The British at Bournemouth and Beautiful Boscombe (BBBB)

[Alex Holowczak]

Just over four-weeks to go and already a cool 645 entries (657 an hour later).

Keep up, we're at 674 now.

[David Gilbert]

Nothing political here for those reading other threads. Another incredible twist today. Whitehall Private Offices must be wondering what the hell is going on. But back to more important matters. We have now toddled-off passed the 800 mark. Ten GMs, seven IMs and six FMs. There were 769 entries on 1 July 2015, but the surcharges were effective a week later last year, so not exactly comparable. Unfortunately there’s no indication of whether champion Jonathan Hawkins is going to join us. It would be a shame not to see him this year, but I recall he has entered late on some previous occasions. So I’m not giving-up on him yet. The really good news is that my Guest House is having heaps of praise thrown at it on Trip Advisor. Visitors claim the proprietors prepare a “sumptuous” breakfast and there’s access “delicious” homemade cakes around the clock!

Oh just remembered something political to throw in the mix. This is no longer protected by the Official Secrets Act so I can reveal we once invited Angela Eagle to play for our Club. There was a sparkle in her eye as she thought about it for three-and-a-third nano-seconds before rejecting the offer. That’s politics!

[David Gilbert]

Holidays are coming. Entries reached 857 this morning, with 80 players ready to take their place on the centre stage. Bournemouth is climbing the historical list (since 1989) and it now looks likely that overall entries will exceed a thousand again this year.

2013 Torquay 1187
2015 University of Warwick 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
2016 Bournemouth 857 (with a fortnight to go)
2012 North Shields 854
2007 Great Yarmouth 824
2014 Aberystwyth 819
2006 Swansea 768
1993 Dundee 773
2008 Liverpool 742
2000 Street 711
2005 Isle of Man 503

Bournemouth has seen two past Championships. Both unusual, one without women and one without men!

In 1936 William Winter won at Bournemouth, while all the other events that Summer took place in Nottingham alongside an International competition won jointly by Casablanca and Botvirnnik. Then in 1939, Bournemouth hosted the British women’s championships won by Elaine Saunders and held a major major International Tournament won by Max Euwe, but there was no Open Championship. Our top players had sailed away to Buenos Aries for the Olympiad, only to turn straight back with out shifting a piece as war broke out. Politics eh!

[Leonard Barden]

Nottingham alongside an International competition won jointly by Casablanca and Botvirnnik. Then in 1939 Our top players had sailed away to Buenos Aries for the Olympiad, only to turn straight back with out shifting a piece as war broke out. Politics eh!

1 Ouch.
2 Untrue. England qualified for the top final by finishing third in their preliminary group, but the finals began on 1 September, the day war broke out.
From Olympbase:
The top final section comprised of 16 teams, 12 Europeans and 4 from America, including newcomers from Chile, Brazil and Cuba. Most of Latin American nations, as expected, failed to reach top sixteen and played in bottom section together with couple of European fries. The finals began on September 1st, the day of the outbreak of The Second World War. This has done much confusion to most European teams. Some players withdrew from the competition, including three members of English team because of which England left the competition immediately.

[David Gilbert]

It looks like Bournemouth 2016 is going to be massive. With a week to go the entry figure stands at a whopping 931 and the final figure should easily exceed the thousand mark and could even challenge the numbers at Torquay in 2013 and the University of Warwick last year. Everybody has a Summer holiday, doing things they always wanted to. If you haven't entered yet and you can’t make a full week or a fortnight, come play for a weekend in the blitz, rapidplays or weekenders. Bring your chess sets out in the evenings to local bars and restaurants, let Bournemouth know that chess is in town.

It’s going to be awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scS-Z70e4Xo

[Roger de Coverly]

The programme is now posted at the Championship website.

It appears chess24 are providing their own commentary rather than relying on a rebroadcast of Andrew Martin.

http://www.britishchesschampionships.co ... E-2016.pdf

Commentary
Andrew Martin will be commentating on selected boards of the Championship during each round from 3pm until 6pm approx. at the Pavilion.

An On-line commentary will be conducted by chess24
The website address will be displayed on britishchesschampionship.co.uk
Likely commentators will be
R1-4 (Lawrence Trent & Niclas Huschenbeth): R5-6 (Lawrence Trent & Jan Gustafsson)
R7 (Lawrence Trent & Niclas Huschenbeth): R8-11 (Niclas Huschenbeth & Fiona Steil-Antoni

[Carl Hibbard]

The programme is now posted at the Championship website.

It appears chess24 are providing their own commentary rather than relying on a rebroadcast of Andrew Martin.

http://www.britishchesschampionships.co ... E-2016.pdf

Commentary
Andrew Martin will be commentating on selected boards of the Championship during each round from 3pm until 6pm approx. at the Pavilion.

An On-line commentary will be conducted by chess24
The website address will be displayed on britishchesschampionship.co.uk
Likely commentators will be
R1-4 (Lawrence Trent & Niclas Huschenbeth): R5-6 (Lawrence Trent & Jan Gustafsson)
R7 (Lawrence Trent & Niclas Huschenbeth): R8-11 (Niclas Huschenbeth & Fiona Steil-Antoni

It's still a feed from Dave Clayton doing the hard work.

[David Gilbert]

And still they come. 33 more entries since Friday. The total now reads 964. Amazing.

