Last weekend’s latest 4NCL outing can be judged a modest success for Oxford 1. This despite a 6.5–1.5 defeat on the Saturday doled out by the powerful Wood-Green-Hilsmark-Kingfisher 1 team.

Oxford’s one win that day was thanks to new signing Thanasis Tsanas who defeated International Master Mohamed Tissir.

The Oxford line-up on Saturday was probably its strongest ever, and Sunday’s team was significantly weakened by the absence of first-board star David Zakarian.

Nevertheless, Oxford overcame a large rating deficit on every board to record a dramatic 4.5-3.5 victory over Barbican 2. Once again Thanasis Tsanas won, and this time Mike White and Sophie Tidman also registered the full point.

This win is doubly important for Oxford’s fight to stay in the first division.

It means a victory in the last group match on March 26 will see the team avoid the relegation pool altogether.

Even after a defeat, the points carried through to the relegation pool from the Barbican victory will see Oxford well placed to avoid the drop.

This week’s game is Thanasis’ fine board-three win from the Sunday match. Barbican’s Neil Berry goes astray in the opening and Thanasis’ accurate play never allows him back in. White: Neil Berry (Barbican 2) Black: Thanasis Tsanas (Oxford 1) 1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 0–0 5.d4 d6 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.0–0 e5 The English Opening beginning has morphed into a King’s Indian Fianchetto Variation.

8.e4 exd4 9.Nxd4 Re8 10.h3 a6 11.Re1 I think perhaps 11.Be3 Rb8 12.b3 is a stiffer test of Black’s scheme.

11...Rb8 12.b3?! Here 12.Rb1 is thought to cause Black more problems.

12...c5 Black’s set-up is called the Gallagher Variation. It is one way to inject some dynamism into the potentially dull Fianchetto Variation and, it has to be added, this game is great advert for it.

13.Nf3 13.Nc2 looks logical — to defend a1 so that 13...Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Bxa1 15.Nxa1 does not work for Black.

13...b5 14.Qxd6 b4 15.Na4?! This loses material — but even after the superior 15.e5 Rb6 16.Qd3 bxc3 17.exf6 Rxe1+ 18.Nxe1 Qxf6, Black is better.

15...Nxe4 16.Rxe4 Rxe4 17.Nxc5 17.Bg5 was a better choice.

17...Bxa1 OK — but Black wins even more material after 17...Rb6! 18.Qd1 Re8! 19.Bg5 Qc7 20.Nxd7 Rd6.

18.Nxe4 Bb7 19.Bg5 Qe8 20.Nfd2 20.Qd1! offered more.

20...Be5 21.Qd3 Qe6 22.Nf3 Bg7 23.Nd4 Qe5 24.Nf3 Qxe4 25.Qxd7 Ba8 26.Be7 h6 27.Kh2? Qe2 28.Bd6 Qxf2! 29.Nh4 White has been thoroughly outplayed and now, since 29.Bxb8 Bxf3 is terminal, the end is nigh.

29...Bd4 30.g4 Qg1+ 31.Kg3 Qe1+ 32.Kf4 No better is 32.Kh2 Bg1+ 33.Kh1 Bf2+ 34.Kh2 Qg1 checkmate.

32...Qe3 checkmate.