CCCCC

[Ken Norman]

Ken Norman had a disaster in the Seniors today - it won't help Ken but everyone has one or two of these in their past.

I can only suppose it was a pattern recognition disaster.

[FEN "r1r3k1/pN1bbppp/1p2p3/4P3/qP6/P5P1/1Q3PBP/2RR2K1 b - - 2 29"]

Here Black traded on c1 and then offered to trade the other Rook on c8. White dodged this with Rc1-d1. The problem is that the Queen is lurking on the unusual square of a4.

I blundered away an extra pawn against George Dickson. I missed 15….. b3 against Oliver Jackson and then in Round four I put a rook en prise. I think the months of caring for a sick wife when I did not look at a chessboard may have contributed to my poor play.

[John Moore]

Nick - obviously an exaggeration but I stopped playing the Alekhine as Black because I found that juniors had prepared all sorts of sharp sidelines which, whilst they weren't critical, were to me at the time if that makes sense - partly, I suppose, because it was the beginning of the digital age with databases and the early engines.

[LawrenceCooper]

Without doing the maths, it looks like Tan needs to beat Jackson for a GM norm whilst Jackson needs a draw for an IM norm.

[Stewart Reuben]

Lawrence >Without doing the maths, it looks like Tan needs to beat Jackson for a GM norm whilst Jackson needs a draw for an IM norm.<

The English Chess forum has, at last, come of age. We had thought James Jackson could not achieve an IM norm, probably overlooking that Mark Lyell is an FM.
Justin Tan definitely needs a win on board 3 to secure a GM norm.
James Jackson has met a field of average rating 2337. This means he needs to score 6/9. Currently he has 5.5/8 and thus needs to draw in the last round. He will also have met 3 GMs, 1 IM and 1 FM.

Justin was at school in England for 2 years until July 2015 and is currently taking a gap year before going to Edinburgh University in the autumn. So we will be able to claim one English title success in the CCCCC.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"It certainly beats playing precocious juniors who come to the board armed with 25 moves of theory in all of my favourite lines."

I was playing in a match recently where two young juniors (probably aged 10-12) the board below me produced about 25 moves of highly complicated moves, which turned out to be theory when I looked it up later. So it does happen, but not all the time obviously.

[NickFaulks]

I was playing in a match recently where two young juniors (probably aged 10-12) the board below me produced about 25 moves of highly complicated moves, which turned out to be theory when I looked it up later. So it does happen, but not all the time obviously.

Ah, yes, but I don't mind if they amuse themselves by doing this against each other ( although I'm not sure how much it benefits their chess ). I'm only bothered if they do it against me, and it takes two to tango.

[Jonathan Rogers]

We had thought James Jackson could not achieve an IM norm, probably overlooking that Mark Lyell is an FM.

Stewart, you disillusion me, I noticed the round eight pairing and thought you had deliberately given James a FM opponent to keep his norms hopes alive!
(But on reflection, I suppose that sort of thing isn't allowed anymore. RIP, all those LLoyds Bank events).

Justin was at school in England for 2 years until July 2015 and is currently taking a gap year before going to Edinburgh University in the autumn. So we will be able to claim one English title success in the CCCCC.

Er yes, Justin is obviously English now

[John McKenna]

Round 9 Masters top pairings -

1 GM Gareyev Timur (2611) 5½ v. 6½ GM Berkes Ferenc (2644)
2 GM Vakhidov Jahongir (2576) 6½ v. 5 FM Batchelor Peter J (2335)
3 6 IM Tan Justin (2452) 6 v. 5½ FM Jackson James P (2348)
4 GM Lalic Bogdan (2425) 5 v. 5½ GM Gormally Daniel W (2490)

Given the likelihood of a White win on board 2 what's the probability of board 1 not being a draw?
Given the probability of a draw on board 3 what's the likelihood of a Black win on board 4?

[NickFaulks]

3 6 IM Tan Justin (2452) 6 v. 5½ FM Jackson James P (2348)
4 GM Lalic Bogdan (2425) 5 v. 5½ GM Gormally Daniel W (2490)

Given the probability of a draw on board 3 what's the likelihood of a Black win on board 4?

Why would board 3 be a draw? White needs a win for a GM norm.

Either way, board 4 looks like a banker for a draw, perhaps another Gormally 13 mover.

[Bob Kane]

Congratulations to Chris Fegan on a fantastic result in beating the International Master , and arbiter Jack Rudd.
perhaps a moderator could post the game?

was ..Rh7! missed?

[John McKenna]

3 6 IM Tan Justin (2452) 6 v. 5½ FM Jackson James P (2348)
4 GM Lalic Bogdan (2425) 5 v. 5½ GM Gormally Daniel W (2490)

Given the probability of a draw on board 3 what's the likelihood of a Black win on board 4?

Why would board 3 be a draw? White needs a win for a GM norm.

Either way, board 4 looks like a banker for a draw, perhaps another Gormally 13 mover.

You're probably right that for young IM Tan a cash reward plus a GM norm should be more of a spur than just the cash incentive for an existing GM. Still, it could depend on how well that GM's existing and whether there's any fight left in him.

[LawrenceCooper]

Congratulations to Chris Fegan on a fantastic result in beating the International Master , and arbiter Jack Rudd.
perhaps a moderator could post the game?

was ..Rh7! missed?

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Be2 O-O 8. f4 Nc6 9. Nb3 a6 10. g4 b5 11. g5 Nd7 12. h4 Nb6 13. h5 b4 14. Nd5 Na4 15. hg6 fg6 16. Bc4 e6 17. Qg4 Nb2 18. Nf6 Kf7 19. Be2 Bf6 20. gf6 Rh8 21. e5 Bb7 22. Bc1 Na4 23. Bc4 d5 24. Bd3 Qg8 25. a3 h5 26. Qg5 Nc3 27. Nc5 Nd4 28. Bg6 Qg6 29. Qg6 Kg6 30. Rg1 Kf7 31. Rg7 Kf8 32. Rb7 Ne4 33. Nd7 Kg8 34. Nb6 Rh7 35. Rh7 Kh7 36. Na8 Nc2 37. Kd1 Na1 38. Bb2 h4 39. Ke2 Nc2 40. Nc7 h3 41. Kf1 Ne3 42. Kg1 Ng4 43. Bd4 Ng3 44. f7 h2 45. Kg2 h1Q 46. Kg3 Kg7 47. Ne6 Kf7 48. Ng5 Ke8 49. Kg4 Qd1 50. Nf3 ba3 51. f5 a2 52. f6 a1Q 53. Ba1 Qa1 54. Kf5 Qf1 55. Kg4 Qe2 56. Kf4 Qe4 57. Kg3 Qf5

No idea what was going on but I wouldn't want to be black against Jack in a game like that! 38 Bb2 seems to be the decisive mistake but plenty to look at before then, I suspect that Jack was doing very well earlier on, practically and possibly objectively too.

[John McKenna]

I take it we are talking about IM Jack Rudd missing 34... Rh7! by Chris Fegan. Bob K's being a bit partisan in singing his praises, of course. A black day for Jack - perhaps he'll share his enlightning thoughts about the game when he recovers.

[Bob Kane]

Thanks LOZ for posting ,

[Bob Kane]

John Mc
Its also a great game , Chris Fs humble h pawn voted with its feet , a win for the proletariate !

BOB