GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Details of upcoming UK events, please provide working links if possible.
David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Sat May 23, 2015 10:13 am

Reasons to be cheerful. David Howell now tops the list, bringing the GM count to nine, two more than last year (when Jonathan Hawkins was an IM). Overall 236 entries now. New socks packed, are you ready?

Mike Truran
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by Mike Truran » Sat May 23, 2015 10:31 am

David, does the ECF pay you a retainer to plug the British Championships so relentlessly? :wink:

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sat May 23, 2015 1:50 pm

Nine GMs is great. Let's hope that leads to the entry of at least nine people with reasonable chances of title norms.

David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Fri May 29, 2015 1:59 pm

252 entries so far. That’s just a little ahead of Aberystwyth at this time last year, but the composition of events is slightly different this time around. If the blitz entries are ignored, figures are identical to where we were last year. However, there’s no one called Keith in the actual Championship. I wonder if that's likely to change? The organisers will need to alert the night watchman if the name appears. It was interesting to see a couple of Germans sitting around the pool in Kos studying the entry form for Warwick. Reinhard Schmerwitz has been playing at the British for the last couple of years at least and is back again, I wonder whether we might see a few of his compatriots this year?

Edit: Numbers jumped to 274 later this afternoon, so now better than at this stage last year. Still no one called Keith though!

Keith Arkell
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by Keith Arkell » Sat May 30, 2015 8:48 pm

Apparently there is no room for me, David. They have already got 9 GMs, and can't afford a 10th, as things stand.

It was difficult for me to agree to play, before the deadline of 16 Feb - before I had worked out my calendar.

O well - the track record isn't great: last year they insisted I default a game because I was away representing England in the World Senior Team Championship, which slightly overlapped ( my scorecard simply read 'absent'), and the year before they made a huge botch up with the colours in my board 2 game with Mark Hebden near the end.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sat May 30, 2015 8:57 pm

The championship's still looking a little light around my rating range. We need more IMs and FMs entering!

David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Mon Jun 08, 2015 3:53 pm

One more push. Entries up to 335 today. That’s a higher figure than this time last year. There are even players surrounding Jack now. Shame about Keith, I hope there's some cunning plan to get him in at the last minute. If you’re coming you’ll need to book before Wednesday, 1 July 2015 to get the discounted rates. As the years roll by, I’ve noticed a preponderance of panama hats. Makes the British look more like a 1940s film set. Keep it up!

David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Wed Jun 17, 2015 2:21 pm

Everyone keeping up? 39 days to go and lots of you seem to like the idea of spending at least part of your Summer holidays at the University of Warwick. This time last year there had been 360 entries and competition at Aberystwyth started a week earlier, so seeing a figure of 430 this morning promises a “bumper year"(i)!! Who would have thought that? This season my build-up to the championships begins in Sheffield next week, then on to the county championships finals (if selected), and concluding at the 4NCL congress at Birmingham Airport. My non-chess playing friends are out of this world good at not showing their feelings, but I can tell they’re secretly green eyed about this! I mean eating cheese and drinking Cannonau in the Sardinian sun. Heart and soul, it can’t be as much fun, can it?

i. “Bumper year” is a private joke!

David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Wed Jun 17, 2015 4:59 pm

And now it's announced that Bournemouth gets the 2016 championships. Yippee! This is turning out to be a good day.

Andrew Zigmond
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:09 pm

Just confirmed my entry today and also playing the 4NCL event two weeks before. Having to work most weekends rules me out of Yorkshire League chess so congresses are my one opportunity to get in the saddle, so to speak. Roll on July.
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Jon Mahony
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by Jon Mahony » Mon Jun 22, 2015 3:44 pm

Andrew Zigmond wrote:Just confirmed my entry today and also playing the 4NCL event two weeks before. Having to work most weekends rules me out of Yorkshire League chess so congresses are my one opportunity to get in the saddle, so to speak. Roll on July.
The 4NCL clashes with Leeds Andrew! :shock: You could have just come down the road.
"When you see a good move, look for a better one!" - Lasker

David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Wed Jun 24, 2015 7:06 pm

Hip-hip-hooray! A Keith has appeared on the entry list (albeit with a provisional zero rating!). Everyone who sorted this behind the scenes is cool. That makes 10 GMs. And with the addition of young Richard Pert it's set to be a stunning British Championship.

Overall entries tipped over the 500 mark (my maths says 504, the website says 507). Have you entered yet? Get in before Tuesday to avoid the increased fees. Don't forget to pack the Factor 80, it'll be sizzling! It usually is.

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Jon Mahony
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by Jon Mahony » Thu Jun 25, 2015 3:53 pm

I'd like to see a few more in the U125 Rapid, that's going to be an all-play-all if things don't improve :lol:
"When you see a good move, look for a better one!" - Lasker

David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Mon Jun 29, 2015 8:12 pm

I’ll predict it’ll be chock-full at the British this year. The number of entries could be close to a thousand. Anything around 950 would be excellent. The Championship itself looks red-hot, with numbers already bigger than the total who played at Aberystwyth and there’s more than three weeks to go. The entry for the weekender last year was disappointing and has already been overtaken. If that continues it could be one of the biggest weekenders ever, ever.

Fees rise tomorrow. Stewart Reuben once told me that as a guide, take the number of entries a week before the higher entry fees kick in, this year that was 507. He predicts an increase by a half in the following week, that would take it to 760 by Wednesday (636 today so a bit of a leap). Then the figure goes up by 10 per cent before the event starts, so 836, and by another 10 per cent during the event so 920. I reckon it’ll be higher. Here’s the League table since 1989:

2013 Torquay 1187
2003 Edinburgh 1009
1997 Hove 1001
1999 Scarborough 986
1989 Plymouth 989
2002 Torquay 973
1998 Torquay 963
2001 Scarborough 960
2011 Sheffield 951
2004 Scarborough 940
2009 Torquay 935
1994 Norwich 933
1992 Plymouth 933
1990 Eastbourne 926
1995 Swansea 923
1991 Eastbourne 921
2010 Canterbury 891
1996 Nottingham 877
2012 North Shields 854
2007 Great Yarmouth 824
2014 Aberystwyth 819
2006 Swansea 768
1993 Dundee 773
2008 Liverpool 742
2000 Street 711
2015 University of Warwick 636 (with more than 3 weeks to go!)
2005 Isle of Man 503

David Gilbert
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Re: GETTING READY FOR WARWICK - ARE YOU?

Post by David Gilbert » Wed Jul 01, 2015 5:46 pm

Stewart’s blueprint is working out just fine. Using his formula there should have been around 760 entries today. In fact there are 769. Ten per cent more before the start on 23 July would make 846 and another ten per cent during the event equals roughly 931. 2015 is now ahead of Swansea, Dundee, Liverpool, Street and the Isle of Man and there’s still three weeks to go.

Plenty of people have entered two or more events, with about ten having the stamina for five. But hats-off to the perennial David Everitt, the only person so far to enter six, the under-120 and under-140 graded championships; the 50+ under 150; the 65+ under-150; the under-125 weekender; and the under-125 rapidplay. Phew!

If you’re not already entered, pack up the old kit bag and come and play. It’s going to be a another scorcher!