Intertrust 39th Guernsey International Chess Festival

[Kevin Thurlow]

http://www.guernseychessclub.org.gg/fes ... stival.htm

Includes one live game, which yesterday was Thurlow - Tiviakov (0-1, 44). I understand the live link worked throughout, but obviously I wasn't watching it.

[Kevin Thurlow]

This is the report I sent to the Guernsey Media last night:-

"Round 1
The 39th Intertrust Guernsey Chess Festival got underway with players from 15 different countries. Some have experienced difficulties with travel, so not everybody has arrived yet. Two unfortunate Irish players flew from Dublin on Saturday, expecting to change flights on Jersey, only to be forced to return to Dublin. An early morning departure on Sunday ensured they arrived in time for the start of the tournament. The top prize in the Open is £1200, so it is not surprising that there is a top class field, with three grandmasters and three international masters.
The grandmasters showed their class, although their opponents fought hard. Top seed Sergey Tiviakov (Netherlands) just improved his position calmly until he had a won position. Tiger Hillarp-Persson (Sweden) found a nice tactic which won material and last year’s winner Mark Hebden (England) also won. The three international masters, Vincent Colin, Claude Adrian (both France) and Jovanka Houska (England) also gained the full point, and most of the games went with seeding. One exception came from Dutch player Kees de Kruif, a regular at the tournament, whose early win saw him become the eighth player in the history of the tournament to reach a total of 100 points. The talented junior, Amy Hoare, had a good win against higher rated opposition. The Guernsey players made a solid start. Fred Hamperl won and there were draws for Peter Rowe and Toby Brookfield.
The “Holiday” tournament largely went with seeding, but there was an excellent win for the French junior Louise Adrian. The Guernsey contingent made an excellent start with wins for Russell Finch, Matthew Kerr and David Savident, as well as draws against strong opposition for Terry Harnden, Richard Le Maitre and Oliver Rowe. "

The local paper was full of the (somewhat controversial) visit of Sir Bradley Wiggins, who suggested cars should be banned from the island. Hence the chess report only mentioned the top two boards. Obviously as the target is the local press, the Guernsey players get preferential mentions.

[David Sedgwick]

What an excellent choice for Kevin's 1000th post.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Round 2
114 players are now participating in the 39th Intertrust Guernsey Chess Festival at the Peninsula Hotel. 90 of them have played in Guernsey before, and ten players have attended at least 30 times, showing the popularity of the event.
Twelve players are now joint first with two wins. The three grandmasters, Tiviakov, Hillarp-Persson and Hebden, and the three international masters, Colin, Houska and Adrian all won smoothly again. Their chosen method is to play sensible moves, avoid mistakes and let the hapless opponent stumble to defeat. It seems to be working well, as between them the titled players have run up a 12-0 scoreline. The only result to go against seeding on the top ten boards was a fine draw with black by Graham Bolt (England) against the Dutch FIDE Master Gerrit Prakken. Pal Magnusson (Sweden) had a good win against Guernsey’s Fred Hamperl. It was a disappointing day for the islanders in the Open, with only Peter Rowe and Louis Joualt (Jersey) achieving draws.
In the Holiday event, few of the top games went with seeding. Michael Stanners (England), who has won the event twice before, beat the highest rated player, Hanno Keuneke (Germany), and is joined in the lead on 2/2 by Neil Derrick (England), Denis O’Connell (Ireland) and Wim van Hoek (Netherlands). Most of the top games were draws, which is reflected by a large group of fourteen players on 1.5, so there is still everything to play for. The Channel Islands players found it tough going, but Colin Goman won, and there were draws for Russell Finch, Richard Le Maitre and David Savident.
Guernsey has always been a tournament for families and this year, tournament leader and international master Claude Adrian of France is accompanied by his three children, who are playing in the Holiday Tournament."


I hadn't even noticed I'd reached 1000 posts.

The Guernsey Press had a fine headline on Saturday, "Slaughterhouse ' a bit of a pig's ear' says farmer." Quite.

Top boards today (all on 2/2) :-

1. Ken Norman - GM S Tiviakov
2. GM T Hillarp-Persson - Oliver Jackson
3. A Hagesather - GM M Hebden
4. IM V Colin - Colin Purdon
5. Jude Lenier - IM J Houska
6. IM C Adrian - P Magnussen

Holiday (top 4 on 2/2):-

1. M Stanners - W van Hoek
2. N Derrick - D O'Connell
3. H Haisma - P Hoogakker
4. G Kershaw - F Bakkes
5. J Beadle - D Norman

[Matthew Turner]

I feel you the ability to compete with any comedy headlines when you have one of your players called Dick the Master.

