English Chess Forum

Following the thread about the Staunton Memorial tournament and thinking about my recent visits there, I've been daydreaming (I only had a croissant and a coffee for breakfast ) that if I were a rich sponsor, I'd invite the following (in no particular order) for a 11 round all-play-all tournament in London;

Anand
Carlsen
Topalov
Morozevich
Ivanchuk
Radjabov
Nakamura
Adams
Short
Howell
Jones
Wade

Guaranteed entertainment and good challenge for the English players. No Kramnik or Leko, I find a lot of their games pretty dull. But I'd invite Kramnik if Wade turned down his invitation or I could step in to break a world record (for the worst player to participate in an elite tournament)

I chose to have current active players only so no Kasparov or McShane, for example.

12 player all-play-all seems to be a popular format so I chose that for mine but any format is up to you.

I wonder how much it would cost, I've no idea how much appearance fees are for any of the players but if I were the sponsor I'd make the players earn their money by having high prizemoney only.

If its entertainment you're after, you've forgotten Alexei "Fire on Board" Shirov!

In keeping with the policies apparently applying in the current Staunton Memorial, I'd select the following for a 12-player, 2-team all-play-all.

Ancients

Greco
Lucena
Damiano
Philidor
Staunton
Wade

Greats

Steinitz
Lasker
Rubinstein
Capablanca
Euwe
Keene

There may be some technical 'issues' arising among some of the participants, not least from lack of familiarity with digital clocks (perhaps the Staunton Society has some sundials to hand) and contemporary dining habits. Careful thought will need to be given to travel arrangements in the case of the more elderly contestants. A degree of exhumation may also be required.

David

Nice idea, David. I'd particularly like to see Greco v Keene.

Difficult job for an arbiter though - probably only Stewart could manage it.

I would invite :

• Duncan (g3) Suttles
  Mike (f6) Surtees http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=87017
  Claude (g4) Bloodgood
  Mike (g4 / g5) Basman
  Gerard (various) Welling
  Andrew (various) Smith
  Robin (various) Haldane
  Eric Oscar Michael Charles (where is he now?) Teichmann
  Bob (normal) Wade

Fans of interesting games will particularly relish the Surtees - Basman pairings...

Bloodgood - Basman (1. g4 g5) could be of interest to Eric Schiller.

In one of the lower divisions of my local leagues we had a clash of titans that commenced

1. f4 g5!? with much amusement to follow.

Marilyn Monroe versus Kylie Minogue (circa the 'Spinning Around' video) - unlimited match, I'm the arbiter.

Take a cold shower Tom or I'm telling Sarah.