British Chess Championships 2011

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I'm reliably informed that Nick turned down a draw at some point. Perhaps surprising how often people like to predict players lacking the desire to play for the win on the forum. (of course doesn't stop people still piling in with criticism once the game is over with a draw agreed!)

That's interesting (the declined draw offer). It would have been recorded on the scoresheets, right?

BTW, I noticed when looking through the listings that Richard Pert seems to have withdrawn. Have many people withdrawn during the event?

[Peter Sharpe]

I'm reliably informed that Nick turned down a draw at some point. Perhaps surprising how often people like to predict players lacking the desire to play for the win on the forum. (of course doesn't stop people still piling in with criticism once the game is over with a draw agreed!)

That's interesting (the declined draw offer). It would have been recorded on the scoresheets, right?

BTW, I noticed when looking through the listings that Richard Pert seems to have withdrawn. Have many people withdrawn during the event?

Jon Arnott didnt play too. The results state that he lost "by default". why was this?

[Gavin Strachan]

1 GM Adams, Michael 8.0 ENG 2715 IM Zhou, Yang-Fan 6.5 ENG 2444 WIN WHITE (too strong)
2 GM Gordon, Stephen J 6.5 ENG 2533 GM Short, Nigel D 8.0 ENG 2687 BLACK WIN (too strong Short is playing well)
3 GM Jones, Gawain C B 7.5 ENG 2606 GM Pert, Nicholas 7.0 ENG 2555 DRAW (this is a tough one to call!)
4 GM Wells, Peter K 6.5 ENG 2489 IM Hawkins, Jonathan 7.5 ENG 2457 BLACK WIN (Hawkins on fire)
5 GM Howell, David W L 6.5 ENG 2625 Adair, James R 6.5 ENG 2212 WHITE WIN (too strong/rebound)
6 IM Rendle, Thomas E 6.5 ENG 2386 GM Gormally, Daniel W 6.5 ENG 2519 BLACK WIN (closer but Gormally will probably edge)
7 IM Bates, Richard A 6.5 ENG 2373 IM Palliser, Richard J D 6.5 ENG 2454 DRAW (yawn)
8 GM Hebden, Mark L 6.0 ENG 2533 Khandelwal, Ankush 6.0 ENG 2211 WHITE WIN (too strong)
9 GM Summerscale, Aaron P 6.0 ENG 2415 GM Williams, Simon K 6.0 ENG 2528 DRAW (bad tournament, taxi please)
10 GM Conquest, Stuart C 6.0 ENG 2519 IM Ansell, Simon T 6.0 ENG 2410 WHITE WIN (tough to call but white advantage win)

[Jonathan Bryant]

1 GM Adams, Michael 8.0 ENG 2715 IM Zhou, Yang-Fan 6.5 ENG 2444 WHITE WIN
2 GM Gordon, Stephen J 6.5 ENG 2533 GM Short, Nigel D 8.0 ENG 2687 DRAW
3 GM Jones, Gawain C B 7.5 ENG 2606 GM Pert, Nicholas 7.0 ENG 2555 WHITE WIN
4 GM Wells, Peter K 6.5 ENG 2489 IM Hawkins, Jonathan 7.5 ENG 2457 BLACK WIN
5 GM Howell, David W L 6.5 ENG 2625 Adair, James R 6.5 ENG 2212 WHITE WIN
6 IM Rendle, Thomas E 6.5 ENG 2386 GM Gormally, Daniel W 6.5 ENG 2519 DRAW
7 IM Bates, Richard A 6.5 ENG 2373 IM Palliser, Richard J D 6.5 ENG 2454 DRAW
8 GM Hebden, Mark L 6.0 ENG 2533 Khandelwal, Ankush 6.0 ENG 2211 WHITE WIN
9 GM Summerscale, Aaron P 6.0 ENG 2415 GM Williams, Simon K 6.0 ENG 2528 DRAW
10 GM Conquest, Stuart C 6.0 ENG 2519 IM Ansell, Simon T 6.0 ENG 2410 DRAW

[/quote]

[Jonathan Bryant]

Looking at the final round pairings, it is now possible to work out who will have played the strongest field. Just looking at the top 10 boards, or even at the GMs, you can see how many GMs each of the GMs will have played ....

That's saved me a bit of work for a post I was planning to write for Monday

If I recall, before the tournament you said that ideally the GMs would play other GMs 7 or 8 times (we the proviso that the GMs actually played like GMs). Now we see only Nosher reached that target.



J

[Alexander Hardwick]

OK, my predictions:

1 GM Adams, Michael 8.0 ENG 2715 IM Zhou, Yang-Fan 6.5 ENG 2444 1-0
2 GM Gordon, Stephen J 6.5 ENG 2533 GM Short, Nigel D 8.0 ENG 2687 0-1
3 GM Jones, Gawain C B 7.5 ENG 2606 GM Pert, Nicholas 7.0 ENG 2555 1-0
4 GM Wells, Peter K 6.5 ENG 2489 IM Hawkins, Jonathan 7.5 ENG 2457 draw
5 GM Howell, David W L 6.5 ENG 2625 Adair, James R 6.5 ENG 2212 1-0
6 IM Rendle, Thomas E 6.5 ENG 2386 GM Gormally, Daniel W 6.5 ENG 2519 draw
7 IM Bates, Richard A 6.5 ENG 2373 IM Palliser, Richard J D 6.5 ENG 2454 1-0
8 GM Hebden, Mark L 6.0 ENG 2533 Khandelwal, Ankush 6.0 ENG 2211 1-0
9 GM Summerscale, Aaron P 6.0 ENG 2415 GM Williams, Simon K 6.0 ENG 2528 1-0
10 GM Conquest, Stuart C 6.0 ENG 2519 IM Ansell, Simon T 6.0 ENG 2410 1-0

