Tradition has it that each summer the players of the NLC Chess Circle reluctantly submit themselves for a forensic examination of their chess performance over the last season.
Whilst the plague has meant the end of many regular habits, this is not one. The Circle’s statistician-in-chief, Doctor Kirby, has been hard at it to provide the full analytical rigour we have come to expect. Some players will be basking a warm glow of contentment. Others shifting uncomfortably on their chairs. The numbers don’t lie…
The Doctor writes:
Well this is unusual. A chess season usually has a defined start and a defined end. Not so in the world of Covid 19. Chess came to an end with our glorious Hamilton Russell victory over the Chelsea Arts Club on March 11, leaving two friendlies and the probable Hamilton Russell wooden spoon playoff vs the Hurlingham Club unplayed.
At the time of writing the Hamilton Russell table was as follows:
So as it stands the NLC is ‘not last’ in the table. This represents a glorious success as this is the first time this has happened in our new incarnation. This includes the 2017-2018 season where we won two matches, but still finished last.
We’ve had a good season, with 16.5 Hamilton Russell points scored. That’s up from the 11.5 points scored last season, and only slightly below the 17 points scored in 2017-18. Given the Hurlingham match wasn’t played, this can definitely be seen as our best season.
This comes through in the points totals. Three players scored three Hamilton Russell points (Captain Chamberlain, Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) and Young Master Jacobs) and eight players scored points overall. Doctor Kirby and Mister Whiteley did a good job at the top of the board order chipping in points while making things easier for players lower down.
We did well in friendlies, with a victory over the Chelsea Arts Club, a 6-0 whitewash over the Oriental / East India and a slugging 3-3 draw vs the MCC. Even our 1.5 – 4.5 loss against a strong LSE side was no disgrace. As always we’ve enjoyed ourselves going to other Clubs, and hosting other Clubs at Whitehall Place. Our opponents have always enjoyed the NLC and what it has to offer.
Overall player of the season must be Young Master Jacobs with 7.5 points out of 12 – quality lower board sharking if ever we’ve seen it. Honourable mentions must also go to Captain Chamberlain and Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon). The season end also saw the emergence of Miss Widger with 2/2 including a vital Hamilton Russell point.
So that was the season that was, and what happens next is anyone’s guess. Online chess has shown that there are more NLC chess players out there, which augurs well for the new season when it finally arrives.
Herewith Doctor Kirby’s Statistical Compendium: