Eton College Team Rapidplay

[Neill Cooper]

On Sunday 15th September I organised a secondary school team rapidplay at Eton College.

19 schools entered a total of 26 teams, making a total of 156 players. This was a significant increase on the numbers at last year's ECF event. Various schools have started playing at such events over the past 2 years and their results are gradually improving. Feedback from all organisers and players was that the event was greatly enjoyed.

Some schools had problems getting a full 6 players but fortunately others had reserves who could ensure that every team had 6 players in each match.
Use of a 20 mins + 5 sec increment meant that there were very few issues for the arbiter to deal with.
Use computer pairings meant that turnaround time between the end of one round and the new draw was only a minute.

All games are to be graded, which I could not have done if this had been an ECF event as insisting on ECF membership would have reduced the entries.

Congratulations to the winners, Hampton School. The standings were:

Place Name Score
1 Hampton School A 24.5
2 Reading School 21.5
3-4 Wilson's School A 21
Winchester College 21
5 RGS Guildford 20.5
6 Wilson's School B 18.5
7-8 Hampton School B 17.5
Westminster Under School 17.5
9 Eton College A 16
10-11 Dulwich College 15.5
The Abbey School Reading 15.5
12-13 Bristol Grammar School 14.5
Wilson's School C 14.5
14 King’s School Grantham A 14
15 The King’s School Canterb 13.5
16-17 Worth School 13
Hampton School C 13
18-20 Eton College B 12.5
Dame Alice Owen’s School 12.5
Wilson's School D 12.5
21 Vandyke Upper 12
22 St Paul's Girls' School 11.5
23 Radley College 11
24 Piggott School 10.5
25 Meden School 8.5
26 King’s School Grantham B 7.5

Individual match results and some photos at http://www.teamchesschallenge.org.uk/eton.html

Many thanks to Eton College for providing such a fantastic playing venue, and to Neville Belinfante for being arbiter (and bringing lots of digital clocks).

[Neill Cooper]

I am pleased to announce that Eton College will again be hosting a Secondary School Chess Tournament on Sunday 14th September 2014. In previous years this has been a very popular event, in 2013 twenty six teams from twenty schools took part, some coming from as far as Sheffield and Lincolnshire.
You can see last year’s results at – http://www.teamchesschallenge.org.uk/eton.html

Whilst the leading teams are some of the best school teams in the country, teams of all abilities can and do take part. The main criteria is that players are happy to play with chess clocks. Last year the strongest teams averaged a grade of 150 but there were many players who were graded below 100 and a substantial number of players graded below 60.

This event is also suitable for prep schools, but with the requirement that teams are made up of players in year 6 and above. You can find more information on the attached flier. If you have any questions about the event please do email them to me.

I look forwards to receiving entries containing — school name, name of contact teacher, email address of contact teacher and the number of teams you plan to bring!

- Neill Cooper, ECF National Secondary Schools Co-ordinator
[email protected]

[Neill Cooper]

The Eton College event is very popular. Already 16 teams have entered from 10 schools:

Claremont High School Academy, Middlesex
Eton College
Hampton School A
Hampton School B
Hampton School C
King’s School, Grantham A
King’s School, Grantham B
Radley College, Oxon
Simon Langton GSB A
Simon Langton GSB B
The Abbey School, Reading
Vandyke Upper, Leighton Buzzard
Wilson's School A
Wilson's School B
Wilson's School C
Winchester College

[Neill Cooper]

For Secondary School Chess Tournament on Sunday 14th September 2014 we are now (16/6/14) up to 23 teams from 16 schools in 12 different counties:

Bristol Grammar School Avon
Claremont High School Academy Middx
Dame Alice Owen’s School Herts
Eton College Berks
Hampton School A Surrey
Hampton School B
Hampton School C
Harewood College Dorset
King’s School, Grantham A Lincs
King’s School, Grantham B
Radley College Oxon
RGS Guildford A Surrey
RGS Guildford B
Simon Langton GSB A Kent
Simon Langton GSB B
The Abbey School, Reading Berks
The King’s School, Canterbury Kent
Vandyke Upper, Leighton Buzzard Beds
Wilson's School A Surrey
Wilson's School B
Wilson's School C
Winchester College Hants
Sir Thomas Rich’s Gloucs

More entries welcome.

