British Championships 2012 - Games

[Matt Mackenzie]

Um, Adair didn't play Arkell yesterday......

[Andrew Bak]

Stephen Gordon's game was certainly spectacular today! Sac, sac and more sacs!

I was impressed with how practically James Holland played, he always made sure he had enough activity to compensate for his sacrificed material and ended up creating an impenetrable fortress.

There's already going to be not many people on 2/2, I make it so far Jones, Gordon, Hawkins and Arkell with only Murphy and Combie looking like joining them. I'm not that good with probabilities but there ought to be a maximum of 16 on 2/2, so my guess is that most of the time there is somewhere between 8-10 on full scores?.

Does the accelerated pairings contribute to lower maximum scores or am I misinterpreting the numbers?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Does anyone think that Hawkins (not to put any pressure on him!) has a chance of becoming the first IM to win the event in ages?

[Andrew Bak]

He's been third the last two years, so why not? Also, there's no Micky and Nigel to negotiate this time.

His games are really something to watch, a bit Carlsen-esque in a way. Round 1 is a typical example, he just plays seemingly normal moves and enters these positions where it doesn't look like much is going on, but the can just keep up the pressure and the initiative until his opponent cracks. His marathon game last year against Howell was another example of this. Add this to the fact that he's really well booked up and you've got a formidable opponent!

[Jonathan Bryant]

Does anyone think that Hawkins (not to put any pressure on him!) has a chance of becoming the first IM to win the event in ages?

Of course he has a chance. Not sure I'd say it was the most likely outcome yet, but deffo he's in the mix.

[Roger de Coverly]

Does the accelerated pairings contribute to lower maximum scores or am I misinterpreting the numbers?

Usually yes, because the top quarter are given tougher opposition than if it's just seeded. The third quarter are given easier opposition, but the theory is they will be taken out by the second quarter in the second round. It doesn't always work that way, as it's not unknown for a third quarter player to face the number 1 seed in the fourth round. This happened last year at Sheffield.

[Paul Cooksey]

Does anyone think that Hawkins (not to put any pressure on him!) has a chance of becoming the first IM to win the event in ages?

Of course he has a chance. Not sure I'd say it was the most likely outcome yet, but deffo he's in the mix.

I'm going to rule it out on a technicality - I think he'd need to make his final GM norm to win

[Sean Hewitt]

Does anyone think that Hawkins (not to put any pressure on him!) has a chance of becoming the first IM to win the event in ages?

Of course he has a chance. Not sure I'd say it was the most likely outcome yet, but deffo he's in the mix.

I'm going to rule it out on a technicality - I think he'd need to make his final GM norm to win

Except that wouldn't get him his title as he needs a norm that is subject to the foreigner requirement. Do keep up

[Paul Cooksey]

I'm going to rule it out on a technicality - I think he'd need to make his final GM norm to win

Except that wouldn't get him his title as he needs a norm that is subject to the foreigner requirement. Do keep up

I have to admit I did miss the discussion of that nestled between the talk of absent Scots. Certainly a shame it isn't relevant; selfishly because I was hoping it would add some excitement to the second half.

[Richard Bates]

Not sure if James Adair has a thing for playing with Queen vs two Rooks, but after the Q+B v R+R+N against Keith Arkell yesterday, he now has Q+N v R+R+N against IM Dietmar Kolbus.

James Adair played David Howell yesterday...

[Andrew Bak]

Round 2 Report - complete with a tactical puzzle!

[LawrenceCooper]

Round 2 results:

Table White Flags Score Fed. Rating Black Flags Score Fed. Rating Result
1 GM Jones, Gawain C 1.0 ENG 2655 Chapman, Terry P 1.0 ENG 2290 1-0
2 GM Gordon, Stephen 1.0 ENG 2539 Roe, Simon J 1.0 ENG 2275 1-0
3 FM Eggleston, David 1.0 ENG 2323 GM Turner, Matthew 1.0 SCO 2508 ½-½
4 GM Gormally, Daniel 1.0 ENG 2505 Holland, James P 1.0 ENG 2200 ½-½
5 IM Hawkins, Jonatha 1.0 ENG 2499 Burnett, Jim 1.0 ENG 2174 1-0
6 GM Arkell, Keith C 1.0 ENG 2441 Jaunooby, Ali R 1.0 ENG 2165 1-0
7 Murphy, Hugh W 1.0 ENG 2180 IM Hanley, Craig A 1.0 ENG 2419 1-0
8 Adair, James R 0.5 ENG 2262 IM Kolbus, Dietmar 1.0 GER 2321 1-0
9 Mackle, Dominic 1.0 ENG 2130 GM Howell, David W 0.5 ENG 2620 0-1
10 Batchelor, Peter 1.0 ENG 2103 GM Conquest, Stuart 0.5 ENG 2501 0-1
11 Ledger, Stephen 1.0 ENG 2089 IM Palliser, Richar 0.5 ENG 2482 0-1
12 Osborne, Marcus 0.5 ENG 2245 Wadsworth, Matth 1.0 ENG 2037 1-0
13 Mason, Donald J 0.5 ENG 2244 Grattage, Matthe 1.0 ENG 1986 1-0
14 IM Houska, Jovanka 0.0 ENG 2406 Harvey, Marcus R 1.0 ENG 2134 1-0
15 IM Rudd, Jack 0.0 ENG 2295 Jackson, James P 1.0 ENG 2126 0-1
16 FM Walker, David J 0.0 ENG 2276 Hall, David E 1.0 ENG 2103 1-0
17 FM Storey, Charles 0.0 ENG 2247 Varnam, Liam D 1.0 ENG 2070 1-0
18 Combie, Alex B 1.0 ENG 2039 FM Wall, Tim P 0.0 ENG 2347 0-1
19 Dodds, Edward 1.0 ENG 1861 * FM Poobalasingam, P 0.0 ENG 2263 ½-½
20 Weller, Jean-Luc 0.5 ENG 2115 Townsend, M Paul 0.0 ENG 2252 ½-½
21 FM Shaw, Robert 0.0 ENG 2220 Surtees, Mike J 0.5 ENG 2113 1-0
22 Oswald, Graeme E 0.0 ENG 2178 WFM Bhatia, Kanwal K 0.5 ENG 2103 ½-½
23 Shaw, Peter 0.0 ENG 2168 Foo, William J 0.5 ENG 2009 0-1
24 Fabri, Henrik 0.5 ENG 2004 * FM Ledger, Dave J 0.0 ENG 2246 ½-½
25 Elwin, Adrian G 0.5 ENG 1985 Hanley, James L 0.0 ENG 2244 0-1
26 Lenier, Jude A 0.0 ENG 2016 Brown, Martin 0.0 ENG 2224 1-0
27 Tambini, Jasper 0.0 ENG 1958 Walker, Nicholas 0.0 ENG 2179 0-1
28 Sugden, John N 0.0 ENG 2142 Whitfield, Craig 0.0 ENG 2020 ½-½
29 Coathup, Roger H 0.0 ENG 2136 Hoare, Amy B 0.0 ENG 1958 1-0
30 Waters, Clive L 0.0 ENG 2106 Burke, Mitchell 0.0 ENG 1917 1-0
31 McDonald, Ian 0.0 SCO 1876 Foster, James M 0.0 ENG 2037 1-0
32 WIM Maroroa, Sue 0.0 NZE 2035 Jain, Radha 0.0 ENG 1868 ½-½

