Search found 126 matches

by Nigel White
Tue Mar 12, 2024 11:57 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Counties and clubs
Replies: 55
Views: 3477

Re: Counties and clubs

In the Essex League Southend v Wanstead & Woodford (or similarly located East London clubs) is not a favourite fixture. The one redeeming feature is that it is possible to travel by train.
by Nigel White
Sun Feb 04, 2024 7:45 am
Forum: County Championships
Topic: Home Advantage
Replies: 9
Views: 1405

Re: Home Advantage

Five out of the six SCCU matches played yesterday resulted in away wins. The earlier apparent home advantage may just have been a function of which fixtures were played then.
by Nigel White
Sat Jan 27, 2024 9:12 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Times cryptic chess clue
Replies: 314
Views: 44525

Re: Times cryptic chess clue

I'll reveal the full theme after Friday's deadline for submitting entries to the paper for the chance of winning a prize. If you struggled through what was quite a tough crossword, as well as CHESS and BOARD being two of the answers in the middle row, you had on laid out on rows 3, 5, 13 and 15 (i....
by Nigel White
Tue Jan 23, 2024 11:09 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Times cryptic chess clue
Replies: 314
Views: 44525

Re: Times cryptic chess clue

I'll reveal the full theme after Friday's deadline for submitting entries to the paper for the chance of winning a prize. I've vowed to have a go at the Guardian one when I have a spare hour, but I do find switching setters difficult. I'm used to the Times now so that doesn't take me too long. Will ...
by Nigel White
Sun Jan 21, 2024 11:37 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Times cryptic chess clue
Replies: 314
Views: 44525

Re: Times cryptic chess clue

Yesterday's Guardian prize crossword had a chess theme: https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/prize/29284

As well as a few chess references in the clues, the full theme is only revealed, rather cleverly, when you look at the completed grid as a whole.
by Nigel White
Sat Jan 13, 2024 10:11 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Lost Souls ?
Replies: 17
Views: 2135

Re: Lost Souls ?

There was a David Sherman playing for Wanstead in a match played just last year: https://ilfordchessclub.com/page/2/ His rating of 2067 makes it seem far more likely that he is the Essex one rather than the Bury one! (edit: Could it be a typo for "David Spearman"?) Yes - definitely a typo. In that ...
by Nigel White
Fri Dec 08, 2023 6:06 pm
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Richard Simpson
Replies: 2
Views: 755

Re: Richard Simpson

I am very sorry to hear about Richard's death. Although we were both chess players, I knew him from another setting (although we once did play for opposing teams, but not against each other, in an Essex v Warwickshire match). When I became the Treasurer of the British Society for the History of Math...
by Nigel White
Wed Nov 01, 2023 11:22 am
Forum: International News
Topic: Isle Of Man International (Fide Grand Swiss)
Replies: 109
Views: 8082

Re: Isle Of Man International (Fide Grand Swiss)

Does anyone know why on Friday the Open is starting at 11:30am and the Women's at 1pm, rather than both at the usual 2:30pm? It's not that they are squeezing two rounds into that day, nor is it the final round (when they start just 30 minutes earlier than usual), and there doesn't appear to be a ch...
by Nigel White
Wed Nov 01, 2023 10:15 am
Forum: International News
Topic: Isle Of Man International (Fide Grand Swiss)
Replies: 109
Views: 8082

Re: Isle Of Man International (Fide Grand Swiss)

Does anyone know why on Friday the Open is starting at 11:30am and the Women's at 1pm, rather than both at the usual 2:30pm? It's not that they are squeezing two rounds into that day, nor is it the final round (when they start just 30 minutes earlier than usual), and there doesn't appear to be a cha...
by Nigel White
Fri Sep 01, 2023 11:58 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Annoying time wasting
Replies: 73
Views: 6036

Re: Annoying time wasting

Returning to the original subject of annoying time wasting, in the final round of the above mentioned tournament for 7 of the 22 boards a player failed to turn up without informing the organisers. Thankfully, six of us were re-paired after the default time (but with a quicker time control). While y...
by Nigel White
Fri Sep 01, 2023 8:00 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Annoying time wasting
Replies: 73
Views: 6036

Re: Annoying time wasting

Returning to the original subject of annoying time wasting, in the final round of the above mentioned tournament for 7 of the 22 boards a player failed to turn up without informing the organisers. Thankfully, six of us were re-paired after the default time (but with a quicker time control). While yo...
by Nigel White
Sat Aug 26, 2023 9:51 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Annoying time wasting
Replies: 73
Views: 6036

Re: Annoying time wasting

As this deliberate time wasting is so rare OTB I don't find it hard simply to enjoy my winning position, conceal any annoyance and wait to chalk up the win. I would be scrupulously polite at the end, as though nothing untoward had happened. I certainly wouldn't complain or report anything. Usually ...
by Nigel White
Sat Aug 26, 2023 6:14 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Annoying time wasting
Replies: 73
Views: 6036

Re: Annoying time wasting

Not at all unreasonable to consider your opponent's behavior unsporting. I would have named them adding the date, times and final position. -- text omitted -- A little light detective work on chess results dot com reveals the culprit. I don't intend to publicly name my opponent, but as Brendan says...
by Nigel White
Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:04 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Annoying time wasting
Replies: 73
Views: 6036

Annoying time wasting

In recent weeks I've been playing in an evening tournament with a long time control, located a little way from home. I realised that when I entered that if a game went the full distance, I would not get home until after midnight, but this was a risk that I was prepared to take. While willing to get ...
by Nigel White
Mon Jul 31, 2023 9:10 am
Forum: Congress Diary
Topic: British Championship 2023
Replies: 339
Views: 31505

Re: British Championship 2023

May I make the case for keeping the default time at 30 minutes? When I travel to a Congress, I expect to be able to play chess. I noticed in this year's British after the default time had expired the arbiters were efficiently offering those defaulted against the opportunity to play a rated 'friendly...