13th Richmond Blitz - "Rik Thomas Memorial"

[Paul McKeown]

This will take place on Saturday 18th December 2021, from 12:00 to 18:00, at Orleans Park School, Richmond Road, TWICKENHAM TW1 3BB.

This will be held in memory of Rik Thomas a chess teacher at Richmond Junior Chess Club and a popular organiser at King’s Head Chess Club, who passed away last year during the lockdown. Two Richmond Juniors’ parents, Suman Chatterjee and Jatinder Sian will also be remembered, who also passed away during the lockdown. A donation box will be left at the event for contributions for the families concerned.

There will be an exceptional prize fund of £3,000 to mark this special event. 1st £500, 2nd £375, 3rd £275, 4th £200, 5th £150. 1st female £375, 2nd £275. U2000 1st £100, 2nd £60. U1500 1st £100, 2nd £60. Richmond Junior 1st £100, 2nd £60, 1st girl £60. Former Richmond Junior (including staff) 1st £100, 2nd £60. King’s Head or former King’s Head £100, 2nd £60.

Details and download the entry form from: http://rjcc.org.uk/richmond-blitz.

Please note that by kind agreement of Brian Valentine this event will be the very first or one of the very first blitz tournaments to be submitted for ECF rating.

[James Toon]

This looks an attractive event and it deserves to be very popular. It would be interesting to know why the organisers have gone for the unusual blitz time control of 4 minutes plus 2 seconds a move.

[Chris Rice]

This looks an attractive event and it deserves to be very popular. It would be interesting to know why the organisers have gone for the unusual blitz time control of 4 minutes plus 2 seconds a move.

The tournament conditions for blitz show a 3+2 time limit so I wonder whether its a typo on the entry form?

[Roger de Coverly]

3+2 time limit

Although notionally using the 60 move test, 3+2 is the same as 5+0, I think in practice many games finish by move 40. So it's 4 minutes for forty moves and therefore a little bit faster than traditional 5 minute unless it's a really long game.

[James Toon]

The tournament conditions state that the Blitz time control "will never be faster than" 3+2 so it is flexible enough to allow the slightly slower 4+2. I doubt Paul McKeown would leave a typo on the entry form. But I'm sure he will explain when he's next online.

[Paul McKeown]

The tournament conditions state that the Blitz time control "will never be faster than" 3+2 so it is flexible enough to allow the slightly slower 4+2. I doubt Paul McKeown would leave a typo on the entry form. But I'm sure he will explain when he's next online.

Thank you, James. I am sure that I am capable of leaving a typo on the entry form! Not this time, though, as the tournament will be played at the time limit of 4 minutes per player plus 2 seconds per move. If we got significantly behind schedule, then we might progress to the faster time limit, but that is certainly not the intention.

The reason? In our first blitz tournament at Orleans Park School, we were graced by the appearance of a well-known Grandmaster, whose final score, however, was not to his pleasure. His wife explained that he had found it all a little fast, so we promised to lengthen the time control for the next time. The grandmaster has sadly not yet returned, but we have kept the longer time control in the hope that he will eventually return...

[Simon Rogers]

Looks like it will be a well attended and busy event this weekend with nearly 80 entrants so far.
A strong tournament including the entry of Keith Arkell and Richard Bates.

[Chris Rice]

Looks like it will be a well attended and busy event this weekend with nearly 80 entrants so far.
A strong tournament including the entry of Keith Arkell and Richard Bates.

The LJCC and Hastings cancelled. Perhaps its just me but I'm completely stunned this event is going ahead given the advice I've been hearing all day long.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Yeah just bonkers. Presumably the virus is very airborne and might evade the usual chess covid measures quite successfully. Seems like rolling the dice on Christmas for a bit of blitz.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Isn't that judgement up to the people who choose to play there?

You are free to lock yourself in your own home forever should you wish

[Matt Bridgeman]

Isn't that judgement up to the people who choose to play there?

You are free to lock yourself in your own home forever should you wish

I’m guessing there might be some middle ground between playing blitz with 100 strangers in a school 7 days before Christmas and climbing into that nuclear fall out shelter you built just for this occasion.

[Paul McKeown]

The Covid-19 regulations applying to the tournament are to be found at: http://rjcc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2 ... ations.pdf

I am happy to hear sensible suggestions as to how they can be improved.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Put all the tables and chairs in the playground? No rain forecast and 10 degrees.

[David Shepherd]

"12. We request that all competitors take a Covid-19 Lateral Flow self-test on the morning
following the tournament. If the result is positive, please report it not only to the NHS,
but also in full confidence to the Organisers, so that they can inform other players and
parents of the contact risk and the need to seek out a PCR test."

I am unsure of this given the latent period and the fact lateral flow tests require a fairly high viral load to show a positive. Testing the morning after may well be too soon to show if there was likely to be any transmission at the event. It might be better to test after 2 or 3 days but I am not an expert in this and maybe someone else can comment.

[David Shepherd]

Isn't that judgement up to the people who choose to play there?

That's not a straightforward question though as those people do not live in a bubble, so they might choose to play and then catch the virus and pass it on to someone else who didn't have any choice.