Oxford 1 start their first season in division 1 of the Four Nations Chess League against champions Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher 1.

Oxford have strengthened with the return of Alex Milovanovic and the inclusion of Tsanas Thanasis from Greece, Jamaican Duane Rowe and Ivan Ljubic from Croatia.

Even so, Oxford are unlikely to field a team with average rating over 2240. Their opponents managed to average over 2400 for most of their winning run and will not be weaker this season.

A similar deficit will be in evidence in each of Oxford’s matches — so, in May next year, if Oxford are still in division one, it will be an achievement.

In division one of the Oxfordshire League it will be interesting to see whether promoted Witney 1 can make a serious challenge for the title they last won ten years ago.

In division two, Bicester 1 are due promotion after finishing second for two seasons. University 3 — who forwent promotion last year — will be the side to be beat in division three. Division four is very open; but new team St Care’s could make an impact.

Of the new generation of chess superstars, it is Norway’s Magnus Carlsen making all the headlines. Still only 18, he has been studying with Garry Kasparov for the past six months.

At the Nanjing tournament in China — where six of the world’s best are playing a double header — Carlsen is storming away.

In rounds one and two he defeated Peter Leko and Veselin Topalov — world numbers six and one respectively — and in round four he beat number 11, Dmitry Jakovenko.

In this round-five game, it is world number seven, 22-year-old Teimour Radjabov’s turn. White: Magnus Carlsen Black: Teimour Radjabov 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0–0 Nge7 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bb7 8.Qe2 d5 9.e5 Black’s task would be too easy after 9.exd5?! Nxd5 9...d4 10.Be4 Qb6 11.d3 Rd8 12.a4 Nd5 Radjabov took 15 minutes over this natural move. Perhaps he was considering 12...Ng6. After either move his position looks fine.

13.axb5 axb5 14.cxd4 cxd4 15.Nbd2 Nf4!? Radjabov is hoping to exploit Carlsen’s awkwardly placed pieces but Black is not yet ready to castle, so 15...Be7 looks safer.

16.Qd1 Nb4 17.Nb3! A good move and better than 17.Bxb7 Qxb7 18.Nb3 Nbxd3, which is fine for Black.

17...Bxe4 18.dxe4 Nfd3 19.Bg5 Rc8 Perhaps Radjabov was intending 19...Be7; but after 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.Qd2! he is in trouble because 21…h6 22.Nc1! wins a piece.

20.Nfxd4 Nxb2 21.Qe2 Nc4 22.Rfc1 Bc5 If now 22...Be7 then the sequence 23.Bxe7 Kxe7 24.Nxb5 Qxb5 25.Ra7+ Ke8 26.Ra5 leaves Black struggling.

23.Nxb5! 0–0 If 23...Qxb5 then 24.Ra5 Qb6 25.Rxc4 is very good for White.

24.Nxc5 Nxe5 None of Black’s options works. If 24...Qxc5 then 25.Nd6, if 24...Rxc5 then 25.Be7 and if 24...Qxb5 25.Qxc4. 25.Be7 1-0