[Peter D Williams]

The best run chess tournament with an excellent venue i have been to.David/Guernsey chess players make this a really special event and many players return on a regular bases because of this. The Peninsula hotel does a wonderful Sunday dinner delicious the food was at the hotel so much so that Peter wrote and told the chief and got a reply. Guernsey is a lovely place with the local people being very friendly and very interested in the chess tournament and how the local players where getting on.If you get time go outside of the Peninsula hotel and chat with some of the fishermen who are often bringing in fish that have been caught or just go for a walk along the beautiful beeches.The war museum is wroth a visit as is St Peter Port where a couple of years ago Peter Grandad got his picture in the local paper over the new road layout traffic lights that where going to be built he was asked his opinion by the Guernsey local press who took a picture of him as well.He pointed out he did not live in Guernsey he was in favor of it if any one was wondering.

Hope the weather better in Guernsey today than the mainland.

[Barry Sandercock]

There seems to be a problem with the Guernsey website as I am unable to get it at the moment.

[David Sedgwick]

There seems to be a problem with the Guernsey website as I am unable to get it at the moment.

Thanks. I'll report the glitch.

[Richard Bates]

Strange what the memory retains. Played, and completely forgotten, hundreds of games but still recall playing in Guernsey in 1991. Won a c3 Sicilian with black in rd 1, white in a grunfeld in rd 2, and got murdered by an IM in a Bb5 Sicilian in rd 3. Rd 1 was against some chap called Sedgwick...

[Roger de Coverly]

Played, and completely forgotten, hundreds of games but still recall playing in Guernsey in 1991.

They have built a database of every result since their first event in 1975. What's been broken today are the links to that database rather than the website itself. They've kept a count of player appearances as well. There are a handful with 38 from 39.

[Ian Thompson]

They've kept a count of player appearances as well. There are a handful with 38 from 39.

It's not entirely accurate though. I appear under my correct name in 1983 and 1995, but I'm a separate player "Thompson, L" in 1994.

[Richard Bates]

Played, and completely forgotten, hundreds of games but still recall playing in Guernsey in 1991.

They have built a database of every result since their first event in 1975. What's been broken today are the links to that database rather than the website itself. They've kept a count of player appearances as well. There are a handful with 38 from 39.

Fascinating. A loss against Thurlow? No memory of that one! Must have been an English, I've never had much idea what to do against that.

Impressed that Sedgwick fought back valiantly from the early setback to finish on 5 points.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Round 3
The grandmasters continued to set the pace at the Guernsey tournament. Tiviakov again played carefully against Ken Norman, and gradually improved his position to reach a won ending. Hillarp-Persson played an aggressive line against Oliver Jackson’s Sicilian Defence and produced a winning kingside attack. Arne Hagesather.(Norway) bravely played the King’s Gambit against Mark Hebden and attacked on the kingside. Cool defence followed by a grandmasterly counter-attack gained the full point. There was a long game on Board 4 between international master Vincent Colin and Colin Purdon before the master won. Jude Lenier seemed to be pressing forward against IM Jovanka Houska, and gained a spatial advantage, but the game ended in a draw. IM Claude Adrian had a tough game against Pal Magnussen and only drew.
Grandmasters Tiviakov, Hillarp-Persson, Hebden and international master Colin share the lead on 3/3. Six players are half a point behind. Round 4 will see the first games between the titled players. Tiviakov plays Colin, Hebden plays Hillarp-Persson and Jovanka Houska plays Sabine Fruteau, a battle between the two leading female players in the event.
It was a good day for the Channel Islands players, with a nice win for Festival Organiser Fred Hamperl, along with draws for Peter Rowe, John Cummins, Toby Brookfield and Louis Joualt (Jersey).
The leading Holiday Tournament players settled for draws, so that nobody is on 100 %. Five players are on 2.5/3, with a further 18 players a half point behind. Leading pairings for Round 4 are, Van Hoek – Derrick, Hoogakker – O’ Connell, and Borland - Keuneke.
The Guernsey players had mixed fortunes. Terry Harnden won and David Savident and Russell Finch drew, whilst the rest suffered defeat."

The Press actually used most of that. The hot news is that EasyJet have withdrawn their application to take over the route to Gatwick (Flybe are dropping out), so Aurigny (owned by the States of Guernsey) now have a monopoly.

What Peter W said. The sun is out today, but it's still a bit breezy. I met a happy looking Westie earlier. To keep on topic, I had a ham sandwich and looked across the sea at Herm and Sark.

Richard B said:-

"Fascinating. A loss against Thurlow? No memory of that one! Must have been an English, I've never had much idea what to do against that."

It was an English vs King's Indian - actually quite interesting. I just played through the game. I played a temporary piece sacrifice to win a pawn, pieces flew around in all directions, and I eventually won the ending. I doubt it would bear examination by Fritz... I must point out I was the higher rated player then! Happily, I have retained my 100 % record against Richard, by not playing him again.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Ian T says...
"It's not entirely accurate though. I appear under my correct name in 1983 and 1995, but I'm a separate player "Thompson, L" in 1994."

I've told the webmaster - he's escorting some of the players on a brewery trip, so don't expect immediate action!

A lot of the older records were handwritten I think ,or there may have been a typo in the booklet.

[David Sedgwick]

Defending champion Mark Hebden and top seed Sergey Tiviakov are the only two players on 4/4 and play each other today on the live board. (http://www.guernseychessclub.org.gg/)