4NCL
4NCL is an acronym, standing for Four Nations Chess League; the
four nations being England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The
league is however truly international, with players from as many
as 27 different countries taking part.
It is therefore the United Kingdom's foremost chess league, run
independently as a limited company and outside of the control of
the individual nations' chess governing bodies.
The format of the 4NCL might be described as a prestigious team
tournament, held annually, over a number of (October to May)
weekends, at a variety of venues in the Midlands region of
England. It is run on a league basis, containing four divisions
and about 600 players. As an event, it is in many ways
comparable to the French Nationale and long established German
Bundesliga.
Some prize money is on offer, but the top teams seek to attract outside sponsorship and this occasionally allows them to secure the services of the world's leading grandmasters, typically for critical end of season clashes. Players of the calibre of Michael Adams, Nigel Short, Viktor Korchnoi, Alexander Morozevich, Alexei Shirov and Peter Svidler have participated in recent years.