English Chess Forum

"rendered many passengers sulking" i love this phrase On a vaguely ash related note, over the past few days we've had a Danish microbiologist staying with us, who was due to fly out tomorrow. We've managed to arrange Eurostar and European train services to get him back to Denmark, as his flight will almost cetainly be cancelled

John Saunders wrote:Out of interest, are there any other members of the forum currently stranded sur le continent by 'Bobby Fischer's Revenge' (that's my slightly bad taste nickname for the geological malfunction in the land of his last resting place)?

Nothing to do with stranded chess players, but I did hear a suggestion that when people visualise a volcano, they typically think of a Strato-volcano (conical in shape with lava pouring out from the crater at the top), whereas in Iceland it is more likely to be a Fischer-volcano (I may have misheard this description) where the lava erupts from long, narrow cracks in the ground.

Are there any Vulcanologists who can confirm either the difference in categorisation, or the nature of the volcano in question?

My Main concern is as a 4ncl captain, 7 of my players are due to fly within the next 2 weeks.

This is a hit even me captaining could not stop defaulting.

The longer this continues, the more concern I have.

Ben

You're right - the traditional image of a volcano is cone-shaped, but this is only one type. The Icelandic example, like most in that part of the world, is a fissure eruption (though as a chessplayer, I think I prefer our spelling!). These are effectively cracks in the ground formed by plates moving apart, creating fractures through which lava flows and other debris is ejected.

For those waiting to catch planes, that bad news is that these eruptions, though generally less violent than explosive, conical volcanoes, can last for weeks or even months. And if that happens, it'll take a prolonged change in wind direction before flight restrictions are lifted. Still, I suppose those living under flight paths are enjoying the peace and quiet.

I'd like to say I used an extensive knowledge of vulcanogy and my background as a geographer, but in reality I got this from Wikipedia (a resource that has done more than anything to render what I learned at school utterly redundant).

Sean Hewitt wrote: Good luck! Is Eurostar another possibility.

Eurostar has one of those annoying websites which takes you through all the details, gets you to key all your details in, only to tell you at the last minute that there is nothing doing. However, if you turn up at the station to buy tickets, I am told there is always a chance of a ticket. I think they are making extra provision for people who turn up on spec at the moment.

Still in Gib, by the way, four days after I was supposed to leave. The Charge of the Heavy Brigade (Saunders, Purland, Welch, Campbell) will probably begin on Tuesday - so far we have bookings for a night train from the Spanish border to Paris on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. It's just a question now of how to get to the Spanish border, and how to advance on Blighty from Paris. All being well, we shall invade England on Wednesday morning.

Do we think 4ncl will be effected, i have some guys at Bangkok open for example which finishes on 21st

Ben

Anand v Topalov hotting up, Bulgarian chess pres claims Hilton room occupation may have been an Indian trick, points out Topalov managed to arrive on time from a Spanish island, says world champ postponement unheard of (he's forgotten 1972), Sofia airport reopened, Fide about to have crisis meeting. Go to www.chessdom.com for this entertaining story...

I had almost posted earlier, that of course it would be inconceivable that the Bulgarian camp would seek any advantage at all from this

Postponements used to be part and parcel of every world championship match. Each player could take two or three time-outs for colds and indispositions (imaginary or otherwise).

The rules of the present match state unequivocably that no game can be postponed.

I think the Bulgarians have an arguable stance. Though the opening ceremony is Wednesday, game one isn't till Friday. Frankfurt to Sofia by road is around 20 hours, even if flights remain completely stopped. The Bulgarian government is the prime sponsor so can aid with transport. So Anand would have 3-4 days to recover, not ideal but then neither is disrupting the entire published match schedule.

Late starts and time outs, the Bulgarians will say were all in the bad old days when contestants refused to shake hands (or if they did, it would often be to agree draws in positions that still had play in them) or adjourned games to the frustration of spectators who could not see the conclusion. These days, they will say, "professionalism" is key, and things must start on time.

Can you imagine what the Topalov camp of today would have said in Korchnoi's situation, about Spassky's behaviour in Belgrade 1978!

