So, after blundering terribly in my previous game (see previous post) it was off to the compete in the 4NCL (4 Nations Chess League) http://www.4ncl.co.uk/, the UK's strongest league. I play for Sambuca Sharks, a team in Division two.

On the Saturday I had the White pieces and after a strange opening I slowly managed to get on top - suddenly I calculated a win and relaxed, but then disaster struck for the second time in a week!

Ok, calm calculation has never been my strong point but afterwards I went straight to my room and put the game onto my computer - which of course pointed out the relatively simple win I missed.

I didn't really feel much like playing on the Sunday after that but it's a team event so I picked myself up for Black against a solid 2280 player. I made a conscious decision to avoid tactics and ended up winning a (fairly) smooth game. Here is the ending...

Definitely a relief to win a game again and better still it gave us a crucial 4.5-3.5 victory in the match which gives us a chance going into the final weekend of 3 match. 4 Teams get promoted to Division 1, here's a link to the league table:  http://www.4ncl.livechess.co.uk/div2_201112/xtab-div2c-rd8.htm