After 14 weeks of action, the Nottinghamshire Chess League now takes a break for the Christmas and New Year period. Happily, all four of our teams have maintained their good form and are well-placed in their respective divisions.
The club’s overall results are now:
Played 26, Won 17, Drawn 3, Lost 6, Match points 37 (2 points for a win, 1 for a draw).
Individual game points (1 point for a win, 0.5 for a draw) are 67 for, 37 against, producing a ‘goal difference’ of +30.
All match results can be viewed via the ‘League’ link on the RBCC website’s main menu.
First team (Division 2)
The first team (P7 W4 D2 L1 Pts10) have had a couple of stumbles but continue to lead Division 2. However, their closest rivals have games in hand and by the time RB1 resume action towards the end of January, they may find themselves knocked off the top spot. The club hasn’t played in Division 1 since the 2002/03 season, so with two promotion places at stake there is all to play for.
Second team (Division 3)
The second team have had a tremendous first half of the season (P7 W5 L2 Pts10) and have already exceeded last season’s total of 8 points. If they are not careful, they are in danger of earning an unexpected promotion.
Third team (Division 5)
The third team (P6 W5 L1 Pts10) narrowly missed out on promotion last season but seem determined to make up for that this time round, having recorded 4-0 wins in their two most recent matches. The last time RB3 played in Division 4 was a quarter of a century ago in 1998/99.
Fourth team (Division 5)
Arguably, the fourth team (P6 W3 D1 L2 Pts7) have been the surprise package of the season so far. After a slow start, they have won three of their last four matches, two of them 4-0, to sit on the fringes of the promotion race. After the Christmas break they face a crunch encounter – ‘away” against RB3…
Rockets (Minor League)
Radcliffe Rockets (P3 W2 L1 Pts 6) compete in the Minor League against three other teams of beginners and improvers. Matches are played to shorter time controls than the main league, with each person playing his or her opponent twice, once with the white pieces, once with black. Currently the Rockets sit top of the table.