20, November 23 and 24, 1996, January 25 and 26, February 22 and 23, March 22 and 23, and April 26 and 27, 1997. The first both rounds were played at Blackburn , third and fourth in Birmingham , fifth and sixth in Wigan , seventh and eighth in Cardiff , ninth and tenth in Rotherham, and the last two in West Bromwich .
Closing table
| Pl. | society | Sp | G | U | V | MP | Board P. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Midland Monarchs | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 21: 3 | 62.5: 33.5 |
| 2. | Invicta Knights Maidstone | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 20: 4 | 59.0: 37.0 |
| 3. | Slough (M) | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 20: 4 | 64.0: 32.0 |
| 4th | Northumbria | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 20: 4 | 61.5: 34.5 |
| 5. | Barbican Chess Club | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 19: 5 | 57.0: 39.0 |
| 6th | British Chess Magazine | 12 | 8th | 1 | 3 | 15: 9 | 53.0: 43.0 |
| 7th | Bristol | 12 | 7th | 0 | 5 | 14:10 | 47.5: 48.5 |
| 8th. | North West Eagles | 12 | 6th | 1 | 5 | 13:11 | 51.5: 44.5 |
| 9. | Wood Green | 12 | 6th | 0 | 6th | 12:12 | 53.0: 43.0 |
| 10. | South Wales Dragons | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6th | 11:13 | 43.0: 53.0 |
| 11. | Guildford | 12 | 5 | 0 | 7th | 10:14 | 45.0: 51.0 |
| 12. | Richmond | 12 | 4th | 1 | 7th | 9:15 | 44.5: 51.5 |
| 13. | Wessex | 12 | 4th | 0 | 8th | 8:16 | 45.5: 50.5 |
| 14th | Croydon | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8th | 7:17 | 42.5: 53.5 |
| 15th | Well Fianna | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 6:18 | 38.0: 58.0 |
| 16. | Witney | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4:20 | 37.5: 58.5 |
| 17th | Hertford | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4:20 | 32.5: 63.5 |
| 18th | Celtic Knights | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0:24 | 24.5: 71.5 |
Note : One team point has been deducted from Slough.
decisions
| British Masters: Midland Monarchs | |
| qualified for Division 1: Midland Monarchs , Invicta Knights , Slough , Northumbria, Barbican Chess Club , British Chess Magazine , Bristol, North West Eagles , Wood Green, South Wales Dragons , Guildford, Richmond | |
| Relegated to Division 2: Wessex, Croydon, Na Fianna , Witney, Hertford, Celtic Knights | |
| (M) | Last season champions |
|---|
Crosstab
| Results | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4th | 5. | 6th | 7th | 8th. | 9. | 10. | 11. | 12. | 13. | 14th | 15th | 16. | 17th | 18th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Midland Monarchs | 4th | 2 | 5½ | 5½ | 6th | 4½ | 6th | 7th | 5½ | 6th | 5 | 5½ | ||||||
| 2. | Invicta Knights Maidstone | 4th | 2½ | 5 | 4th | 6½ | 5 | 4½ | 6th | 6th | 4½ | 6th | 5 | ||||||
| 3. | Slough Chess Club | 6th | 5½ | 4th | 3 | 4½ | 4½ | 6th | 8th | 5 | 6½ | 6th | 5 | ||||||
| 4th | Northumbria | 4th | 4th | 5½ | 5½ | 3½ | 4½ | 4½ | 6th | 4½ | 5½ | 7½ | 6½ | ||||||
| 5. | Barbican Chess Club | 3 | 4th | 4½ | 4½ | 4½ | 3½ | 4½ | 6½ | 4½ | 4½ | 5 | 8th | ||||||
| 6th | British Chess Magazine | 2½ | 4th | 5 | 3½ | 2½ | 4½ | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6½ | 5 | 4½ | ||||||
| 7th | Bristol Chess Club | 2½ | 1½ | 2½ | 5½ | 4½ | 2½ | 2½ | 4½ | 6th | 4½ | 5½ | 5½ | ||||||
| 8th. | North West Eagles | 2 | 3 | 3½ | 2½ | 3½ | 5 | 6th | 4th | 4½ | 6th | 4½ | 7th | ||||||
| 9. | Wood Green | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 4½ | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 4½ | 5½ | 6th | 6½ | 6th | ||||||
| 10. | South Wales Dragons | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3½ | 4½ | 5½ | 3 | 2½ | 4½ | 4½ | 4th | 5 | ||||||
| 11. | Guildford Chess Club | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3½ | 5½ | 2 | 5½ | 3 | 3 | 6th | 6½ | 7th | ||||||
| 12. | Richmond Chess Club | 3 | 1½ | 3 | 3½ | 4th | 3½ | 3½ | 4th | 4½ | 4½ | 6th | 3½ | ||||||
| 13. | Wessex | 2½ | 3½ | 3½ | 3 | 2 | 3½ | 3½ | 5 | 3½ | 5 | 6th | 4½ | ||||||
| 14th | Croydon Chess | 1½ | 2 | 3 | 3½ | 2½ | 4th | 2 | 3 | 3½ | 6th | 5½ | 5 | ||||||
| 15th | Well Fianna | 2 | 2 | 3½ | 3½ | 1½ | 2½ | 2 | 3½ | 2 | 4½ | 5 | 6th | ||||||
| 16. | Witney | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2½ | 3½ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6½ | ||||||
| 17th | Hertford Chess Club | 2½ | ½ | 3 | 3½ | 2½ | 1½ | 3 | 1½ | 4½ | 2½ | 3 | 4½ | ||||||
| 18th | Celtic Knights | 3 | 1½ | 0 | 2½ | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3½ | 3 | 2 | 1½ | 3½ | ||||||
Note : In the competitions between the North West Eagles and Hertford and between Richmond and Guildford, both teams left the last board unoccupied. The corresponding games were therefore rated 0-0.
The championship team
| 1. | Midland Monarchs |
 |
Keith Arkell , Mark Hebden , Jonathan Parker , Angus Dunnington , Andrew Webster , Mark Ferguson , Richard Tozer , Adam Collinson, Graeme Buckley , Lawrence Cooper , Harriet Hunt , Donald Mason, Natasha Regan , Michael Barnes. |
Web links
- Final score at the 4NCL
- Overview at olimpbase.org (English)