English Chess Forum

Is this thread real? Is it really April 2, or did I skip a day?

Tag, try Cambridge, about 1976 with Andrew Martin? Match against Centymca, lots of under age drinking (for me), team left after closing....and school in the morning!

Anthony - but you are Tag, aren't you? I agree entirely. Couldn't play Andrew's stuff, I'd just give up again. Opening skills out-of-date, confidence low, but hard analysis and sacrifices, no trouble. Richard - it's not the actual opening theory, it's the fear of what you don't know. In my game - ag...

John, I think this concept of "current playing strength" is difficult. If I could start a game today in an equal middle game, against anyone less than 2200, I would expect to win. If I start a game from move 1 against someone well-prepared, I would expect to lose as I haven't looked at openings for ...

Unfortunately the FIDE ratings don't always work either. I was recently asked to play in a league which had the 80 point rule, as a one-off replacement for a regular player. I am 2325 but haven't played for 12 years. Our boards 2 (rated 2195),3 and 4 were clearly stronger than me, yet I had to play ...

John played for Hampstead in the 80s. A lovely man and always willing to step in and play, and generally played better than his grading which was about 130 I think. Had no idea about his other activities!

If the ECF wants to have a real National Club champion, it should swallow its pride, cuddle up to the 4NCL and award the title to the winner. As it was advised to do in the mid-nineties. The Open is finished, and has been for a while, I fear. When was the last year that the winner of the National Cl...

My memories of the Hampstead years are a little vague, but here goes... I joined the club from University in 1984 when Martin Blaine was captain of the London League team, and as I was graded about 210 at the time, I regularly played on the top few boards. I seem to recall Speelman and Penrose playi...

John - I guess I am barred?

Simon

Very sad news. Controversial, yes, and never afraid to give and defend his opinions, but if you were in the "friend" camp, very generous and very amusing. Larger than life, in every way.

Let's not forget he was no mean player either. I - and chess - will miss him.

Simon

John, thanks for posting all these games. Am I allowed to point out that all the games attributed to Stuart C Brown were actually played by Simon D Brown? It was my last big tournament and I remember it fairly well. I don't know Stuart, but he and I have swapped ELO points over the years - probably ...

Hypothetical indeed, but I was thinking about the whole thing. Mickey, Nigel, Luke and Stuart, both of whom seem to be playing well, plus Simon or Stephen sounds like a top 10 team to me rather than the mediocre performance we are going to see.

Wonder how well they would have done with Nigel.....

John, when was the DCMS letter dated? If I didn't participate in this forum, I'm not sure if I would be aware of this news. I trust it wasn't long before the meeting........

If the ECF directors have control over the funds in CCL and in the JRT, then they won't be insolvent. But I thought I read somewhere on here that the directors of CCL refused to pay over the cash even when requested, so maybe the ECF doesn't have control. In reply to Roger, I am an accountant and I ...