British Championship 2017

[Roger de Coverly]

For some years there's been a lobby in favour of dumbing down the British Championship to 9 rounds over one week. This lobby has never put this to a vote at any ECF Council meeting. Nevertheless, the ECF has gone ahead anyway.

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/british- ... more-36731

I'm sure Championship and Major Open players will welcome the novelty of playing the last round on a Sunday morning, although the opportunity to extend the Over 50 and Over 65 to 9 rounds has been spurned.

[IM Jack Rudd]

I'm not particularly in favour of shortening the championship, and nor am I in favour of morning last rounds for afternoon tournaments, but I think the reasons given are reasonable.

[Roger de Coverly]

but I think the reasons given are reasonable.

I don't know that the views of those who are rated between 2200 and 2400 who have to use their holiday time to play in the Championships should be given a veto. I rather suspect that cutting the length of the Championship won't result in any more entries from this group and it was just a convenient tick box as an answer to "why don't you play in the British?".

[Matthew Turner]

Fantastic idea, it makes the Championships so much more appealing. If you are worried that 9 rounds isn't enough to find the winner, then surely the solution is to reduce the numbers in the Championships, not to continue with the 2 week marathon which has frankly been outdated for a couple of decades.

[NickFaulks]

For competitive purposes, nine rounds must be plenty. It's a shame that they can't manage the 4NCL time control, but we probably have to accept that the ten minutes are gone forever. Playing the last round in the morning is of course horrible.

[Roger de Coverly]

It's a shame that they can't manage the 4NCL time control, but we probably have to accept that the ten minutes are gone forever.

For those only playing one round a day, a 2:00 pm start time would be good as well. A late start for the afternoon rounds is a consequence of using 90 30 for the morning rounds. As far as I'm aware, the Bournemouth timetable starts the morning rounds at 9:15 and the afternoon ones at 2:30.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

In past years, who would have been leading after 9 rounds compared to the eventual winner?

Going by the results here:

http://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/

2015: Nick Pert and Danny Gormally leading on 7/9 - eventual winner Jonathan Hawkins on 8.5/11.
2014: Cannot get to the results - something wrong with the website?
2013: David Howell leading with 8/9 - eventual winner David Howell on 9.5/11.
2012: No link on website
2011: Michael Adams leading with 7.5/9 - joint leaders after round 11 were Adams and Nigel Short on 8.5/11
2010: Adams procession.
2009: Howell and Howell.
2008: Lalic, Conquest and Gordon, eventual joint leaders after round 11 were Conquest and Arkell.

[Jonathan Bryant]

... it makes the Championships so much more appealing ....

I’d always assumed so, but when we were talking about Championship tournaments a while back somebody - Richard Bates possibly? memory may not be serving me well here - said that they found a 9-rounder like this considerably less appealing.

To be honest, while I can understand people not wanting things to change when they like them as they are, it’s clear that there’s been a real problem with the championship tournament for many years. This has a knock-on to the rest of the festival.

Changing the format of the championship tournament won’t solve all of this in and of itself, but I think it’s very reasonable - and a good thing - that some thought is being put into what we want the British Championships to be.

[IM Jack Rudd]

2014: Hawkins outright winner instead of tied for first.
2012: Jones outright winner instead of tied for first.

[Paul Dargan]

Yep 2012 was the famous Jones-gordon play-off where jones dropped his Queen in the firts game and won.
2014 - tie between Hawkins and Howell at the end

Paul

[Chris Rice]

I like the proposals. The British at 11 rounds is too long stretched over 2 weeks so bringing it all into one week is fine. Its going to increase the entries for the reasons already given and decrease the not insignificant accommodation costs.

I agree with Roger that I don't see the rationale for the seniors events only being 7 rounds. Unless there is an argument I'm missing then that should be challenged and be 9 rounds as well.

Getting away early on the last day is what most players want to do, especially at the British where the distances to be traveled may be vast, so a morning last round is a sound idea. You don't want to be starting your journey early evening to get home in the early hours of Monday morning or alternatively having to fork out for a further nights accommodation costs if you don't have to.

If the changes don't work out that the ECF can always come up with new proposals for the following year. My preference has always been for a 10 players round robin for our top players which is a template they use in other countries. However, it appears the appetite and funding are not there for this idea at present.

[IM Jack Rudd]

A thought I just had: reducing the tournament to nine rounds may have the unwanted side-effect of making the tournament less attractive to norm seekers, because bad luck in your early pairings - for instance, my 2000 and 1800 in the first two rounds last year - can put the norm almost beyond reach before you've started.

[John Hickman]

We welcome comments...nope...comments are closed

[IM Jack Rudd]

One of the venues proposed for future Britishes is Hull. I just looked up what time I would have to leave to catch the last train back home on a Sunday. (Answer: 13:39. I'm forking out for an extra night's accommodation whether the last round is a morning round or not.)

[John Hickman]

One of the venues proposed for future Britishes is Hull. I just looked up what time I would have to leave to catch the last train back home ...

Yes, some of us could be going to Hull and back