London Chess Classic FIDE Open

[Tim Harding]

My money, if I was a betting man, would all be on Bacrot to be the ultimate winner of the Open, by the way.

Bacrot played the Scotch Four Knights and offered a draw at move 5 which Gupta accepted. This enabled Sebastien Maze to finish joint first on 7 (impressive 5/5 finish after losing to Keith Arkell) and Gupta tied 3rd-9th with 6.5.

From Gupta's point of view, I suppose refusing the draw with Black against such an experienced opponent would be much too big a risk and he can be satisfied with a decent prize to conclude a good year, especially considering he won Reykjavik outright. Probably his main regret for 2016 would have been missing the Baku Olympiad; I'm not sure why he didn't go (illness?). His round 3 loss to Hector cost him here.

I also note that Hawkins finished with four straight wins after his double loss in the middle of the event.

[Leonard Barden]

The best English performance in the Fide Open was clearly by Mark Hebden, 6.5/9 and a 2554 performance at age 58. Hawkins also had 6.5/9 but only a 2439 TPR. Several of the English players faded in the closing rounds.

[John McKenna]

"Bacrot played the Scotch Four Knights and offered a draw at move 5 which Gupta accepted. This enabled Sebastien Maze to finish joint first on 7 (impressive 5/5 finish after losing to Keith Arkell)... " (Tim Harding, above)

Leonard, with the greatest of respect, that's France 2, England 1, thanks to Keith.

Our best at the Classic were frying bigger fish but, apart from a good showing from well-respected forumite, IM Richard Bates, where were the young lions?

Vet GMs Mark Hebden & Keith Arkell are still leading the charge, carrying the English standard, into battle in the Open fields.