Kidlington Congress 2011, 05.02.2011-06.02.2011

[Dave Ewart]

Kidlington Congress 2011 couple of weekends ago:

U-225 and U-145 results are in HTML format, the U-180 section in PDF format (presumably because different organizers were looking after the different sections)

• U-225: http://home.btconnect.com/OCA/U225%20%2 ... 02011.html
• U-180: http://home.btconnect.com/OCA/2011%20U180.pdf
• U-145: http://home.btconnect.com/OCA/U145%20%2 ... 02011.html

[Alex Holowczak]

That's a very healthy entry for a weekend congress; particularly with only three sections.

[Brendan O'Gorman]

That's a very healthy entry for a weekend congress; particularly with only three sections.

But it used to be bigger. The second section alone had about 90 entries in 2003

[Dave Ewart]

That's a very healthy entry for a weekend congress; particularly with only three sections.

It's always pretty well attended, I think. I've played there for the last three years and even during a very snowy week in February 2009, there was a good turnout (I blogged about that at the time, see the comments: http://www.sungate.co.uk/?p=367 )

It's the only congress I play these days, mainly because it's inconvenient to travel due to family commitments and the Kidlington venue is just a few minutes' walk away

[John Upham]

I'm curious to understand the rationale for having an under 225 rather than Open top section.

Do we envisage any 200 - 225 players being put off entering by the prospect of someone who is 226 or higher entering?

I am sure that there is a very sensible explanation.

Maybe I have missed a trick here?

[Alex Holowczak]

I'm curious to understand the rationale for having an under 225 rather than Open top section.

Do we envisage any 200 - 225 players being put off entering by the prospect of someone who is 226 or higher entering?

I am sure that there is a very sensible explanation.

Maybe I have missed a trick here?

There were only 2 entries graded over 200 though. Maybe this was an effort to get more in that grading band.

It excludes Peter Wells, who plays in the Oxfordshire League. Maybe they didn't want him to win it?

[John Upham]

There were only 2 entries graded over 200 though. Maybe this was an effort to get more in that grading band.

It excludes Peter Wells, who plays in the Oxfordshire League. Maybe they didn't want him to win it?

This reminds me of the "logic" I was presented with when I attempted to get the top division of the Chiltern League changed to being Open :

we cannot make it Open as there are not enough players in this county over 200ECF

I replied that there was bound to be zero in the CL until further notice : More people should read novels by Joseph Heller.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'm curious to understand the rationale for having an under 225 rather than Open top section.

Do we envisage any 200 - 225 players being put off entering by the prospect of someone who is 226 or higher entering?

Kidlington has been under 225 for as long as I can remember. I think it was a policy decision by the organisers many, many years ago so that the grandmaster(s) down the road at the University didn't get a free lunch.

The 1980 BCM (pages 205-206) reports just Major, Minor and U-14 sections.

[Alex Holowczak]

Kidlington has been under 225 for as long as I can remember. I think it was a policy decision by the organisers many, many years ago so that the grandmaster(s) down the road at the University didn't get a free lunch.

Did many Oxford University students enter?

[Simon Spivack]

More people should read novels by Joseph Heller.

God Knows is a god-awful novel. Heller had one brilliant idea, Catch 22. The rest of his oeuvre is unworthy of being read by a Middlesex native.

[Roger de Coverly]

Did many Oxford University students enter?

The Oxford 4NCL site features the archive of an annual magazine, past issues of which deal with the Kidlington Congress and off the board activity. There's particularly a University based report in the 2004 issue. http://www.oxford4ncl.org/disinformator/dis30!.pdf

Stars-barred events used to be more common - Exeter for example has reverted to being an Open http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/congre ... n/base.htm
In the past it was under 205(?).

[Eoin Devane]

Did many Oxford University students enter?

I do not know for sure about years gone by. However, this year we had three of our players playing, all in the U180 - Ed Farrington, Kev Henbest and Sam Woolacott. "Fazza" performed particularly well, finishing tied second. Mike Healey, a graduate from last year, also played, scoring 3/5 in the U225.

The Oxford 4NCL site features the archive of an annual magazine, past issues of which deal with the Kidlington Congress and off the board activity. There's particularly a University based report in the 2004 issue. http://www.oxford4ncl.org/disinformator/dis30!.pdf

Disinformator is an excellent club magazine.

[LozCooper]

Nice to see so many juniors doing so well, especially Marcus Harvey but also Brandon Clarke, James Holland, William Foo, Matthew Wadsworth etc

[Andrew Farthing]

Nice to see so many juniors doing so well, especially Marcus Harvey but also Brandon Clarke, James Holland, William Foo, Matthew Wadsworth etc

Hear, hear. Not that long ago, Marcus beat me two years in a row at Kidlington. I'm just relieved that the adjustments to the grading system - along with his natural improvement, of course - helped shift him well clear of my lowly section. Good to see ECF policies working so successfully to the benefit of its Chief Executive!

[William Metcalfe]

Fazza is a friend of mine his 4 out of 5 was exeptional when you concider he lost his first game lol.
I got Fazza to join Darlo chess club when he was graded 61 its been a pleasure to watch his grade steadily climb to his present level