This is an important weekend for Oxford 1 in the Four Nations Chess League. Presently topping division 2 with seven rounds to go, on Saturday Oxford play Welsh team Rhyfelwyr Essyllwg 1 who lie fifth in the table and on Sunday, fourth place Anglian Avengers 1.

It seems that Oxford annually face a fight at the sharp end of the season — be it for promotion or to escape relegation.

However, on paper they are favourites for both matches and two victories will leave them for once placed to fill one of the four promotion spots. Anything less and there will be nail-biting again come May’s finale.

In the Oxfordshire Leagues, Witney 1 continue on a seemingly unobstructed path to retain the first division title. On 11th February Cowley 1 were their latest victims going down to a 6-0 defeat against an even stronger than usual Witney line-up. Two weeks before, Cowley 1 had split the points with their second team and from the earlier match comes the following board 4 encounter between Cowley 1’s Clifford Marcus — a talented tactician and keen astrophotographer — and Cowley 2’s rising star, Maria Wang.

White: Clifford Marcus (Cowley 1) Black: Maria Wang (Cowley 2) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 c6 A popular alternative at this juncture runs 6... c5 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bxc5 Nc6 when it looks at first sight like Black has voluntarily entered a difficult endgame a pawn down. However, practice has shown that there is sufficient compensation and in fact White usually declines the pawn offer with either 7.Nge2 or 7.d5.

7. Qd2 e5 8. Nge2 a6 9. O-O-O Qc7 10. Kb1 b5 11. Nc1 Nbd7 12. d5 b4!? The danger for Maria with this move is that the queenside will become closed and play will be concentrated on the kingside where her king resides. 13. N3e2 c5 14. g4 Nb6 15. Ng3 a5 Now we see that the c4 pawn is Maria’s target. White can defend this with the pawn move b3 — but then a timely .. . . a4 will open up the a-file. 16. h4 Ba6 17. Bh6?! Marcus abandons the queenside hoping his attack will prove faster than Maria’s. 17…Bxc4 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Qg5 Bxf1? A big mistake. 19... Ng8 is the move a Modern or Pirc player would play in a flash. Then after 20. h5 f6 21. Qe3 g5 it will be very difficult for White to break through while Black still has her attack and her extra pawn.

20. Nf5+ !! This leads to forced mate. 20…Kg8 21. Qxf6 gxf5 22. gxf5 Rfb8 23.Qh6! Kh8 24. Rg1 1-0