Feathers could fly as some international cats are thrown betwixt the British pigeons The introduction of Australian IM Justin Tan; the Isle of Man’s German IM Dieter Kolbus; and now Hungarian GM Tomas Fodor gives the Championships greater depth. All three are capable of ruffling feathers. Tamas was a comfortable winner of last year’s Major Open.

There’s a cosmopolitan look to the Major Open with local Spanish players IM Alfonso Llorente Zaro and FM Daniel Gomez Anadon and Croatian WFM Tihana Ivekovic heading the entry list.

Elsewhere Germany’s Reinhard Schmerwitz is back again; Vladimirs Bovtramovics will be flying the Latvian flag; Jorgen Nielsen and Michael Marshall offer Danish interest; my Sidcup club mate Bob Mitchell can do the Haka; Daniel Jazdzewski and Krzysztof Jamroz provide the Polish angle; Godfrey Padura plays under a Ugandan standard; Derek Roebuck an Australia one; David Zakarian supports the colours of Armenia; Vincent Sagues wears the French tricolour; and Terje Ludin plays under a Netherlands banner.

Among the juniors there are players from France, Hong Kong and India, and it’s good to see a group from Jersey playing again this year.

Where does that leave 2016 in the League table.

2013 Torquay 1187
2015 University of Warwick 1187
2003 Edinburgh 1009
1997 Hove 1001
1989 Plymouth 989
1999 Scarborough 986
2002 Torquay 973
2016 Bournemouth 964 (still time to enter - come and play!)
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
2005 Isle of Man 503

For anyone playing in one of the first weekend rapidplays who hasn't seen the Championship website, these competitions (and only these competitions) will take place (at huge expense) in the Conference Room at the Bournemouth Central Premier Inn, Westover Rd, Bournemouth BH1 2BZ. The Premier Inn is located opposite Bournemouth Pavilion. See you there if you're coming. We'll miss you all if you can't make it. Holidays are coming! Holidays are coming!

[David Gilbert]

Are we there yet? One thousand and ten entries this afternoon, with more to come Bournemouth is heading towards a new Championship high. Excited? Me? Can't wait! Eleven GMs, seven IMs, ten FMs and two WFMs and hundreds of untitled players. The under-8s have already stepped out of their footprint to reach a record tally and the under-9s are close to theirs. Fifty-one entries in my under-140 section. It's going to be so much fun. Bring it on!

[Nick Grey]

Best wishes to those there & watching elsewhere. IT whizzes especially & all those on organisation as well as playing & parents & commentating.

Hope the melting tracks out of Waterloo are OK for those going that way, safe journeys in cars & other routes & means of transport.

[NickFaulks]

Hope the melting tracks out of Waterloo are OK for those going that way

Dunno about that, but I've just been on a train into Waterloo and it was perishing. Fortunately I never go out in the evening in England without a coat.

[David Gilbert]

Worried about the weather? The forecast for next week looks good. High pressure pushing in from the south-west should bring plenty of sun and temperatures around 20°C. That already brings back memories of Al fresco dining during the first week at Aberystwyth and of Matthew Turner sitting in the sunshine at Torquay surrounded by his troop of excited juniors doing their post game analysis. I'm prepared. The factor-80 is packed, together with deck-shoes and portable swimwear just case there’s time for a between-games dip. No entry from the Silver Fox (yet?), conditions may not be conducive for his sled dogs.

[David Gilbert]

POST CARD: Glorious day yesterday. I haven't seen so many people on a beach since the 60s. Bournemouth is buzzing with activity. Last night I bumped into a herd of girls dressed in cow onesies. A bit later I came across a stag group wearing butchers outfits. I hope they met up in a Club somewhere later and danced and drank the night away. The venue looks splendid. Reminded me of Scarborough. Loved the distant seating area for parents, who were sitting like statues. Be careful not be on a board facing the sea, the view is too gorgeous. I hear entries are now close to 1100. My money's on a 1200 record. Weather here, wish you were lovely.

[David Gilbert]

POST CARD: Cloudy, but still warm. Playing on board nine with white in the under-140s this morning, sitting adjacent to Tim Allen on board ten. Both our opponents took a stroll away from their games and retuned simultaneously transposing their chairs. They took a confused double-take of their respective positions before exchanging glances and taking their correct places. Ate Dover sole at the excellent Urban Reef restaurant on Monday evening and last night enjoyed the Tex Mex food at Chimichanga. Sunday night was spent at the Moon in the Square, the local Wetherspoons, and at £10 for a decent meal and a drink it's excellent value. The cafe (and arcade) opposite the Pavilion is doing a 20 per cent discount for chess players, which makes them cheaper than the theatre bar at the venue. I spent ten minutes a breakfast today engaging with a foreign couple about my experiences in Germany. They listened politely before telling me they were Italian. Life! Some brilliant portraits among Brendan O'Gorman's photographic collection on the ECF website. Check them out.

[Andrew Zigmond]

Well my Bournemouth adventure is over. My day began with a walk along the coast and, after a visit to the venue (and some analysis with a Yorkshire colleague) my train home left at 15.00. I got back to Harrogate around 20.40 (having had to navigate the tube at rush hour while changing in London) ... and took myself straight to the St Robert's Club for a couple of pints and some friendly games.

Good luck to everybody playing the final week. For me the planning for Llandudno 2017 starts now.