2018 Alexander Cup Final (Surrey team k.o. competition)

[John Saunders]

Surbiton beat Kingston by 6-4 in last night's (22 May) Alexander Cup Final, held at Ashtead.

Full results here, plus some games and photos

http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/201 ... iewer.html

The match was notable for the first appearance by GM John Nunn for his original club, Kingston, in 44 years. He beat the opposition captain, Chris Briscoe, in their individual game but his opponent had the last laugh when he lifted the trophy for the first time in Surbiton's history.

Can anyone think of a longer gap between appearances for a club in team chess?

[Roger de Coverly]

The match was notable for the first appearance by GM John Nunn for his original club, Kingston, in 44 years.

Perhaps the surprise is that Surrey don't have a rule against it. Possibly fielding a GM returning member isn't something CCF have ever tried.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Perhaps the surprise is that Surrey don't have a rule against it."

The rules are frequently ambiguous. Anyway, the "Inter-Club Tournaments Director" plays for Kingston! David Scott would be ineligible under Surrey rules to play on that board, but is regarded as "e188".

[Nick Grey]

Regarding eligibility of Kingston players;
Club Presidency
President: K.F.H. (“Ken”) Inwood
Honorary Life Vice-President: J.D.M. (“John”) Nunn
Grandmaster
Honorary Life Member: Professor Derek Coope

John and Derek Coope are eligible for Life. Derek has also played this season after a gap of 15 years away to Guildford 2. Flying visit from Oban.

Excellent night and Surbiton are well deserved winners. I expect John's 44 years is a record.

Thanks to John Saunders and Kevin Thurlow for attending as well as Ashtead chess club for hosting. A real pleasure.

[Graham Borrowdale]

Sounds like a good final. Congratulations to my old club, Surbiton - another feather in their cap. That club is a recent success story amidst all the gloom about declining numbers; ten or so years ago I was playing on their higher boards, now I would not make their 1st team.
Great report too, John.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Yes - there was no doubt that John was eligible. I hope he plays again before 2062!

I only intended to drop the trophy off and run away, but I wanted to talk to John S, so that was fortunate. Unless there were any punch-ups (and that seems very unlikely) when I wasn't looking, the match was played in a really good spirit, and it could have gone either way. Surbiton have been unlucky recently, so it was good to see them win, but Kingston did beat the mighty Guildford en route to the final, which is pretty good. The penalty for staying was that I was recruited to present the trophy (as Redhill won last year), so I had to attempt a coherent few words without any time to prepare. I did forget to thank Ashtead for hosting, so apologies for that.

For the benefit of those not familiar with the geography, Kingston vs Surbiton is a local derby, but not with the intensity associated with Rangers/Celtic and Liverpool/Everton!

[John Foley]

Although Surrey matches are invariably genteel affairs conducted in salubrious surroundings, glasses brimming with Pimm's, this doesn't mean that our players have lost the competitive urge. Chris Briscoe faces John Nunn's Sicilian Najdorf. Game on!

[Nick Grey]

I have noted that the results have not gone into the John Hawson Trophy for the over 60s with best scores in surrey team events.
It will be nice that it get's an update bearing in mind a few over 60s in both teams. Not that it will change the winner.

We enjoy the local derby matches & are grateful that Surbiton have actively helped us when we were struggling and considering only having a single team. Our first team is evenly matched with Surbiton's B team nowadays but 20 years ago it was the opposite.

As for the Alexander Cup. It is a great competition. Ten boards had always been Kingston's strength because our boards 3-10 were within 10-15 points of each other. It will be fantastic if Ashtead & other clubs entered as cup competitions have drama, upsets, and giant killings.

Some interesting games and Surbiton well deserved winners. It will be nice to see you at the Surrey AGM and why not go to a pub afterwards for a further celebration about all that is great about team chess in Surrey.