English Chess Forum

Richard is quite right re wlldcards and registrations of players, though I don't see that I nor anyone else have suggested anything differently in this thread. It is helpful for Guildford to have fielded Adams and McShane already, of course. Not only has this helped them to make their large number o...

I knew it! When the case is made strongly enough that ordinary ECF members, many of them low earners, should not indefinitely be wholly or largely subsiding Michael Adams and Luke McShane, then a sponsor would be found - and of course it wouldn't be a reputable one, because respectable commercial ou...

a good guess. They had been hoping to play her regularly but must still be hoping for a one-off appearance.

The first week also coincided with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and Saddam's attempt to hold British citizens as human shields. Then the dramatic fracas between former friends which left one in hospital and headlines in the Sun. In the tournament itself, neither Speelman nor Adams coming close to th...

Don't forget that the start of the event coincided with the murder (by the IRA) of the local MP, Ian Gow.

curious pattern in division 2 a this season:

round 1 Barbican 2 2-6 Grantham Sharks 2
round 2 Gonzaga 1.5-6.5 Barbican 2
round 6 Grantham Sharks 2 2-6 Gonzaga

evidently everyone has good days and bad days ...

Highly plausible hypotheses, except that I don't much expect to see Short.

I feel (reasonably) sure that the French required at least one French player some years ago, but if so then they would appear to have dropped it over the years. Perhaps times have generally changed on this "nominal nationality" point? Anyway, as many have said (including myself in CHESS in last summ...

ok but who is going to look up France?

Incidentally i am only saying this is an obvious talking point, also because this is the first such team in "our" mational league.

No rules broken and I and my team have always welcomed the opportunity to play strong GMs in the League, wherever they come from. But if you think that people aren't looking at your team lists and making the same observation, then think again! And I should imagine that many are also saying to themse...

So, if there is anyone else following first division 4NCL but not actually present - and the domestic media coverage would suggest probably not - they would know that this is the day when Manx Liberty's title credentials are really tested, by Cheddleton. Or, if you prefer, number two seed against nu...

They exclude board eight, I think.

Hopefully the arbiter will appreciate that the thread was really about SoA, a team of players largely in their sixties or older, possibly having three games left in the seventh hour of play. But OK, apologies if the "dinner" quip caused offence.

Whether by pure coincidence, or something related to the way that the seedings were played about with, the two divisions seem incredibly imbalanced this year. Not sure about that. There are seven strong teams overall. Four are in one pool. Three are in the other, but with a higher number of competi...

Jonathan You'll be pleased to know I have (I hope) at long last found a new reporter, following the resignation of both last season's scribblers - both of whom decided they had better things to be doing with their lives. Despite what you may think, persuading people to take the queen's shilling is ...