4NCL Online League – Season 11 – Wessex Squad Round 5 Report
With Round 5 played on Tuesday, March 18th, the promotion and relegation battles have started to firm up. Wessex finds itself in contention for several promotion spots while, unfortunately, still fighting to avoid relegation in one division.
Our shiny new Wessex J team (featuring some familiar names & faces) had a fantastic debut, securing a clean 4-0 sweep and finishing by 20:20.
Overall Wessex Squad Performance:
- Match results: 6 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses
- Individual results: 17 wins, 7 draws, 12 losses
- Logistics: No issues again—everyone played with the correct colours and time controls. Great work—let’s keep it up!
Division 1
Wessex A took on a lower-graded Dundee City B, who fought hard. We went 1-0 down before strong wins from Jaimie and David turned things around. A late draw from Gavin at 21:38 secured the win, likely guaranteeing us a place in the group play-offs.
Current Position: Top of the section with 9 points from 10, 3 points clear of 2nd place. With matches against 2nd and 8th place remaining, we’re favourites to clinch the group title.
Wessex B faced a weaker team on paper, and Richard wrapped up his game in record time, finishing at 19:43! However, the other players proved tougher, and despite a draw from Peter, we narrowly lost 2.5 – 1.5—frustratingly the same scoreline as Round 4.
Current Position: 7th place and still in the relegation zone. We face the 5th and 6th placed teams in the final rounds, leaving us with a fighting chance to stay up if results go our way.
Division 2
Wessex C out-graded East Kilbride on boards 2-4 and took full advantage, with wins from Anuhas and Jamie plus a draw from Roger. John, however, had a tough opponent on board 1 with the black pieces and missed a tricky tactic in an otherwise solid position.
Current Position: 4th place with 6 points from 10—safe for another season, with a (very!) slim shot at the play-offs.
Division 3
Wessex D faced the Colchester JFF A team, who brought their A-game. Despite a quick win from Tim Jones, the remaining games were hard-fought and all went down to the wire after 21:00, but we came up just short. ☹️
Current Position: 4th place with 6 points from 10—safe from relegation but unlikely to trouble the play-off spots.
Wessex E faced another closely graded opposing team (as in Round 4) and delivered once again! Wins from Gillian and Robert plus a draw from Phil secured a crucial victory.
Current Position: 1st place with 9 points from 10, and with matches against the 5th and 6th placed teams left, we’re optimistic about securing the group title and heading into the play-offs.
Division 4
Wessex F dominated their one-sided match against Salopians & Friends 4, with wins from Doug, Andrea (in his season debut), and Stephen, plus a draw from Thomas.
Current Position: 2nd place with 9 points from 10. We still have to play the 1st and 5th placed teams, but being 3 points clear of 3rd place almost guarantees a play-off spot.
Division 5
Wessex G had a tough encounter with the in-form Five Towns Superchargers and were battered 3.5 – 0.5, with only Phil managing to hold a draw.
Current Position: 10th place with 6 points from 10, likely to finish mid-table.
Wessex H edged a tight 2.5 – 1.5 victory, with wins from Michal and Tim plus a draw from Steven.
Current Position: 3rd place with 8 points from 10—still “in the mix” for a play-off spot 
Wessex J made a stunning debut, with wins from Nathaniel, Karen, and Steve, plus a default win for Rose.
Current Position: 23rd place from 26, with 2 points from 2. We’re on the rise and can push further up the table in the final rounds.
Overall Summary
A solid evening for Wessex:
- Match wins: Wessex A, C, E, F, H, J
- Draws: None
- Losses: Wessex B, D, G
Stats Corner
- Top performers: Tim Jones leads the “Golden Pawn” race with 4.5/5, closely followed by a chasing pack of 6 players on 4/5.
- Most active players: 17 players have competed in all five rounds.
- Total participation: 46 different players have represented Wessex this season.
- Biggest upset: Robert Halse defeated an opponent rated 46 points higher.
Keith Gregory – 4NCL Wessex captain, March 20th 2025
