24.11.2004: "If you get into a tight spot, you should, as an Arbiter, have authority to disqualify your opponent. If he objects, refer him to a panel of three equally wise arbiters for a final decision."
-- Dr. Richard Murphy, a founding member of the official Four Wise Arbiters Supporters' Association

Deforel-Campbell After 61... b1=Q

10.09.2006: Our team's playing schedule is now finished with a win by bd. 3 J. Franklin Campbell.

Jorge Eduardo Deforel (Rey Gris) 0 J. Franklin Campbell (Four Wise Arbiters)

You can check out the final position at the right. Deforel used 38 days on his last move and then just let his clock run out rather than make a move. He could have pushed the game into the next time control (barely) by sac'ing his pawns and playing to mate, but thankfully allowed the game to end here.

The team finishes this competition with a score of 7-17 and looks forward to next season, where every team member expects to do much better..

7.08.2006: Our board 4 Ralph Marconi has finished his playing schedule with a loss to Ivan Cipka (SVK) of the www.sachy.sk team. The King and pawn ending lasted 88 moves. This game has been added to the replay page Marconi.

CS Energy PCC Sterom 2 Campina and the Four Wise Arbiters each have 6 points now with one remaining game. The Four Wise Arbiters final game is a clear win ... mate is expected within ten moves. CS Energy 2 must win their final game (the player is 0-5 so far) to tie, but if they do they win the tie-break. Who will finish out of last place? Time will tell.

3.08.2006: Four Wise Arbiters web site wins "Best Team Web Site" competition!

The judging is complete and this web site took 1st place in the "Best Team Web Site" competition, involving 37 different web sites representing the teams playing in the Champions League. Some of the sites represented multiple teams, such as the Chess Mail team site, and some were just a few pages at a general club web site. There were 17 serious challengers for the best site, and in the end 13 different web sites received votes for the first 5 places by the six judges. The judges determined, through their weighted voting, that four sites stood above the others. Each of these sites received at least one first place vote. The final standings for these four teams:

1. Four Wise Arbiters
2. Aljechin's Erben
3. Les Mousquetaires du Roi
4. Randaberg Vikings

For a complete report and a list of the judges see: Winners of Best Team Web Site.

6.07.2006: Ralph Marconi on board 4 has lost to Datta Devangshu (IND) of the CS Energy PCC Sterom 2 Campina team. This game has been added to the replay page Marconi.

It looks like a tight race to see which team will escape last place. CS Energy PCC Sterom 2 Campina has 5 points with two remaining games. Our team, Four Wise Arbiters, has an expected final score of 7 points. If CS Energy PCC Sterom 2 Campina can win their final two games they will have the tie-break and move ahead of us. It looks like an exciting finish.

31.05.2006: Our board 1 Duncan Chambers has finished his playing schedule with two losses with the black pieces. The team has three remaining games, Ralph Marconi (2 games) and Franklin Campbell (1 game).

Savin Mcleod (Stansco.com Netchess Knights) 1 Duncan Chambers (Four Wise Arbiters)
Mircea Bucur (CS Energy PCC Sterom 1 Campina) 1 Duncan Chambers (Four Wise Arbiters)

The competition in the Fast Track groups has been fierce indeed. Our team is committed to improving our results in the "D" league next season. Almost 90% of the current Champions League games are completed and plans are being made for the new season, and the Four Wise Arbiters team members are anxious to play in League "D". We just couldn't resist the challenge of playing the toughest competition available this season by competing in the Fast Track league.

All six of Duncan Chambers games are now available on his replay page Chambers.

13.03.2006: Our Board 2 and team captain Alan Rawlings (ENG) has finished his playing schedule with a loss to Nicolae Achim (ROM). His finished game file has now been updated to include all six games. See Rawlings.

Alan Rawlings (Four Wise Arbiters) 0 Nicolae Achim (CS Energy PCC Sterom 1 Campina)

2.03.2006: Our board 1 Duncan Chambers has expressed his desire to play again for the fabulous Four Wise Arbiters next season ... Excellent! We all anticipate playing better next time. After all, as world famous International Arbiters we are much in demand and have limited time for our personal games. Perhaps next season we can manage to apply a somewhat greater percentage of our time to this competition. Ah, we are such self-sacrificing individuals giving so freely of our time for the benefit of the great unwashed ... eh, our fellow chess players.

The latest result is: Duncan Chambers (Four Wise Arbiters) 0 Alexander Horvath (www.sachy.sk). The game has been added to the replay page Chambers.

24.10.2005: A new team result is in. Juan Alberto Martello (Rey Gris) 1 Duncan Chambers (Four Wise Arbiters). The team score above has been updated and the game added to the replay page Chambers. This is a fine attacking game well worth viewing.

20.09.2005: J. Franklin Campbell (USA) on board 3 has finished another game (draw) to move his score to 2½-1½. His opponent Ing. Julius Gajarský (SVK) of the www.sachy.sk team defended accurately to prevent White from making anything of his space advantage. This game has been added to the replay page Campbell.

