Epsom Salties: 4NCL Online - Season 13, Round 4

4NCL Online - 3rd March 2026 - Division 3 and 4 - Round 4

4 boards, Online

Epsom Salties 1    2.5 - 1.5    Oxford & Witney 2

Epsom Salties 2    2.5 - 1.5    Dartford Juniors

Epsom Salties 3    1.5 - 2 Colchester JFF D

We had quite a night, there are many advantages to this competition but in some ways saw the worst of online chess. I probably set out the trend for the night by announcing the wrong colours for the Salties 3 – but the players got it right. We expected the Dartford Jnrs to default at least one game, and they did – Dom was OK with this. However, when the matches started we were missing a player in Salties 3 and Ethan’s opponent didn’t show. It is important to play, it is not like OTB where we can often slot in someone. So players waste their time waiting for players who don’t show, that is why there are penalties. The penalties that we have received have affected the teams’ positions. We also need to avoid dropping out after 7:30pm on Monday – we need to ask permission to change teams, though if they allow us to swap our bottom board of Salties 3 with board 1 on Salties 1 then they will always accept the change. We saw Daniel lose a match from a winning position as he accidentally closed the match – not something really possible over the board. So a lot of frustrations.

We had a win for Salties 1 to go third in the division. To get promotion we need to be at least second – I don’t see that we will get the wins to do that, but we will avoid relegation. Salties 2 also had a win to move 8th , promotion is possible but unlikely. Salties 3 lost despite outplaying their opponents in 3 games and show the harshness of not getting it right, with a default and a disconnection. Salties 3 are now 28th and I think the risk of a bye is reduced as Isle of Wight have added a new team.

The lessons returned from previous weeks, loose pieces, draws that weren’t draws, pawn grabbing and snatching defeat (or a draw) from the jaws of victory.

So my pre-match advice to Salties 3, '...don't blunder a piece...', following experience of previous rounds. Well done to the team for not dropping pieces. Looks like I should have given the advice to the Salties 1! Of course this happens, but strange to get two in the top team. Marcus was harsh on himself for blundering a Bishop, in fairness it was a zwischenzug, which are a bit more difficult to spot, but Marcus would expect himself to see it. More shocking was Robert losing a whole Queen, by moving the queen into an attacked space – Robert is a very solid and safe player.

A bit more detail on some of the games

	Marcus got the draw after his blunder. It was a draw by repetition. We have been here where a draw was made but shouldn’t have been a draw. In this position black moved the Bishop to g4 and a draw soon followed. However Black could have got a winning position, how?
	When it is K+p v K, then it is important to know the theory. Up to this point the match was a draw, but white made a mistake in retreating and losing opposition and allows Black to have a winning position. However, as the arrows indicates, Black’s King needs to move to the h file, unfortunately did not know that. Leia would know how to win if the pieces are shifted to the left, but also know that if they were shifted to the right that it is a draw. This is a valuable lesson.
	Qb3 is a move seen in 1.d4 games when the light square bishop moves prematurely. That is OK in a closed position. However, this is an open game.  White played Qb3 attacking undefended pawns on b7 and e5, so Nce7 saves e5. The b-pawn is often poisoned, should white take it (see below)? Spoiler, the queen choked on the pawn. But basically if it wasn't poisoned, that would have taken his queen out of the game. And his king side is wide open with his queenside pieces lounging in the corner. Indeed after Qb3 stockfish said I should have played Rae8 and ignored the pawns and just got on with the attack. I did spend time looking at the attack. But I wasn't good enough to be sure it would work.

Solutions:

Marcus’s game: Bd3 allows black to trap Marcus’s white rook.

Alistair’s game: After Nce7 Qxb7 Reb8 Qa6 Bxh7+! And the queen falls.

Alistair Mackenzie