[LawrenceCooper]

Pairings round 3 (Wednesday, 25 July 2012)

Table White Flags Score Fed. Rating Black Flags Score Fed. Rating Result
1 GM Arkell, Keith C 2.0 ENG 2441 GM Jones, Gawain C 2.0 ENG 2655
2 Murphy, Hugh W 2.0 ENG 2180 GM Gordon, Stephen 2.0 ENG 2539
3 GM Howell, David W 1.5 ENG 2620 IM Hawkins, Jonatha 2.0 ENG 2499
4 Jackson, James P 2.0 ENG 2126 GM Gormally, Daniel 1.5 ENG 2505
5 GM Turner, Matthew 1.5 SCO 2508 Adair, James R 1.5 ENG 2262
6 GM Conquest, Stuart 1.5 ENG 2501 Mason, Donald J 1.5 ENG 2244
7 IM Palliser, Richar 1.5 ENG 2482 Osborne, Marcus 1.5 ENG 2245
8 Holland, James P 1.5 ENG 2200 FM Eggleston, David 1.5 ENG 2323
9 Foo, William J 1.5 ENG 2009 IM Houska, Jovanka 1.0 ENG 2406
10 IM Hanley, Craig A 1.0 ENG 2419 Dodds, Edward 1.5 ENG 1861 *
11 FM Wall, Tim P 1.0 ENG 2347 Mackle, Dominic 1.0 ENG 2130
12 IM Kolbus, Dietmar 1.0 GER 2321 Weller, Jean-Luc 1.0 ENG 2115
13 Chapman, Terry P 1.0 ENG 2290 Batchelor, Peter 1.0 ENG 2103
14 Varnam, Liam D 1.0 ENG 2070 FM Walker, David J 1.0 ENG 2276
15 Roe, Simon J 1.0 ENG 2275 Ledger, Stephen 1.0 ENG 2089
16 Hall, David E 1.0 ENG 2103 FM Storey, Charles 1.0 ENG 2247
17 Hanley, James L 1.0 ENG 2244 Combie, Alex B 1.0 ENG 2039
18 Wadsworth, Matth 1.0 ENG 2037 FM Shaw, Robert 1.0 ENG 2220
19 Walker, Nicholas 1.0 ENG 2179 Lenier, Jude A 1.0 ENG 2016
20 Burnett, Jim 1.0 ENG 2174 Waters, Clive L 1.0 ENG 2106
21 Jaunooby, Ali R 1.0 ENG 2165 Fabri, Henrik 1.0 ENG 2004 *
22 Grattage, Matthe 1.0 ENG 1986 Coathup, Roger H 1.0 ENG 2136
23 Harvey, Marcus R 1.0 ENG 2134 McDonald, Ian 1.0 SCO 1876
24 WFM Bhatia, Kanwal K 1.0 ENG 2103 Sugden, John N 0.5 ENG 2142
25 FM Poobalasingam, P 0.5 ENG 2263 WIM Maroroa, Sue 0.5 NZE 2035
26 Townsend, M Paul 0.5 ENG 2252 Whitfield, Craig 0.5 ENG 2020
27 FM Ledger, Dave J 0.5 ENG 2246 Elwin, Adrian G 0.5 ENG 1985
28 Jain, Radha 0.5 ENG 1868 Oswald, Graeme E 0.5 ENG 2178
29 Surtees, Mike J 0.5 ENG 2113 Foster, James M 0.0 ENG 2037
30 Hoare, Amy B 0.0 ENG 1958 IM Rudd, Jack 0.0 ENG 2295
31 Brown, Martin 0.0 ENG 2224 Tambini, Jasper 0.0 ENG 1958
32 Burke, Mitchell 0.0 ENG 1917 Shaw, Peter 0.0 ENG 2168

[IM Jack Rudd]

Oh, lovely. I adore playing promising juniors with black when I'm on 0/2.

[LawrenceCooper]

Oh, lovely. I adore playing promising juniors with black when I'm on 0/2.

I'm sure she adores playing IMs on 0/2