Petulance

[Justin Hadi]

It is me, or is it disgraceful behaviour to hide inside a room having started the clocks with no signs for chess at all, have all previous entrances to the match building locked, and have idiots loudly playing blitz during a match when repeatedly told to be quiet? This actually occurred last night in a match Hendon vs Imperial College in the Middlesex league Division 2.

[Justin Hadi]

As I lost the initial post for this thread and had to make do with a summary I'll try again.

I know league chess is meant to be social, but this really takes the biscuit. Knowing the venue well from the Golders Green rapidplay events, our team turned up on time to Hendon Chess Club for a match last night. There were no directions on the club website http://www.hendonchessclub.com/, and looking round the building the front door of the church was locked, the back gate was locked where we had previously reached the playing room. Finally in a side entrance we tried opening a random church door where a chess match was taking place.

Our match. No signs for chess, no reception, nothing. This clocks had already been started, and we were five minutes down on the clock. Asked about the difficulty in finding the place the opposing captain jokingly claimed "We try to make it as difficult as possible to find us". You could and the opposing captain did, argue that five minutes is an insignificant amount of time and they had to pack up quickly after the match finished. However, my game went down to the wire and there was no rush to pack up afterwards. After the match started, two idiots insisted on playing blitz loudly despite repeatedly being told to be quiet. This continued through the evening and after the blitz finished they adjourned to an adjacent room loudly continuing a conversation with the door open. This behaviour made it very difficult to concentrate on the games.

On the club website, the marketing quote is "We offer a stimulating evening in a friendly atmosphere – visit the club and see for yourself". Well I visited and couldn't disagree more! Having just come from the 4NCL the difference couldn't be clearer. Well organised, friendly, and no problems whatsoever. The Golders Green tournaments at the same venue have also been fine.

My point is, if, on travelling a long way, this is the kind of introduction to chess that most people get, is it any wonder that so many fewer people play seriously than is aspired to by the members of this forum?

[JustinHorton]

As it happens I've played for Imperial College (for whom I mercifully no longer work) against Hendon at that venue. We got in through the front door on this occasion. We were playing in the back room - the main room (familiar to posters who play congresses there) was being used for Tai Chi. I could just imagine each set of people going past the other and thinking "ha, at last somebody the general public thinks is weirder than us".

[Adam Raoof]

Yes, we will have words with players who insist on playing blitz during matches - it is unacceptable, and I apologise.

However it is not fair to compare a small chess club to the 4NCL, which usually takes place in a purpose built conference facility or a hotel with appropriate staffing and signage. This is a church hall with a kitchen and a small back room in which the club meets.

Because of security concerns, there are only two entrances to the church hall that the public have access to, both on the main road. Most players already know the venue because of the rapid and blitz tournaments we hold there, and may at first try the front door. This is locked by request of the church on club nights. The other is open for the chess club, and this is visible from the road and lit by security lights. If one is there at 7.30pm, one can find the entrance and be playing chess by 7.31pm. We have now added a line to our website to guide the novice. I would expect any home Captain use their discretion before starting the clocks at the appointed time, but just how long should they be expected to wait before starting the match?

By the way the only team that turned up late last season was ...

Adam

[Justin Hadi]

Adam, thanks for your response. Thanks also for making directions clear on the website and speaking to the blitz players, which was by far the bigger issue.

On your points:

I wasn't playing for Imperial until towards the end of last season, so I can't comment on last season's match. However, our captain mentioned on that occasion the team had reached the playing room through the back gate, making three entrances to the hall.

This season, understandably the team tried the same entrance, then the front door, and finally the door which as you say, although unsigned, is visible from the main road. This took about five minutes, I say this because some of our team including myself went to buy a drink before the match, and on arriving at the venue at about 7.34pm saw the rest of the team wondering where to go as the previous entrance was locked, as was the front door of the church. We then tried the right entrance.

As regards starting the clocks, five minutes grace seems reasonable, especially where there is no signage, no reception, no prior direction and varying access to routes to the playing hall. In my view it's a bit cheeky to start the clocks in this case, but as I say the blitz playing was by far the bigger issue.

Best regards,

Justin

[Adam Raoof]

QED. You are supposed to celebrate the win after the match.

