English Chess Forum

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

P1 : Essex [S3] v Gtr Manchester [M3]

Q1 : Norfolk [E1] v Winner P1
Q2 : Lancashire [N1] v Kent [S2]
Q3 : Staffordshire [M1] v Yorkshire [N2]
Q4 : Sussex [S1] v Warwickshire [M2]

SF1 : Winner Q1 v Winner Q2
SF2 : Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

MINOR COUNTIES

Q1 : Lincolnshire [M1] v Suffolk [E2]
Q2 : Middlesex [S1] v Hampshire [W2]
Q3 : Cambridgeshire [E1] v Hertfordshire [S2]
Q4 : Gloucestershire [W1] v Leicestershire [M2]

SF1 : Winner Q1 v Winner Q2
SF2 : Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

UNDER 180

Q1 : Yorkshire [N1] v Essex [S2]
Q2 : Bedfordshire [E1] v Nottinghamshire [M2]
Q3 : Warwickshire [M1] v Lancashire [N2]
Q4 : Surrey [S1] v Devon [W1]

SF1 : Winner Q1 v Winner Q2
SF2 : Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

UNDER 160

P1 : Norfolk [E2] v Surrey [S3]
P2 : Lancashire [N2] v Nottinghamshire [M3]

Q1 : Yorkshire [N1] v Winner P1
Q2 : Essex [S1] v Staffordshire [M2]
Q3 : Suffolk [E1] v Winner P2
Q4 : Leicestershire [M1] v Hertfordshire [S2]

SF1 : Winner Q1 v Winner Q2
SF2 : Winner Q3 v Winner Q4


UNDER 140

P1 : Sussex [S3] v Worcestershire [M3]*
P2 : Staffordshire [M2]* v Yorkshire 'A' [N2]

Q1 : Surrey [S1] v Nottinghamshire [M1]
Q2 : Yorkshire 'B' [N1] v Winner P1
Q3 : Suffolk [E1] v Winner P2
Q4 : Hampshire [W1] v Kent [S2]

SF1 : Winner Q1 v Winner Q2
SF2 : Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

UNDER 120

Q1 : Staffs Bulldogs [M1] v Lancashire [N2]
Q2 : Norfolk [E1] v Hertfordshire [S2]
Q3 : Kent [S1] v Warwickshire [M2]
Q4 : Yorkshire [N1] v Nottinghamshire [M3]

SF1 : Winner Q1 v Winner Q2
SF2 : Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

UNDER 100

Q1 : Kent [S2] v Yorkshire [N2]

SF1 : Warwickshire [M1] v Winner Q1
SF2 : Lancashire [N1] v Essex [S1]

The Open QF draw is now complete with Norfolk to face Essex. Essex beat a somewhat depleted Manchester today by 11.5-4.5, a match in which I rather unfortunately contributed (and barely even witnessed....)

Jonathan

Nice to meet you yesterday

When we were leading 3.5 - 0.5 I thought we might have a miracle win, but the big grading advantage told in the end

Cheers
Mick

Nice to meet you too, Mick.

I see that Sean has announced his resignation on another thread (the latest in a long line of able persons to have felt stifled and frustrated in the ECF). But what is it about the post of county controller, that frequent resignations mid-season, for whatever reason, seem to be par for the course? Perhaps Cyril Johnson will come back - just after we played in Syston yesterday without his renowned refreshments, of course

Hi Mick thanks for helping to clear up. A good day altogether - although personally I think that my opponent might have handled things better. I won't say more and don't particularly expect a response.

Jonathan Rogers wrote:I see that Sean has announced his resignation on another thread (the latest in a long line of able persons to have felt stifled and frustrated in the ECF). But what is it about the post of county controller, that frequent resignations mid-season, for whatever reason, seem to be par for the course?

I'm really disappointed to have stepped down. I really felt that we could improve the event - if nothing else by getting good quality information into the public domain as quickly as possible, including detailed results and game files from the finals.

However, as yesterday showed, the ECF has no interest in the actual game of chess and no business sense whatsoever. I wasted 11 hours of my time (on a glorious day too) and simply cannot be associated with such an incompetent mob in future. The County Championships per se had nothing to do with my decision.

Perhaps John Paines or Alan Martin would be suitable replacements for me?

John Moore wrote:Hi Mick thanks for helping to clear up. A good day altogether - although personally I think that my opponent might have handled things better. I won't say more and don't particularly expect a response.

John

When I left you were in a won Q+P ending, and I didn't see much of the game before then

Best of luck against Norfolk

Cheers
Mick

Jonathan Rogers wrote:we played in Syston yesterday without his renowned refreshments, of course

What was wrong with them? When Worcestershire played Lincolnshire in their home match in Syston ( ), we had sandwiches beforehand, tea, biscuits... I'd say those refreshments were pretty good.

? You have misread my sentence, Alex

Oh. Oops.

Dear All

As you may know already, Sean Hewitt has decided to step down as Acting Controller, and Cyril Johnson has very kindly agreed to see the event through to the end of the season. His contact details are;

Cyril Johnson
105 Central Ave
Syston
Leicester
LE7 2EG
0116 2609012
07778 707733
[email protected]
[email protected]

John Moore wrote:Hi Mick thanks for helping to clear up. A good day altogether - although personally I think that my opponent might have handled things better. I won't say more and don't particularly expect a response.

John,
See my comments on the `Strange faults with Digital Clocks` thread. All I`ll say is that some of the flaws in these clocks and the way they work are dreadful in my opinion.

As for the match...the score line looked very one-sided, but I think many of the games were very closely contested.
I watched some of the board 16 match and it looked a very close battle in the latter stages.
I`d personally have prefered a Birmingham venue, but the one we had was very comfortable and pleasant. Refreshments admittedly were modest, but most players take there own supplies to these matches. And the Bar seemed to be catering fairly well. The Midland Red club at Quinton is not bad.
Good luck to Essex in the next round.
PS I`ll add that our team lost some of our regular first team players due to some conflicts/date clashes that day. But its never easy to find a date that suits everyone.

David Pardoe wrote:The Midland Red club at Quinton is not bad.

That's my home club venue. They've stopped using it for County Championship matches now, given that the social club could shut its doors at any stage; as far as we know, they're struggling financially. It's at the stage where one club member is now keeping the club's equipment in his car, such is the chance of the social club closing.

Indeed, our club may be forced to seek a new venue at the end of the season; we'd probably move to the Quinborne Community Centre down the road.