Yes, it seems to me that they have an arguable stance, even though it is somehow the stance that we all expected.

I was skiing with the family last week, due to fly back on Thursday. After two days stranded in Geneva (which is quite a nice place to be stranded in) I hired a Swiss car and drove it back to London vie the Eurotunnel yesterday. Unfortunately I have to take it back when the flights resume....

Tip for anyone trying to cross the Channel - use the Eurotunnel and pay the extra £50 or so for Flexiplus. We arrived at Calais and were on a train within 20 minutes. And good luck!

On the Anand v Topalov crisis:

It seems the significant clauses in the match rules are:

2.3 No postponement of any game shall be allowed.

7.41 and 7.41a Where necessary, the Fide president will appoint a Fide presidential board member as Fide supervisor who will be above the organising committee in
(a) fairness concerning treatment of both players in organisational issues

(a statement today from Aruna Anand, Vishy's wife and manager, says 'We are working with the Fide supervisor to see how we can travel at the earliest' )

16 At any time in the course of the application of these regulations, any grounds that are not covered or any unforeseen event shall be referred to the Fide president for final decision

There is a mystery (to me anyway) in Anand's legal notice where he invokes ''clause 11(2) of the agreement of intimation of Force Majeure'. I can find nothing corresponding to this in the world championship rules, where clause 11 (2) refers to board and lodging for the players and Fide officials.

It seems that both the Indians (3 days postponement) and the Bulgarians (no postponement) are adopting debating stances and that Fide is fully empowered to rule on a suitable compromise.


LATE UPDATE- Anand is said to be now en route to Sofia. Statement tomorrow regarding possible postponement.

Jonathan Rogers wrote:Can you imagine what the Topalov camp of today would have said in Korchnoi's situation, about Spassky's behaviour in Belgrade 1978!

Or what they would have said about Korchnoi requesting a delayed start after suffering a road accident when leaving his training camp (with one RDK) on the way to the match.


EDIT:
and the accident was the result of a late change of travel plans leading to a switch to travelling by taxi. Be careful Vishi!!

John Saunders wrote:Actually, there are four chess people here - Peter Purland, David Welch and Ian Campbell are also in Gib. They have been giving me pitying looks for the last day or two but they could be in the same boat (literally) if their Monday flight home gets cancelled (as it could well do, the way things are going).

John Saunders wrote:It now looks almost certain that there will be the four of us (Purland, Welch, Campbell and I) making the long train trek across Spain and France tomorrow (followed, hopefully, by a cross-channel ferry - there is no way of booking in advance). Though I'm sorry for the other three that their flight probably won't be going, I am actually quite relieved that I'll have some company on the way home.

John Saunders wrote:Still in Gib, by the way, four days after I was supposed to leave. The Charge of the Heavy Brigade (Saunders, Purland, Welch, Campbell) will probably begin on Tuesday - so far we have bookings for a night train from the Spanish border to Paris on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. It's just a question now of how to get to the Spanish border, and how to advance on Blighty from Paris. All being well, we shall invade England on Wednesday morning.

Good luck to you all as you set out on the epic journey back to the homeland.

Don't forget to play some chess en route. With about 36 hours available, there'll be no need for quickplay finishes - you'll have plenty of time for at least two of your beloved adjournment sessions.

Alternatively, you could spend your time impressing on the other three the benefits of using this Forum.

Please keep us updated with your progress as the great Charge unfolds. We'll all have a glass of something when you make it back to Dover or St. Pancras.

You'll find one or two things a bit odd when you get back. Yesterday I went down to the Wellington College International. I walked into the grounds on a beautiful spring morning, without a cloud in the sky - and without a plane in the sky either.

Then there's the Gatwick Express, dutifully going back and forth between Victoria and the airport every fifteen minutes - completely empty, of course.

Anyway, it seems that today will be your last day in Gibraltar. Please use the time to prepare an article for BCM on the triumph of the British team in the European Solving Championships. Please feel free to use my report, available for download from the ECF website - as a Word document, naturally.

The British Chess Problem Society did well to host that event on the weekend of 10th - 11th April, rather than a week later.