ABERYSTWYTH - ARE YOU GOING?

[JustinHorton]

I would also venture the view that Aberystwyth, Sheffield and North Shields are patently not the sort of places where most people would look forward to going on holiday

Curious thing to say where Aberystwyth is concerned at least, as lots of people do in fact come here on holiday. (Maybe that doesn't constitute "most people", but then again "most people" would probably prefer to go abroad, which is where the British Championship is, by definition, not going to be.) I've been to West Wales on holiday more than once.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Hadn't realised you were in the Championship section, Justin. Are you the first ungraded player to play in the Championship section? (When I say ungraded, you had a grade back in 2008, presumably losing it when you moved abroad?) Of course, FIDE ratings are what really matters...

[JustinHorton]

Well I briefly had a grade earlier this season before it was realised that somebody else's wins had been mistakenly attributed to me. (Yes, they should have realised from the unlikelihood of the "wins", ho ho.) But presumably there must be overseas-based English professionals who have competed without having had current ECF grades?

(Re: North Shields and Sheffield, by the way, great Northern cities with superb pubs and surrounded by fantastic countryside are to my mind underappreciated as holiday venues.)

[MartinCarpenter]

The bits of Sheffield out by the Peak District are definitely very nice.

The tail in the British has been there for quite a while but I don't think the major open has normally been quite this small/weak? Presumably due to the seniors event drawing off even more players.

[JustinHorton]

Anyway, I rocked up to the venue this evening (walking up Cefn Llan nearly killed me). Some observations:

a. I didn't know I was supposed to register, and only did so because I happened to look at the championships website about half an hour before the deadline. I don't know if I should have known, but I'm pretty sure nobody told me. Is this common knowledge, or should I have been told? (It's in the programme, but then again, nobody specifically directed my attention to the programme.)

b. There is almost nothing in the venue, and (as far as I can see) absolutely nothing around it, to advertise the event. You wouldn't know it was happening. There might be all sorts of good reasons for this, but I just mention it.

c. I would advise competitors to bring a sweater or cardigan or whatever you might prefer, since the air-conditioning seems pretty powerful.

d. (editing the point I previously made) I also notice that the programme says that the draw will normally be up by 11am on the day of play. Does this strike anybody else as unusually late?

[David Gilbert]

Anyway, I rocked up to the venue this evening (walking up Cefn Llan nearly killed me). Some observations:

a. I didn't know I was supposed to register, and only did so because I happened to look at the championships website about half an hour before the deadline. I don't know if I should have known, but I'm pretty sure nobody told me. Is this common knowledge, or should I have been told? (It's in the programme, but then again, nobody specifically directed my attention to the programme.)

b. There is almost nothing in the venue, and (as far as I can see) absolutely nothing around it, to advertise the event. You wouldn't know it was happening. There might be all sorts of good reasons for this, but I just mention it.

c. I would advise competitors to bring a sweater or cardigan or whatever you might prefer, since the air-conditioning seems pretty powerful.

d. (editing the point I previously made) I also notice that the programme says that the draw will normally be up by 11am on the day of play. Does this strike anybody else as unusually late?

Very exciting! Registration is normal. At least I’ve seen it called for in previous championships presumably to avoid repairing should there be lots of no-shows. The requirement has been the top item in the website for a while - it probably replaced your elephants! Oh joy for air conditioning. The more powerful the better, but I shall bring a string vest and hanky, just in case. I’ve been checking for the draw every hour. As you say no sign so far and 11 am on the day sounds unnecessarily cautious. In previous years it’s usually been available the day before, but perhaps this isn’t a usual year. If trends are followed, it being an even numbered year, the number one seed should have black on top board. 760 entries on the latest list with an amazing 61 seniors. Don't you just love it!

[JustinHorton]

Registration is normal. At least I’ve seen it called for in previous championships presumably to avoid repairing should there be lots of no-shows. The requirement has been the top item in the website for a while - it probably replaced your elephants!

That's interesting, and I feel a bit silly about it because it did occur to me some time back that registration might be required and I never asked about it. However, it's perhaps worth suggesting that it shouldn't be assumed that competitors either know about such requirements, or that they're reading the championship website regularly if they've not actually been advised to do so.

(Or indeed that they can necessarily do so, or can send an email on any given day. I'm in a position to know this because I've travelled here via a very long van journey and several campsites in two countries: and between, ooh, Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon I didn't have email access at all.)

[Roger de Coverly]

Normal practice is that the pairings for the Championship at least are available the night before. With the Barnes/McFarlane team not involved this year, perhaps this standard has been abolished. It was a good reason to have a mobile phone in your possession after the game to be able to find out the next round pairing. For what it's worth, given an odd number of competitors and the absence of Keith playing for the England over fifties, I thought a Yang-Fan v Horton pairing likely although I didn't bother to figure out the colours.

If you didn't bother to check the website, players wouldn't have known about the registration requirement, nor the curious requirement to register a mobile phone and pay a fee.

[JustinHorton]

It was a good reason to have a mobile phone in your possession after the game to be able to find out the next round pairing.

Assuming you have a mobile (I do) and that it connects to the internet (mine doesn't).

[Roger de Coverly]

Assuming you have a mobile (I do) and that it connects to the internet (mine doesn't).

The older system was to have a recorded message on a line you could phone. Usually it was Lara reading out the pairing list. That was dropped not so many years ago, presumably because the use it got no longer justified the expense and work involved setting up the dedicated line.

[JustinHorton]

I'm more than happy for it to appear on the internet, I'm just pointing out that not everybody's mobile phone is useful in those circumstances....

[Kevin Thurlow]

"But presumably there must be overseas-based English professionals who have competed without having had current ECF grades?"

I would guess Joe Gallagher and Stuart Conquest?

On registration, this is quite normal, but whenever I have encountered it, whether in Poland, Norway or Coulsdon, you are actually told about it...

[Roger de Coverly]

On registration, this is quite normal, but whenever I have encountered it, whether in Poland, Norway or Coulsdon, you are actually told about it...

The usual point of registration is to ensure you are there in person. The British Championship registration just reconfirms the intent to play, which could be relevant for titled players not required to pay an entry fee.

Anyone travelling this morning is still potentially subject to road or rail delays.

[David Gilbert]

Well we have the top four boards from the live games tab

Jim Burnett v David Howell
Nick Pert v Jeremy Menadue
Oscar Hackner v Mark Hebden
Jonathan Hawkins v Thomas Brown

corrected 11.04am

[Roger de Coverly]

Well we have the top four boards from the live games tab

Jim Burnett v David Howell
Nick Pert v Jeremy Menadue
Oscar Hacker v Mark Hebden
Jonathan Hawkins v Thomas Brown

There were 57 entrants, but Keith is still in Lithuania, so that makes 56 for the first round. Jim Burnett was 29th seed, so that implies either no changes to the published entrants, or self-balancing ones.

I think it's Hackner actually, although that would be a board to look for an upset.