[Andrew Stone]

If you told Yang-Fan before the start of the tournament that he would be on board 1 in the last round, he might assume he had had the tournament of his life (ok well maybe after that e2e4 one where he won every game or had one draw). Sure he would have been rather disappointed if you then informed him he would be performing more than 100 points lower than his rating.

[Simon Ansell]

I'm impressed that Andrew Ledger is still unbeaten.

Only just

[IM Jack Rudd]

Looking at the final round pairings, it is now possible to work out who will have played the strongest field. Just looking at the top 10 boards, or even at the GMs, you can see how many GMs each of the GMs will have played ....

That's saved me a bit of work for a post I was planning to write for Monday

If I recall, before the tournament you said that ideally the GMs would play other GMs 7 or 8 times (we the proviso that the GMs actually played like GMs). Now we see only Nosher reached that target.
J

This is indeed true. However, Adams's non-GM opponents included Palliser, Hawkins and Zhou, all of whom are higher rated than Summerscale.

[Richard Bates]

It is possibly of interest (and surprising?) to note that each of the top 7 seeds and 8 of the top 10 (Gormally and Williams the unlucky pair) will have received more whites than blacks over the course of the tournament. Hawkins has also had six whites.

[Jonathan Rogers]

1 GM Adams, Michael 8.0 ENG 2715 IM Zhou, Yang-Fan 6.5 ENG 2444 1-0
2 GM Gordon, Stephen J 6.5 ENG 2533 GM Short, Nigel D 8.0 ENG 2687 1/2 (Short does have the toughest final round pairing)
3 GM Jones, Gawain C B 7.5 ENG 2606 GM Pert, Nicholas 7.0 ENG 2555 1-0 (Black v 1 e4 generally not being Nick's cup of tea)
4 GM Wells, Peter K 6.5 ENG 2489 IM Hawkins, Jonathan 7.5 ENG 2457 1/2
5 GM Howell, David W L 6.5 ENG 2625 Adair, James R 6.5 ENG 2212 1-0
6 IM Rendle, Thomas E 6.5 ENG 2386 GM Gormally, Daniel W 6.5 ENG 2519 0-1 (remember Hastings?)
7 IM Bates, Richard A 6.5 ENG 2373 IM Palliser, Richard J D 6.5 ENG 2454 1/2 (all three results possible)
8 GM Hebden, Mark L 6.0 ENG 2533 Khandelwal, Ankush 6.0 ENG 2211 1-0
9 GM Summerscale, Aaron P 6.0 ENG 2415 GM Williams, Simon K 6.0 ENG 2528 0-1 (the Dutch does make sense v Summerscale)
10 GM Conquest, Stuart C 6.0 ENG 2519 IM Ansell, Simon T 6.0 ENG 2410 1/2 (all three results possible)

Everyone on 6.5 + playing to win, of course , except perhaps Yang-Fan

[Gavin Strachan]

the Jones - Pert I think Jones will edge it but Nick is playing reasonably well so I will stick with the draw offer even though it does bode well by concensus.

[Alex Holowczak]

1 GM Adams, Michael 8.0 ENG 2715 IM Zhou, Yang-Fan 6.5 ENG 2444 1-0
2 GM Gordon, Stephen J 6.5 ENG 2533 GM Short, Nigel D 8.0 ENG 2687 1/2-1/2
3 GM Jones, Gawain C B 7.5 ENG 2606 GM Pert, Nicholas 7.0 ENG 2555 1/2-1/2
4 GM Wells, Peter K 6.5 ENG 2489 IM Hawkins, Jonathan 7.5 ENG 2457 0-1
5 GM Howell, David W L 6.5 ENG 2625 Adair, James R 6.5 ENG 2212 1-0
6 IM Rendle, Thomas E 6.5 ENG 2386 GM Gormally, Daniel W 6.5 ENG 2519 0-1
7 IM Bates, Richard A 6.5 ENG 2373 IM Palliser, Richard J D 6.5 ENG 2454 1/2-1/2
8 GM Hebden, Mark L 6.0 ENG 2533 Khandelwal, Ankush 6.0 ENG 2211 1-0
9 GM Summerscale, Aaron P 6.0 ENG 2415 GM Williams, Simon K 6.0 ENG 2528 1/2-1/2
10 GM Conquest, Stuart C 6.0 ENG 2519 IM Ansell, Simon T 6.0 ENG 2410 1-0

[Jonathan Bryant]

... ideally the GMs would play other GMs 7 or 8 times ... Now we see only Nosher reached that target.
J

This is indeed true. However, Adams's non-GM opponents included Palliser, Hawkins and Zhou, all of whom are higher rated than Summerscale.

Fair enough Jack. Let's say two reached the target. That's still not that many.