[Neill Cooper]

We are now up to 26 teams from 19 schools, with almost half the players being from state schools

Bedales School Hants
Bristol Grammar School Avon
Claremont High School Academy Middx
Dame Alice Owen’s School Herts
Dulwich College Kent
Eton College Berks
Hampton School A Surrey
Hampton School B
Hampton School C
Harewood College Dorset
King’s School, Grantham A Lincs
King’s School, Grantham B
Radley College Oxon
Reading School Berks
RGS Guildford A Surrey
RGS Guildford B
Simon Langton GSB A Kent
Simon Langton GSB B
The Abbey School, Reading Berks
The King’s School, Canterbury Kent
Vandyke Upper, Leighton Buzzard Beds
Westminster Under School Middx
Wilson's School A Surrey
Wilson's School B
Wilson's School C
Winchester College Hants
Sir Thomas Rich’s Gloucs

[Neill Cooper]

Standings

Place Name Score

1 Haberdashers' Askes' Scho 27
2 RGS Guildford A 22
3-4 Hampton School A 21
Reading School 21
5 Wilson's School A 19
6-8 Millfield 18
Mill Hill County High Sch 18
King Edwards School 18
9-11 Sevenoaks School 17.5
King Edward VI GS A 17.5
Hampton School B 17.5
12 RGS Guildford B 17
13-15 Wilson's School B 16.5
Sir Thomas Rich’s 16.5
King’s School Grantham A 16.5
16 Westminster Under School 16
17 Winchester College 15.5
18-19 The Hall 15
Claremont High School Aca 15
20-21 Simon Langton GSB A 14
Eton College A 14
22 Vandyke Upper B 13.5
23-24 Hampton School C 13
The King’s School Canterb 13
25-28 Dulwich College 12.5
Dame Alice Owen’s School 12.5
Wilson's School C 12.5
The Abbey School Reading 12.5
29-32 St Paul's Girls' School 11.5
Cumnor House 11.5
Vandyke Upper A 11.5
Simon Langton GSB B 11.5
33-35 Harewood College 11
Bristol Grammar School 11
Bedales School 11
36 King Edward VI GS B 10
37 King’s School Grantham B 8
38 Piggott School 6
Cross Table

