COULSDON "EASTER" INTERNATIONAL 17-21 April

[David Sedgwick]

A couple of quick draws and we have a new International Master (once FIDE officially ratify). Congratulations Yang-Fan.

Congratulations from me as well. I'm glad that all the issues surrounding the postponement were able to be resolved.

For the sake of completeness, I'd just like to comment on a couple of the earlier posts:

Isn't this more or less what happened in the notorious game between Delchev and Conquest at the European Team Championships 2009? According to the pgn file, the game went 1. d4 0-1. To the best of my knowledge, the game was nevertheless rated.

Here is Delchev's rating file for the European Team Championship. Lo and behold, Delchev 0-1 Conquest was rated...

Thank you for checking that.

If Chernaiev has another personal circumstance that means that he cannot play the game, and must leave for Russia forthwith, and if Yang-Fan still needs half a point or more from the game, then it seems that nothing could be done - his norm chance would be gone.

If this had hapened then I imagine a filler, in this case needing to be a titled 2133 or higher, would have been found.

For that, FIDE's permission would be needed (in an all-play-all). The situation arose in the Uxbridge International 2009, at which Peter Poobasalingam obtain an IM norm. FIDE's permission was duly sought and granted through the august personage of Stewart Reuben.

[Scott Freeman]

I am told he is possibly in line for a GM norm at the 4NCL. I feel the way he is going it will be a case of WHEN rather than IF he gets the GM title. To score 9 from 9 at Brighton and then a "comfortable" 7 from 9 here must indicate that.

So that leads me to ask the question......I am happy to try and arrange some GM norm all-play-all events, but are there enough players out there who are high rated enough who would be prepared to commit to play early enough, thus not leaving the poor organiser to fret about it until 2 weeks before (when I find most of them want to be able to confirm their availability)......

[LozCooper]

I am told he is possibly in line for a GM norm at the 4NCL. I feel the way he is going it will be a case of WHEN rather than IF he gets the GM title. To score 9 from 9 at Brighton and then a "comfortable" 7 from 9 here must indicate that.

So that leads me to ask the question......I am happy to try and arrange some GM norm all-play-all events, but are there enough players out there who are high rated enough who would be prepared to commit to play early enough, thus not leaving the poor organiser to fret about it until 2 weeks before (when I find most of them want to be able to confirm their availability)......

It is a dilemma, there are lots of players interested in playing for GM norms but the entry fee and additional costs in all-play-alls can price some of our IMs out of playing. However, in order to run these events you need to charge the norm seekers to pay for the GMs.

Maybe you have to either have an entry deadline of 2-3 months before or offer much cheaper entry fees for early entry. The most interest for the GM section of the 2nd Big Slick International appears to be from India at the moment!

[LozCooper]

Round 9:

CM Chris Briscoe (2.5) ½-½ FM Yang-Fan Zhou (6.5)
GM Alexander Cherniaev (6) 1-0 Jude Lenier (1.5)
GM Bogdan Lalic (5.5) ½-½ GM Aaron Summerscale (4)
IM Jack Rudd (3.5) 1-0 Eoin Campbell (1.5)
Ioannis Stavriakankis (4) ½-½ FM Andreas Skytte Hagen (5)

Alexander Cherniaev & Yang-Fan Zhou 7/9
Lalic 6
Hagen 5.5
Rudd & Summerscale & Stavriakankis 4.5
Briscoe 3/9
Campbell & Lenier 1.5

[Keith Arkell]

Congrats to Yang-Fan. Well Played that man!

Incidentally, I strongly reccomend these types of events to any IM/Gm who puts enjoyment of a good social event ahead of any fretting about keeping his playing strength and ELO rating in alignment.

[LozCooper]

Congrats to Yang-Fan. Well Played that man!

Incidentally, I strongly reccomend these types of events to any IM/Gm who puts enjoyment of a good social event ahead of any fretting about keeping his playing strength and ELO rating in alignment.

Cue a plug for Big Slick: 25th June - 3rd July: http://www.gingergm.com/2011/04/13/2nd- ... rnational/

[John Saunders]

Congratulations to Yang-Fan Zhou for another excellent result, and also to Scott and his fellow Coulsdon organisers for providing him (and others) with another splendid norm opportunity. Always a pleasure to give credit to hard-working tournament organisers, without whom the country's talented chessplayers would have far fewer letters in front of their names (I note that Yang-Fan himself is a very courteous and thoughtful young man, and was at pains to thank everyone for their help and support on his Facebook page). Out of interest, does anyone keep score of how many norms have been generated at Coulsdon? And at other regular events (e.g. Sean's e2e4 tournaments)?

