English Chess Forum

A new series of rapidplay and training weekends are being organised in a grand venue, Wellington College - Crowthorne:

Saturday is a rapidplay and Sunday a training day. The first few dates are 4/5 Feb, 17/18 Mar and 28/29 Apr

For the first weekend there are £600 in cash prizes, £300 in DVD prizes from Ginger GM and £300 of coaching prizes courtesy of the JRT. Depending on numbers this willl be repeated for future events.

Three sections, Open, U170 and U110 on the Saturday.

Cost £20 for rapidplay, £50 for the full weekend. Price includes hot lunch and refreshments.

Sunday lectures give a brief overview of various openings with a chance to ask questions to the experts. Lectures include Nick Pert (slav / french), Simon Williams (dutch / sicilian), Malcolm Pein, Sabrina Chevannes (beginners), Phil Ehr (talk to parents), David Openshaw (psychology)

http://intranet.wellingtoncollege.org.u ... ay/entries

Hope that a few of you can make it to support this new initiative.

Nick Pert wrote:Hope that a few of you can make it to support this new initiative.

I can't as I won't be back from Gibraltar in time (unlike Simon Williams presumably).

I wish you every success with this commendable new venture.

David Sedgwick wrote:

Nick Pert wrote:Hope that a few of you can make it to support this new initiative.

I can't as I won't be back from Gibraltar in time (unlike Simon Williams presumably).

I wish you every success with this commendable new venture.

Thanks David.

I believe Gibraltar ends on the Thursday, so most people will travel back on Friday 3rd.

Good luck with this venture, the lectures interest me.
What sort of grading level are the lectures going to be pitched at? Is it intended to be for Adults, Juniors or both?

Best of luck with this Nick, Simon and all. Splendid idea to combine with guest speakers. Interesting to have the psychology component. Educational psychology presumably? Any particular areas therein?
Generous to see that the price includes food too.

Something to consider is making lectures available on Livestream:
http://www.livestream.com/

Hope it goes well!

Thanks for the ideas Simon. The lectures are aimed at adults and juniors. The psychology is mainly aimed at what to consider when looking to improve performance in any sport, and applying this to chess. As for the level of the lectures, there is a beginners class. After that it is aimed at a level much like if you were to buy a chess openings DVD. It should be of use to everyone. Of course you can always ask questions if something is too easy / difficult!

As it is a relatively new idea any feedback on the first event will definitely be taken on board.

Rapidplay results:

Open
1 N Pert 6/6 (£150)
2 M Pein 4.5/6 (£70)
3= J Sherwin, B Clarke 4/6 (£20 each)

Major
1= A Freeland, C Boni 5/6 (£75 each)
3 Phanikanth 4.5/6 (£20)

Minor
1= D Gallagher, P Sorino, D Hemmings (£57 each)

Plus 12 Ginger GM DVDs were awarded for strong performances.

The next Wellington College Rapidplay will be taking place on 28 April (Rapidplay) and 29 April (Training Day)

I am delighted to announce that GM David Howell will be helping me with the training day.

If anyone else wants to enter it is not too late, please email me ([email protected])

A last minute surprise guest will be providing training at this event on Sunday.

I could spoil the surprise so, if you do not want to know, look away now!

See http://www.britishchessmagazine.co.uk/?p=3851 for more detail.

I've just realised that NIck mentioned it already...

Dear Nick,

A quick thank you to yourself and to David for a super day. Both the boys enjoyed it very much and felt that they learned lots!

Also, a thank you to Phil Ehr for coming along and talking to the few parents who were there and discussing junior chess. Phil, you are a very nice guy and doing a great job -I think that your ideas are solid and there may be a bumpy ride ahead regarding short term results, but your long term vision is there and I think your ideas will produce the results given time.

Junior chess is a long term project - it does need an overhaul - which you have done well.

Kind regards and take care,

Krishna

Images taken at the Rapidplay and Training Weekend are available from:

http://johnupham.smugmug.com/Chess

I have a few unidentified players show as "?" so please leave a comment on the site if you can name names.