No Name Total 1 2 3 4 5

1 Haberdashers' Askes' Scho 27.0 14:6.0 9:5.5 4:6.0 5:6.0 3:3.5
2 RGS Guildford A 22.0 27:5.0 20:6.0 3:2.5 6:4.0 8:4.5
3 Hampton School A 21.0 28:6.0 7:4.0 2:3.5 10:5.0 1:2.5
4 Reading School 21.0 21:6.0 17:5.0 1:0.0 20:5.0 13:5.0
5 Wilson's School A 19.0 34:6.0 11:3.5 16:5.0 1:0.0 17:4.5
6 Millfield 18.0 30:6.0 18:3.0 12:4.0 2:2.0 7:3.0
7 Mill Hill County High Sch 18.0 26:6.0 3:2.0 10:2.0 25:5.0 6:3.0
8 King Edwards School 18.0 29:5.5 13:3.0 18:4.0 17:4.0 2:1.5
9 Sevenoaks School 17.5 31:6.0 1:.5 15:4.0 16:4.0 11:3.0
10 King Edward VI GS A 17.5 23:5.0 25:3.5 7:4.0 3:1.0 18:4.0
11 Hampton School B 17.5 38:6.0 5:2.5 13:3.0 12:3.0 9:3.0
12 RGS Guildford B 17.0 19:4.0 24:5.0 6:2.0 11:3.0 14:3.0
13 Wilson's School B 16.5 37:5.5 8:3.0 11:3.0 18:4.0 4:1.0
14 Sir Thomas Rich’s 16.5 1:0.0 31:5.0 21:3.0 29:5.5 12:3.0
15 King’s School Grantham A 16.5 35:5.0 16:1.0 9:2.0 33:4.5 20:4.0
16 Westminster Under School 16.0 24:4.5 15:5.0 5:1.0 9:2.0 21:3.5
17 Winchester College 15.5 33:6.0 4:1.0 25:5.0 8:2.0 5:1.5
18 The Hall 15.0 32:6.0 6:3.0 8:2.0 13:2.0 10:2.0
19 Claremont High School Aca 15.0 12:2.0 27:3.0 29:2.5 22:4.0 23:3.5
20 Simon Langton GSB A 14.0 22:5.5 2:0.0 23:5.5 4:1.0 15:2.0
21 Eton College A 14.0 4:0.0 33:4.0 14:3.0 30:4.5 16:2.5
22 Vandyke Upper B 13.5 20:.5 37:3.0 34:4.0 19:2.0 28:4.0
23 Hampton School C 13.0 10:1.0 36:5.0 20:.5 26:4.0 19:2.5
24 The King’s School Canterb 13.0 16:1.5 12:1.0 28:2.5 34:4.0 33:4.0
25 Dulwich College 12.5 36:5.0 10:2.5 17:1.0 7:1.0 27:3.0
26 Dame Alice Owen’s School 12.5 7:0.0 28:4.0 30:3.0 23:2.0 31:3.5
27 Wilson's School C 12.5 2:1.0 19:2.0 37:3.5 36:3.0 25:3.0
28 The Abbey School Reading 12.5 3:0.0 26:2.0 24:3.5 37:5.0 22:2.0
29 St Paul's Girls' School 11.5 8:.5 35:5.0 19:2.5 14:.5 30:3.0
30 Cumnor House 11.5 6:0.0 32:4.0 26:3.0 21:1.5 29:3.0
31 Vandyke Upper A 11.5 9:0.0 14:1.0 32:4.0 35:4.0 26:2.5
32 Simon Langton GSB B 11.5 18:0.0 30:2.0 31:2.0 38:3.5 36:4.0
33 Harewood College 11.0 17:0.0 21:2.0 38:5.5 15:1.5 24:2.0
34 Bristol Grammar School 11.0 5:0.0 38:3.0 22:2.0 24:2.0 37:4.0
35 Bedales School 11.0 15:1.0 29:1.0 36:2.0 31:2.0 38:5.0
36 King Edward VI GS B 10.0 25:1.0 23:1.0 35:4.0 27:2.0 32:2.0
37 King’s School Grantham B 8.0 13:.5 22:3.0 27:2.5 28:1.0 34:1.0
38 Piggott School 6.0 11:0.0 34:2.0 33:.5 32:2.5 35:1.0

[Andy Stoker]

Excellent. Thank you for organising this - sure it was a great event.

Which King Edward's School was this, please?

[Matthew Turner]

Thirty eight teams of secondary school players - amazing achievement from Neill Cooper. Many thanks to Eton for hosting, it was a superb venue.

[Neill Cooper]

Excellent. Thank you for organising this - sure it was a great event.

Which King Edward's School was this, please?

KES Birmingham

[Neill Cooper]

Overview of the magnificent playing hall at the start of round 1 with 18 of the 19 six board matches in progress.

[Neill Cooper]

Prize giving with British Champion Jonathan Hawkins having presented the trophies to the winning Haberdashers' Askes' team, captained by British U18 Champion Ravi Haria. Above them is the large screen which was used to display the teams with their average grades, the pairings, results and final standings.
Thanks to Peter Hurst for the wonderful photographs.