[Sean Hewitt]

Congratulations to Yang-Fan Zhou for another excellent result, and also to Scott and his fellow Coulsdon organisers for providing him (and others) with another splendid norm opportunity. Always a pleasure to give credit to hard-working tournament organisers, without whom the country's talented chessplayers would have far fewer letters in front of their names (I note that Yang-Fan himself is a very courteous and thoughtful young man, and was at pains to thank everyone for their help and support on his Facebook page). Out of interest, does anyone keep score of how many norms have been generated at Coulsdon? And at other regular events (e.g. Sean's e2e4 tournaments)?

We've run 4 internationals now and had 4 IM norms achieved as follows

Tiruchirapalli, Venkataram Uxbridge Aug 2009
Poobalasingam, Peter S Uxbridge Aug 2009
Tymrakiewicz, Rafal Uxbridge Feb 2010
Zhou, Yang Fan Brighton Feb 2011

[Scott Freeman]

We have had 14 norms in 17 events (2 all-play-all's were run on one occasion, so you could argue 14 in 16):

2005 August - John Cox became an IM
2005 Christmas - Jessie Gilbert scored her first WIM norm
2006 Easter - Thomas Rendle became an IM
2007 August - Lars Stark became an IM & Jovica Radovanovic scored his 2nd IM norm
2008 Easter - Jan Lundin scored his 1st IM norm
2008 August - David Eggleston scored his 2nd IM norm & Jovica Radovanovic his 3rd
2008 Christmas - Yang-Fan Zhou & Rawle Allicock scored their 1st IM norms
2009 Easter - Jovica Radovanovic scored his 4th IM norm & Jan Lundin his 2nd
2009 August - Alexey Slavin scored his 2nd IM norm
2011 Easter - Yang-Fan Zhou became an IM

It always feels good at the end of an event when a norm has been scored; it makes the whole event worth it!

[Mike Truran]

The 4NCL has had its fair share of norms over the years. No doubt Neville could produce a complete list if needs be. Hats off to all three non ECF run events (sorry, couldn't resist that one) for producing so many norms.

[LozCooper]

This member of the ECF board appreciates everything the three tournaments has done to help our norm seekers turn their dreams into realty, long may it continue

[Scott Freeman]

Happy to continue but we need more FM's who want to play in them. Over the years we had "regulars" like Jack Rudd, Jovica Radovanovic, David Eggleston, Thomas Rendle (well, at the start), Jan Lundin, now Yang-Fan who have all rather inconsiderately ( ) got their norms and/or titles. I can get the GM's or IM's players for these events - no problem. I can usually get a string of non-FM players (sometimes lower rated ones) who want to play, but FM's are now at a premium in this part of the world. I find that I send emails out advertising and certain foreign FM's come back (despite me stating the entry fee cost for FM's) to ask what conditions I can give them! If only!

[LozCooper]

Happy to continue but we need more FM's who want to play in them. Over the years we had "regulars" like Jack Rudd, Jovica Radovanovic, David Eggleston, Thomas Rendle (well, at the start), Jan Lundin, now Yang-Fan who have all rather inconsiderately ( ) got their norms and/or titles. I can get the GM's or IM's players for these events - no problem. I can usually get a string of non-FM players (sometimes lower rated ones) who want to play, but FM's are now at a premium in this part of the world. I find that I send emails out advertising and certain foreign FM's come back (despite me stating the entry fee cost for FM's) to ask what conditions I can give them! If only!

FMs & WFMs are indeed a valuable commodity

[Ian Thompson]

... FM's are now at a premium in this part of the world. I find that I send emails out advertising and certain foreign FM's come back (despite me stating the entry fee cost for FM's) to ask what conditions I can give them! If only!

I saw a tournament in France only a week or two ago that was offering free entry and accommodation to FMs, so that's what you're competing against. I acknowledge now though, that it is the only tournament I have ever seen offering free accommodation. I''ve never more than free entry before, but I hope its the first of many.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I hope John is filing away those posts by Sean and Scott for future reference!

I still harbour vague hopes of extending the list here to include details of when the norms were acquired for the title and when the rating reached the required level (when that was a requirement):

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2165



Of course, some people acquire more than the 3 norms required, and some get multiple norms from a single result. I would hope, though, that every norm was covered in some form of chess reporting somewhere.

Is a complete listing of all norms ever achieved by ENG registered players feasible? I suppose FIDE would have the complete records somewhere, though whether all in one place is another matter. Would the ECF records also be complete in this regard?