[Justin Hadi]

I say this because some of our team including myself went to buy a drink before the match

Non-alcoholic, of course.

[Simon Spivack]

I hesitate to suggest a solution whose effect is to make the Middlesex League worse; however, how about living in the past?

Imperial College should consider re-entering the London League. There are now only four promotion and relegation divisions, so it should be possible to advance fairly quickly up the divisions. I'd expect Imperial to hover between divisions one and two depending upon the current crop of students.

From Imperial's perspective the main advantage is that most matches will be at home. Disadvantages include that more players will have to be found (twelve boards for division one) and that it is likely that some Imperial members already turn out for other clubs.

I should caution that Imperial College does have some history (both in the London and Middlesex leagues), some may recall this. In my opinion the crimes, real or imagined, of fifteen years or more ago should not be germane, but they may still be mentioned.

I wrote that Imperial used to play in the London League; below are the details of a match played on 14 December 1966. How many names do people recognise?


Athenaeum vs. Imperial College. Imperial white on the odd-numbered boards.

1. RA Harris 0-1 S Bruzzi
2. D Parr 0-1 P Hempson
3. R Fertoszegi ½-½ A Whitbread
4. AA Thomson ½-½ RM Dunnett
5. GE Clements 1-0 G Lane
6. L Alexander 0-1 FT Nadir
7. WT Levy 0-1 I Bates
8. CW Anderton 1-0 A Odidi
9. MJ Rose 1-0 RL Aspden
10. WG Whittaker 1-0 B Gunnell
11. JD Slater 0-1 H Thomas
12. MJ McCabe ½-½ C Sillence

5½-6½

[Tim Spanton]

I hesitate to suggest a solution whose effect is to make the Middlesex League worse; however, how about living in the past?

Imperial College should consider re-entering the London League. There are now only four promotion and relegation divisions, so it should be possible to advance fairly quickly up the divisions. I'd expect Imperial to hover between divisions one and two depending upon the current crop of students.

From Imperial's perspective the main advantage is that most matches will be at home. Disadvantages include that more players will have to be found (twelve boards for division one) and that it is likely that some Imperial members already turn out for other clubs.

I should caution that Imperial College does have some history (both in the London and Middlesex leagues), some may recall this. In my opinion the crimes, real or imagined, of fifteen years or more ago should not be germane, but they may still be mentioned.

I wrote that Imperial used to play in the London League; below are the details of a match played on 14 December 1966. How many names do people recognise?


Athenaeum vs. Imperial College. Imperial white on the odd-numbered boards.

1. RA Harris 0-1 S Bruzzi
2. D Parr 0-1 P Hempson
3. R Fertoszegi ½-½ A Whitbread
4. AA Thomson ½-½ RM Dunnett
5. GE Clements 1-0 G Lane
6. L Alexander 0-1 FT Nadir
7. WT Levy 0-1 I Bates
8. CW Anderton 1-0 A Odidi
9. MJ Rose 1-0 RL Aspden
10. WG Whittaker 1-0 B Gunnell
11. JD Slater 0-1 H Thomas
12. MJ McCabe ½-½ C Sillence

5½-6½

Is this post suitable for this forum - no one in it seems to be being slagged off, laughed at or threatened with legal action?

[Justin Hadi]

That wouldn't happen to be THE J Slater would it?

[Simon Spivack]

Is this post suitable for this forum - no one in it seems to be being slagged off, laughed at or threatened with legal action?

You are quite right. I apologise unreservedly.

[JustinHorton]

Shouldn't Nadir have been on bottom board?

[Sean Hewitt]

Is this post suitable for this forum - no one in it seems to be being slagged off, laughed at or threatened with legal action?

You are quite right. I apologise unreservedly.

Shouldn't that be

You are quite right. I apologise unreservedly you ******* *******?!!

[Simon Spivack]

That wouldn't happen to be THE J Slater would it?

It is possible. In the early seventies wealthy Greek shipowners belonged to Athenaeum. One of them sponsored Athenaeum's centenary tournament, held after one hundred and one years.

I can probably get a definitive answer, but probably not for a few days.

[Justin Hadi]

No worries. I hope you (and everyone at Hendon Chess Club) have a good Christmas.