London Chess Classic - Weekday U2050 & U1750

Nick Grey · Post by **Nick Grey** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 12:22 pm

I think the FIDE & ECF variances are just that they are different systems of rating & also they do not have the same games being rated.
As a consequence we are paying somehow two fees. Not sure how this came up but thanks for the input.

Personally I'd rather concentrate on the good things like the chess, meeting people, & thank the organisers.

A rest day for the top players yesterday - they deserve it.

U2050
RdC had a very interesting game yesterday on the board next to mine & won. Before the games started a few of us were chatting and someone asked Roger why his grade was so low & he mentioned juniors. Personally I hoped that he was going to come up against Ollie Howell or Michael Ifalore today as they are both on 1.5/3 but Roger is playing Charles McAleenan.

Some interesting match ups on the top 5 boards.

I'm playing an ungraded lady - Natalia Shevchuk & whilst difficult to find any games that she has played I think it is really time to give thanks to the organisers & controller Alex H & his team for having the first two rounds input onto Chess-Results.

U1750
John McKenna has taken a bye probably on the only day when he may have a train service.
Geoff Bishop v Brendon O'Gorman on board 2, both on 3/3 is the top forumite match up.
Also look out for David Howes. We had a nice chat yesterday & he reminded me that the longest game he had ever played was against me in my first FIDE tournament (some 6 hours).

Roger de Coverly · Post by **Roger de Coverly** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 12:48 pm

Nick Grey wrote: RdC had a very interesting game yesterday on the board next to mine & won.

Although I had expected the Kings Bishop Gambit, I wasn't totally familiar with how to meet White's Bc4 and Qb3 attack. It cost time on the clock figuring out that I had to give up the f7 pawn.

An engine suggests that 16. .. Be6 could have been met by 17. gxf4 with advantage to White. Later, both 37. Re5 and 41. Re5 are suspect.

For lovers of mad positions, here's a line I have in my notes.

Engines suggest playing 7. .. a5 to provoke 8. c3 before snatching the Rook. The Queen doesn't appear to be trapped and lost, but you do seem to have to play with it stuck on h1 for a long time.

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 3:47 pm

My time management is improving - 1st round 55 mins. late, 2nd 13 mins (my young opponent was 18 mins. late), 3rd 8 mins. late. Today I have a Bye in the 4th (as Nick Grey says, among other interesting things, up above.)

Friday is the 5th, and final, round (of both Weekday events). I always aim to be on time, but we travelling players (there are the strolling players fortunate enough to be staying in local hotels) are all at the mercy of London's creepy-crawly road & rail transport systems.

Yesterday, while Roger d'C was successfully defending the Kings Gambit (see above for his great explications), and my hero-turned-anti-hero GM David Howell - the current Champion of England - was finding a way to lose a pawn in just 13 moves (What's that all about? Answers to the LCC British KO thread, please.) my erstwhile opponent was carelessly(?) inventing (in the Kings Indian Attack) a new 9-move gambit!

I'll name it for him, the Lekic gambit -

I grabbed with 9... Nxe4...

How does that grab you?

I held on to it for its dear life, but he got his attack and, when the smoke cleared, with my move 40... Qf7, I offered him a draw. He said, "What?" and proceeded to play one of the baddest moves (yours to find, if you wish) on the board -

Edit - I played 40... Qf7(=) in the above position.

(Warning - the move after the time control should be handled with tender loving care, as I know to my cost from my first round loss.)

He eventually lost on time (having just offered me a counter-draw, probably hoping I'd reject it with a bad move of my own 66... Nxf4??) after I made my 66th, in the following position -

Edit - I played the goodie 66... Bf5 (coincidently the same move as his baddie, 41.Bf5??) and his time expired before he could reply.

Thereby relieving me of finding a way to get the pawn through to promotion, or playing for mate with K, N & B v. K with about 4 mins. plus the increment of 30 secs.

Up the forumites!!

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 5:09 pm

Twice thanks, Jack, for adding the first PGN and sorting the third. John

Nick Grey · Post by **Nick Grey** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:54 pm

Yesterday in the U2050 I felt like a teenager stood up for a date. The arbiter found a young opponent for me & we had the pleasure of being put next to the bottom board in the U1750 section. That game next to us was a well deserved draw. Manav will improve when he takes more than 10 minutes over his match. I was hoping to get his brother today but never mind...

