London Chess Classic 2011

[Roger de Coverly]

BTW did your original post mean to say "it allows the move counter to be turned OFF", which would have made more sense for your subsequent argument?

As everyone playing may have noticed, the clocks at the Classic add time after the fortieth clock press. Players will or should always know the move count, so it doesn't matter that the clock tells them they have made the time control. On the other hand, 40/90 + 30 is just the same but without increment. In non increment games on digital clocks, arbiters always refuse to set them to add the time at the fortieth clock press. The only way to rationalise the inconsistency on this is that is because you always keep score with 30 second increments.

[Alex McFarlane]

Without arguing the rights and wrongs of when time should be added one strong arguement for not using the move counter in weekend events is the player. Particularly in the lower sections you get many who forget to press their clock, press the clock next to them, etc, etc. This can cause a clock to add on time early or to 'freeze' because it doesn't think the time control has been reached. The practicalities would be arbiters correcting clocks when they should have been watching time scrambles or vice versa. It can be better to err on the side of caution.

If we could guarantee that players pressed the clock correctly activating the move counter is a more obvious thing to do.

[Roger de Coverly]

If we could guarantee that players pressed the clock correctly activating the move counter is a more obvious thing to do.

In a way it's a design fault with the clocks, since there isn't a setting which makes the move count visible at all times. You would set the clock to either display the move count or hide it. If there were, players could self police this. This could be particularly important for matches with no arbiter deemed present. Was there not a game once involving Karpov, where, because of a couple of repeated positions, no-one knew whether the players had reached move 41 or move 39 on flag fall?

[Alex Holowczak]

If anyone armed with a laptop is at a loose end this morning, and wants to help come and do some games-inputting for the next few hours, they'd be more than welcome to!

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Was there not a game once involving Karpov, where, because of a couple of repeated positions, no-one knew whether the players had reached move 41 or move 39 on flag fall?"

I read somewhere that there were suggestions that Karpov insisted it was 41, and nobody wanted to tell him it was only 39 and he had lost! No idea if that's what happened...

[Nicky Chorley]

Just watching John Nunn and Vishy Anand's astronomy lecture. Ahh, reminding me lots of undergraduate astrophysics. Nunn's quote in response to a question was funny: if you want to ask about aliens, you should speak to the FIDE president. Good times!

[Phil Neatherway]

I heard on the radio this morning that there is a European project underway to build an extremely large telescope, called, er, the European Extremely Large Telescope.

[Niall Doran]

I heard on the radio this morning that there is a European project underway to build an extremely large telescope, called, er, the European Extremely Large Telescope.

Does exactly what it says on the tin.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I will visit the LCC tomorrow. Am I right in thinking that there are engineering works affecting Kensington Olympia, and if so, which is the best underground station from which to walk?

[Jonathan Bryant]

I've been going to Ken Olympia every day and haven't noticed anything. I get there via Clapham Junction, though, not on the tube.

[Paolo Casaschi]

I will visit the LCC tomorrow. Am I right in thinking that there are engineering works affecting Kensington Olympia, and if so, which is the best underground station from which to walk?

I walk from Earl's Court, you cant miss it, just walk on Earl's Court road towards North until you reach High Street Kensington where you trun left and keep following until the Olympia conference center. 20 to 30 min depending how fast you walk.

[Colin Patterson]

Been following the FIDE Open today (well ... that SuperGM stuff is a bit dull isn't it?).

Mostly, I'm astounded by Jovanka Houska's newly gained superpowers (osmosis?). If I remember correctly, she just had a poor European Teams and I imagined her bad form might continue here with so little time to turn things around.

But no ... au contraire, joint leader after 6 rounds with wins against Cornette 2548 and Grover 2515 and a draw with Gawain Jones 2635 (going on 2670!). Really nice games to play through. Not sure I've ever seen her play in such an initiative-seeking style, loaded with neat tactics, deflection tricks etc. Very impressive. What odds on her winning the whole event?

[Paul Cooksey]

I will visit the LCC tomorrow. Am I right in thinking that there are engineering works affecting Kensington Olympia, and if so, which is the best underground station from which to walk?

I walk from Earl's Court, you cant miss it, just walk on Earl's Court road towards North until you reach High Street Kensington where you trun left and keep following until the Olympia conference center. 20 to 30 min depending how fast you walk.

West Ken a bit closer 10-15 mins walk, just follow North End Road to the venue. Given the wait for the Olympia branch line, I think it is the better option, unless it is raining hard.

[Mike Truran]

The underground from Earls Court to Olympia and back again was absolutely fine today. The trains go every 20 minutes or so, but no doubt there is a timetable on the TfL website somewhere which gives the times. It's no more than a two minute walk to the conference centre (just follow the building round from the underground station).

[David Sedgwick]

The underground from Earls Court to Olympia and back again was absolutely fine today. The trains go every 20 minutes or so, but no doubt there is a timetable on the TfL website somewhere which gives the times. It's no more than a two minute walk to the conference centre (just follow the building round from the underground station).

My understanding is that the weekday service between Earls Court and Olympia is being withdrawn after this weekend, so anyone coming on Monday (the last day) will need to find a different route.

Am I right in thinking that there are engineering works affecting Kensington Olympia, and if so, which is the best underground station from which to walk?

I wonder if you were thinking of the withdrawal of the weekday service which I've mentioned above. There shouldn't be any problem if you're coming today.