20.09.2005: J. Franklin Campbell (USA) on board 3 has scored a win to go with his two draws to move his personal score to 2-1. His opponent Ionut Marinescu (ROM) of the CS Energy PCC Sterom 2 Campina team played an interesting pawn sac' and got a very active Bishop pair, so the win wasn't easy ... it required an exchange sacrifice. This game has been added to the replay page Campbell.

26.08.2005: The story below about the team's top board becoming TD for the 13th Olympiad brings up an interesting issue. With a name like "Four Wise Arbiters" you would expect all four players to have significant arbiter-related duties within ICCF. So here is a list of some of the more important jobs being handled by the team members.

Duncan Chambers

TD for 13th Olympiad Final (table)

TD for World Championship XXVI and XXVII Semi-Finals (tables)

TD for David Parr Memorial (table)

Member of Arbiter Review and Playing Rules Commissions

Captain of England's team in the 6th European Team Championship Final (table)

Alan Rawlings

TD for 63rd (email) European Championship Final (table)

TD for 64th (postal) European Championship Final (table)

TD for Veinger Memorial (table)

TD for John Jordan Memorial email & postal (table) (table)

TD for Frank Parr Memorial (table)

Central Tournament Leader for World Cup XI

England team captain, Olympiad 16 Semi-Finals (table)

Ralph Marconi

TD for 10th North American Invitational CC Championship (NAICCC) (table)

TD for the Tsunami Charity Match (tables)

TD for 1st WS USA CC Championship Prelims. (USCCC) (tables)

Member of the Arbiter Review Commission, Playing Rules Commission and the Appeals Commission (Playing Rules)

J. Franklin Campbell

TD for 2nd Email USA CC Championship Final (USCCC) (table)

TD for 4th North American/Pacific Zone Championship (4th NAPZ Ch.) (table)

Webmaster for Champions League (Web Site)

Archivist for ICCF-U.S. (USA Games) (NAPZ Games) (USA & NAPZ Tables)

25.08.2005: The top board for the Four Wise Arbiters Duncan Chambers (ENG) has recently been invited to direct the ICCF 13th Olympiad. He officially took over from previous TD Roald Berthelsen (NOR) on 1.08.2005. Congratulations to Duncan on this prestigious assignment. It is a great honor for an International Arbiter to be entrusted with directing such a major and important event. Only a few preliminary games remain, but the Final has barely begun. See Crosstable.

27.07.2005: Our Board 2 and team captain Alan Rawlings (ENG) has finished his 5th game, a loss to Alfredo Civitillo (ARG). His finished game file has now been updated to include all five games. See Rawlings.

13.07.2005: Ralph Marconi has finished his third game with a draw against his CS Energy PCC Sterom 2 Campina opponent Alexandru Popa (ROM). The game (with light notes by Ralph) has been added to his replay page.

29.06.2005: Ralph Marconi's win on board 4 is now available with notes by the winner on his replay page.

15.06.2005: Ralph Marconi on board 4 has picked up the first win for the team! Congratulations to Ralph and we look forward to seeing this game. Ralph has promised some notes to the game. The game with notes will be added to his replay page when available.

23.04.2005: J. Franklin Campbell (USA) on board 3 has completed his second game (two draws). His opponent Prof. Dr. Warner Bruce Kover (BRA) defended a Bishops of opposite color King attack precisely leading to an even ending. This game has been added to the replay page Campbell.

22.04.2005: Our Board 2 and team captain Alan Rawlings (ENG) has finished his 4th game, a draw with his 2343 rated opponent Anthony Morgan (AUS). His finished game file has now been updated to include all four games. See Rawlings.

14.04.2005: Our Board 4 Ralph Marconi (CAN) has finished his first game with a loss, but the game is worth checking out for the excellent attack conducted by his much higher rated opponent Rãzvan Oprisor (ROM). See Marconi.

19.03.2005: Our Team Captain Alan Rawlings (ENG) is on the board with a draw vs. Stanislav Marek (2421) of the www.sachy.sk team. He also lost to Ed Kast of the Stansco.com Netchess Knights team.

9.02.2005: Today the Four Wise Arbiters tasted their first bitter pill of defeat, but it is the nature of wise men to learn from their failures and to rise above them. Congratulations to the CS Energy PCC Sterom 2 Campina team on gaining the first win of the event. For the game see Rawlings.

4.02.2005: The game replay pages have been updated with the finished game by Bd. 1 Duncan Chambers. See Chambers.

2.02.2005: The game replay pages have been added, which can be viewed using the links above (Finished Games). So far only one game is available for Campbell, but the other pages will have games added as they are finished and become available to the webmaster. Also, a hit counter was added to this page today.

1.02.2005: The first two team results have been recorded. Watch for replay pages of the team's finished games!
   Board 1: Chambers ½ Hoffmann (ChessOwls - Intercontinental)
   Board 3: Hanison (Stansco.com Netchess Knights) ½ Campbell
      Team Score is now 1-1.

1.02.2005: The team member biographies have been placed on a separate page.
   To learn about the team members go to The Team