U2050: Bolt v Barton both players on 4/4 will be a good match up. I have a plum seat on board 10 & hope not too many players in the aisle watching the high boards in the Open. Some players on 3 with a chance of a prize including Julian Way.
Some excellent players on boards below me - such is the variance in small swiss tournaments...
Matthew Peat, Julien Shepley, Ollie Howell, JJ Mcdonnell, RdC & Natasha Regan.

U1750
Brian Stuart & Oliver Finnigan on board 1.
Yesterday Bishop & O'Gorman ended in a draw so both still in the hunt.
J McKenna up to the dizzy heights of board 6 - that is if he gets there on the transport. I would leave now if I were you John!
Lee Bullock on Board 11.

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 2:01 pm

Nick, thanks for the update and the advice, above.

I'll be off and running for a ghost train in a mo.

Lee Bullock · Post by **Lee Bullock** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 11:48 pm

Nick Grey wrote:Yesterday in the U2050 I felt like a teenager stood up for a date. The arbiter found a young opponent for me & we had the pleasure of being put next to the bottom board in the U1750 section. That game next to us was a well deserved draw. Manav will improve when he takes more than 10 minutes over his match. I was hoping to get his brother today but never mind...

U2050: Bolt v Barton both players on 4/4 will be a good match up. I have a plum seat on board 10 & hope not too many players in the aisle watching the high boards in the Open. Some players on 3 with a chance of a prize including Julian Way.
Some excellent players on boards below me - such is the variance in small swiss tournaments...
Matthew Peat, Julien Shepley, Ollie Howell, JJ Mcdonnell, RdC & Natasha Regan.

U1750
Brian Stuart & Oliver Finnigan on board 1.
Yesterday Bishop & O'Gorman ended in a draw so both still in the hunt.
J McKenna up to the dizzy heights of board 6 - that is if he gets there on the transport. I would leave now if I were you John!
Lee Bullock on Board 11.

Why is Lee Bullock on Board 11 noteworthy? I am curious

Nick Grey · Post by **Nick Grey** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 10:53 am

You are a forumite.

Congratulations to Brendon on his share of 1st place.

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:02 am

I'm guessing it's because you are the self-confessed "2013/2014 U140 Grand Prix Winner!"

Also, winner of the "u135 event 2 times from 3 years I have played" at Paignton, GM Keith Arkell's stomping ground, which may impress me but will not rock Keith back on his heels, Lee

Although the Classic Weekday U-135 has now been replaced by the U-1750 it is still roughly an U-145 tournament so winning it should still be within your grasp.

"Its not a failure to lose. Its a failure when you don't try and win" is your motto.

So, were you on board 11 in the last round of the U-1750, yesterday, because you'd been trying too hard to win, or not hard enough?

Better luck next time

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 11:17 am

There's another reason -

Nick Grey wrote:You are a forumite.

Congratulations to Brendon on his share of 1st place.

I'd like to second that, Nick.

I suppose it is more difficult for Lee to feast at the top tables if he has to compete with guys such as Big Bren for a place.

Brendan O'Gorman · Post by **Brendan O'Gorman** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:12 pm

Thanks for the congrats. In the circumstances, I'll forgive the misspelling and the irony.

Lee Bullock · Post by **Lee Bullock** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:45 pm

John McKenna wrote:I'm guessing it's because you are the self-confessed "2013/2014 U140 Grand Prix Winner!"

Also, winner of the "u135 event 2 times from 3 years I have played" at Paignton, GM Keith Arkell's stomping ground, which may impress me but will not rock Keith back on his heels, Lee

Although the Classic Weekday U-135 has now been replaced by the U-1750 it is still roughly an U-145 tournament so winning it should still be within your grasp.

"Its not a failure to lose. Its a failure when you don't try and win" is your motto.

So, were you on board 11 in the last round of the U-1750, yesterday, because you'd been trying too hard to win, or not hard enough?

Better luck next time

Board 11 was a huge achievement considering the level of players in it. I was nowhere near one of the top seeds. Think I was 25th/67 and I finished 8th

So delighted with that. Just had one bad game v a 150 odd player David Varley. And won the rest. Had to take a bye 1st round otherwise I may of improved on 8th. I finished on the same score as the 149 junior who won the u1600, so I am happy with that

And Keith is very jealous of my 2 wins from 3 in the u135

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Tue Dec 20, 2016 6:55 pm

Hi Lee, thanks for those details.

Coincidentally, I also had to take a bye and I started 8th but finished 28th so we virtually swapped places.

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