Rapidplay results

[Alex Holowczak]

That was Alex's view as well.

Great minds......

Or fools seldom differ...

[Mark Hannon]

I had not played 4ncl proper for years , but I tried this tournament to sample the set up and it was very good . The playing room was really comfortable with excellent views and all the rounds started bang on time. I t was an unusual time limit of 10 minutes plus 10secs per move, in practice I found this quite a good, less tense time limit to play at. Though you do not get to spectate any mad time scrambles.

[Ben Purton]

“Police cannot control anarchy”

Thanks to Jonathan Rogers for his report and the prospective from a fellow captain. I was a very proud captain this tournament mainly due to the fact my team performing stunningly above their ratings which even they would admit are perhaps a tad high.
Our first round we faced the dangerous Warwickshire Select 2 side and after a few shaky games we won 4-0 , which given the game/match point format suited us very well. The next round we got drawn with Drunken Knights , who had GM’s Gormally and Arkell , the bar was already open so both teams had pints at the board. Sam Williams and Tom Rendle both drew and I honestly thought(assumed) Roberson had lost against Arkell , he sacked the exchange for an attack but clearly it was a good attack. I kept playing desperately a pawn up in a tough Bishop ending. We won 2.5-1.5 and I was delighted and shocked we had one until after the round. The 3rd round I dropped myself for our star player, a Mr Liam Varnam , a 10 year Shark veteran . Both him and Sam Williams forgot they were playing rapidplay and the top 2 boards who scored 1.5/2 V Parker and Piper watched in bemusement as the clocks both fell. We lost 2.5-1.5 and were on 8/12, which was a respectable score and left us in 3rd position but having got both the top seeds out the way.
We then played Leeds University Old Boys and basically I decided in a must win encounter that our star player Liam Varnam would have to be put in again. He won very convincingly in fact. As did Roberson and Rendle. Sadly I was the exchange and 2 pawns down, luckily 90% of my chess has been learnt on the ICC and I managed to swindle an entire rook and the game, leading to a much needed 4-0 victory.
We then had the AD’s who on paper we should not easily beat, they had Richardson, Snape, Swindells on the top 3 boards , so that is a 200+ average. We drew the top 2 and myself and Sam led the charge and sealed the 3-1 victory. This game us 15/20 and clear 2nd place behind Barbican. We would have been delighted with 2nd at this point and discussed how many we thought locked it in. Roberson thought we could get 8/8 against the final 2 opponents with such complete belief it was shocking. Sadly I had the option to play my star player Liam Varnam , but resisted the urge and played the top 4 in the next match.

So there we are in the lift , 7 of us, Myself , Roberson, Rendle, Gary O Grady, Peter Ackley etc etc , when suddenly the lift stops! , for 10-12 minutes the hotel staff lowered us and forced the doors open. We arrived 5 minutes late(for a 10 minute game) against the Met Police . So we were already handicapped , Rendle offered former British Champion William Watson a draw and was declined very quickly, almost as quickly as Rendle then proceeded to destroy the grandmaster. All 3 of the remaining boards won and it was a 4-0 V the Police to celebrate with giving them a 5 minute head start.

We were on 19/24, joint 1st with Barbican going in to the final round. Barbican had tie-odds because they had won more matches and the encounter between the sides. We won in destructive manner and this led to another 4-0 victory , fortunately John Cox who had 6/6 going in to the last round and was playing amazingly slipped up against Brown Jack, leaving the Sons of Anarchy the winning team on 23/28 points.

FINAL SCORES(rough rating performances)
Tom Rendle 5.5/7: RP 240
Peter Roberson 6.5/7 RP 250
Ben Purton 5.5/6 RP : 223
Sam Williams 4.5/6 RP 212
Liam Varnam 1/2 RP 200

Thank you to Mike Truran, David, Peter, Neville and all the other organisers who sadly ran the event at a loss, it does not deserve to run at a loss and it is a shame that more teams do not show up for the event as it is quite a good event which has the social potential to be a 6th 4NCL weekend. I do believe that perhaps we could harder push the hotel , I saw flyers for basically next week where you could stay in the very same hotel “room only” for prices between £9 and £29 pounds which suggests this is a quieter time of year for the hotel . The average cost for a room for a player is around £40 instead of the above £20. This might save the event? I know that the 4NCL and lots of other events get small fees per night per person who is at the event but I know for a fact it is not a double figured amount.
Thanks to Barbican for kind words in a very close battle between our sides, we have not had one of them since I lost my heavier backers in division 1.
Peter Roberson played incredible and is a titled player in the making.

But one man alone stands above all of the above. I would like to dedicate this report to Liam David Varnam, who is by far the best chess car driver I have ever seen. His work behind the wheel is exceptional. Without his amazing skills we would not have been able to win this weekend.

[LozCooper]

Congratulations on your team's win, hopefully a clash with the ECF agm/elections can be avoided next year and I'll do my best to enter a team or two.

[Sean Hewitt]

I do believe that perhaps we could harder push the hotel , I saw flyers for basically next week where you could stay in the very same hotel “room only” for prices between £9 and £29 pounds which suggests this is a quieter time of year for the hotel . The average cost for a room for a player is around £40 instead of the above £20. This might save the event?

According to their website https://secure.bookvenues.devere.co.uk/ ... on=newUser the room rate for next weekend room only is £45.
I've often seen prices advertised as 'from' £19 in a hotel without ever being able to get rooms at £19!

[Ben Purton]

Thanks for this . The Sandwich Meal was by far the best at these venues yet. After all the rubbish with the Sandwich debate before. You got the Tea Cup, Water, Apple, Crisps , Sandwich(side salad) and Water Bottle. I remember when I just got a sandwich and crisps. So that was a +.

[Dan Lambourne]

I do believe that perhaps we could harder push the hotel , I saw flyers for basically next week where you could stay in the very same hotel “room only” for prices between £9 and £29 pounds which suggests this is a quieter time of year for the hotel . The average cost for a room for a player is around £40 instead of the above £20. This might save the event?

According to their website https://secure.bookvenues.devere.co.uk/ ... on=newUser the room rate for next weekend room only is £45.
I've often seen prices advertised as 'from' £19 in a hotel without ever being able to get rooms at £19!

There was a small period that if you looked at the rates on their website for this hotel it had dropped to £25 room only, but I've spotted that the majority of the cheap rates are for Sunday nights or midweek and not for the more useful Friday and Saturday nights that chess players might use.