4NCL Match Report - 22nd September

Horsham 1 were up against Celtic Tigers, who are easily the highest rated team in the group. The top three games were close and Nick won a cracking game on board 4 for it to end up as a 2-2 draw.

Horsham 2 were outgraded against Braunstone (average grade difference of 33 ECF). In the end all 4 white players won, particularly impressive was Guy's queen sac and Marian's smooth victory. The other two games were close, so Horsham 2 were unlucky to only draw 2-2.

Horsham 3 were up against Bradford Knights. Bradford Knights had an average grade of 115 and our team had an average grade of 60 so it was going to be a tough match.
Calamity struck 45 minutes before the games started with board 4 falling ill. After some scrambling both Alex Thorndyke and Charlie Cowley offered to come to the rescue. After discussions with the tournament controller and the opposing captain it was agreed that Alex could step in and Horsham 3 would get a 0.5-point penalty.
First to finish on board 4 was Alex. Playing White against the Phillidor he maneuvered beautifully to create an aggressive attack on the black king and forced his opponent to resign after only 19 moves.
Second to finish on board 3 was Sam, playing the French against the King's Indian Attack. A sneaky tactic won a trapped knight for Sam's opponent and with the extra firepower they managed to convert the game to a win.
Third to finish was Monika on board 1. She played the Caro-Kann and her opponent responded with the Advance Variation. After some middle-game complications her opponent managed to bag an extra pawn. The game continued with accurate play on both sides but unfortunately the extra pawn told and her opponent won.
Last to finish was Harry on board 2, the opening was a perfectly played closed Roy Lopez. As is common with the Roy strategy was key and Harry's opponent managed to gain the upper hand with better positioning to win the exchange. Harry then turned things around with a heavy-hitting attack and in the end it was Harry's opponent who was lucky to escape with a draw.
Final score: Bradford Knights 2.5 - 1 Horsham 3.

The next round of the online 4NCL is Tuesday 6th October at 7:30pm. If you wish to watch the games then you can on:
Horsham 1 - http://www.4nclresults.co.uk/2020-21/online/1st/4/3/export/
Horsham 2 and 3 - http://www.4nclresults.co.uk/2020-21/online/1st/4/6/export/