Are Opens a little too open?

[Mick Norris]

Enjoying the rest today (and watching Bolton beat Arsenal.....so far!) and looking forward to the speed chess stuff tomorrow.

Arsenal do seem to have a problem with the Reebok, but are Chelsea going to keep winning?

Well done on the chess away from the politics

[Scott Freeman]

Cheers Mick

I obviously hope Chelsea will keep winning but 4 tough games left: Spurs (h), Manure (a), Newcastle (h) and Everton (a) - and of course we also need an Arsenal win against the root of all evil in life next weekend! It's a lot to ask and I doubt it will all happen - but the fact I am still dreaming about it is a miracle after the mid-season we had.

To go back to the original problem of this thread, an open is just that - an open. I know strong players like to play strong players but you find your level if you beat the players you should (as Kevin Thurlow indicated). Our congress opens are FIDE rated but our other section are not, so wouldn't want to deny anyone the chance to play FIDE games if they want. Having said that we have had one player who has played in our last 3 events trying to get that illusive first point - but would have been better off (I think) playing in our club championship, which is more than 50% FIDE rated.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Arsenal do seem to have a problem with the Reebok

They had won their last eight matches against Bolton before today

And can we have a bit less of the "root of all evil", ta??

[Scott Freeman]

And can we have a bit less of the "root of all evil", ta??

But remember, that not only do they have Satan actually depicted on their badge, but the A666 runs fairly close to Old Trafford. I mean, what more can I say......!???

[Mick Norris]

The A666 I use regularly, being the road into Bolton, and goes to Blackburn, so Ewood Park would be a nearer venue - it actually runs past Burnden Park, but of course the Reebok is in Horwich not Bolton

From a local football perspective (real ones, not premiership clubs), then United are part of the destruction of football, and much hated for it - I think it is now 63 football league clubs gone into administration since the premiership was founded

[Peter Roberson]

Round 6 Pairings

#1 Olga Lopatin (3.5) v Simon Williams (4.5) 0-1
#2 Thomas Rendle (4) v Jamess Holland (3.5) 1/2-1/2
#3 Peter Roberson (3.5) v Peter Lalic (3.5) 1-0

[Roger de Coverly]

Round 6 Pairings

#1 Olga Lopatin (3.5) v Simon Williams (4.5) 0-1
#2 Thomas Rendle (4) v Jamess Holland (3.5) 1/2-1/2
#3 Peter Roberson (3.5) v Peter Lalic (3.5) 1-0

So who gets the right to play in the British at Sheffield?

Simon and Tom Rendle already by status and rating, James Holland from the e2e4 Uxbridge and Peter Roberson from the Berks & Bucks. Someone who got 4 ?

[David Sedgwick]

Round 6 Pairings

#1 Olga Lopatin (3.5) v Simon Williams (4.5) 0-1
#2 Thomas Rendle (4) v Jamess Holland (3.5) 1/2-1/2
#3 Peter Roberson (3.5) v Peter Lalic (3.5) 1-0

So who gets the right to play in the British at Sheffield?

Simon and Tom Rendle already by status and rating, James Holland from the e2e4 Uxbridge and Peter Roberson from the Berks & Bucks. Someone who got 4 ?

The four players you mention were the only ones to score 4 points or more and, as you say, they were all qualified already.

On tie-break, the British Championship Qualifying Place went to Peter Lalic, despite his last round loss to Peter Roberson.

[Daniel Young]

Round 6 Pairings

#1 Olga Lopatin (3.5) v Simon Williams (4.5) 0-1
#2 Thomas Rendle (4) v Jamess Holland (3.5) 1/2-1/2
#3 Peter Roberson (3.5) v Peter Lalic (3.5) 1-0

So who gets the right to play in the British at Sheffield?

Simon and Tom Rendle already by status and rating, James Holland from the e2e4 Uxbridge and Peter Roberson from the Berks & Bucks. Someone who got 4 ?

The four players you mention were the only ones to score 4 points or more and, as you say, they were all qualified already.

On tie-break, the British Championship Qualifying Place went to Peter Lalic, despite his last round loss to Peter Roberson.

I'm on stand-by for my ignorance of a chunk of chess history to be shown up, but is that the first time three people from the same family have qualified for the British Championship in the same year?

[Mike Gunn]

Final result of Open:

1. Simon Williams (5.5/6)

2-3. Thomas Rendle, Peter Roberson (4.5/6)

[Brian Valentine]

I'm on stand-by for my ignorance of a chunk of chess history to be shown up, but is that the first time three people from the same family have qualified for the British Championship in the same year?

The Ledger brothers must have done this more than once.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

You're right about the numbers being fairly low. It's nothing to do with me, but I won't be at all surprised if the organisers seek a smaller venue for next year.

Later in the thread (after your post, but before this reply) some of the organisers explained why the (relatively) large venue is needed, which explains that (if I'd known this congress would get talked about as much as this, I'd have started a new thread).

One thing that I enjoyed very much (along with the excellent food and organisation), was having the chance to walk around Nonsuch Park (I think it is also called Cheam Park) between rounds. On the Sunday especially, after the rain on the Saturday, the park was beautiful in the glorious sunshine we had. There is even some local history to read about and a mansion to visit. Didn't have time to actually go in there, but bought some books at a secondhand book stall that runs there (2nd and 4th Sundays, so it might not be there on the date of future congresses).

Possibly the organisers might want to mention the park in publicity materials if they don't already? Not all chess players spend their lunch breaks analysing over a board!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

You're right about the numbers being fairly low. It's nothing to do with me, but I won't be at all surprised if the organisers seek a smaller venue for next year.

I cannot claim to have measured the relative size of the halls, but St Albans seemed to have a "busy" atmosphere which the Surrey lacked. Not that I've played in it (Surrey) since 2009.

In St Alban's, the tables were next to each other, touching in long rows. At Surrey (Cheam), the tables were individual and spaced a good distance apart, which I found really good. I'm not sure of the relative size of the halls either, but both had high ceilings. The chairs at Surrey were better as well.

The biggest difference I found (this is due to Surrey being spread over three days on the Easter weekend) was the time control. I found it much more relaxing to play at 2 hours for 40 moves, rather than a shorter time limit. Didn't stop me getting into time trouble in a couple of games though.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Roberson and Rendle being joint first really sorts me out.... Common Sharkies!!!!!

And as Mike Gunn has posted, Peter Roberson and Tom Rendle came joint 2nd/3rd on 4.5/6 (Simon Williams won the event with 5.5/6). And James Holland came fourth with 4/6. Everyone else scored less.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

On tie-break, the British Championship Qualifying Place went to Peter Lalic, despite his last round loss to Peter Roberson.

I was watching some of Peter (Lalic)'s games (along with some of the other top boards in the Open), and he drew with Olga Lopatin (2114, registered with Germany) and Julian Way (partial FIDE rating of 1967, ECF 184) and Tom Rendle (2397) and beat Ray Cannon (2052) and Tumen Buyandalai (2059, registered with Mongolia, ECF 205). Quite an international flavour there. He did lose to Peter Roberson, but gets the British Championship Qualifying Place on tie-break (I'm just repeating what David said above, no idea how this was calculated).

I was wondering what tie-break criteria were used, and in events where lots of people have already qualified, how far down the field the organisers go to find the qualifier (in this case, joint 5th to something - not sure how many people got 3.5/6)? Presumably in events where lots of the entrants have qualified, you get lots of other people entering to try and get the qualifying place on offer?