County Championship Finals

[Sean Hewitt]

Sean,

Thanks very much for your work: it was great to be able to follow the finals on-line. Will the scoresheets be published as pgns at some point?

No problem. I have three games left to input (currently in curry house commiserating with my team mates) but I have loaded up what I've done for you at www.e2e4.org.uk/games/county_finals/games.zip

The remaining games will be done later this evening.

[Richard Bates]

So, five titles for the SCCU and two for the MCCU. When was the last time the NCCU returned home empty handed?

Oops trusted the wrong site! 6 for the SCCU!

[David Sedgwick]

So an excellent day for Middlesex and Essex and a very good one for Hertfordshire. And a great day for the SCCU with a record six titles. At a quick glance the previous record was four and even that had only been achieved once (also by the SCCU, in 1993).

[Neill Cooper]

SCCU counties also won the ECF U18 (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th) and the ECF U13 county championships.

[Alex Holowczak]

I'd like to thank all of the team who helped; Dave Welch, Adrian Elwin, John Shaw, Sean Hewitt, Matthew Carr; Cyril and Julie Johnson who provided refreshments; and Andrew Butterworth (Chess Direct) who provided the bookstall.

The internet information we were given didn't work, but Sean was able to save the day with a smartphone. Without that, the live boards would have been a bit of a disaster...

The Under 180 trophy never arrived, either. Apologies to Middlesex for this; I'll make sure I chase it up.

Matthew Carr and I had a longer evening than expected. Leaving the venue at about 8:30, we had to go down to Daventry (via a supermarket in Leicester), to come back up to Cannock (via Oldbury), in order to drop off some equipment that will be in use for the Glorney/Faber Cup that's held there in about 10 days time. Only got home just now!

Hopefully we'll have 16 live boards for the next Final, so that we can put all the games in the Open out online. The games weren't fully inputted by close of play, but I hope they'll be done in time to go on the ECF website on Monday morning.

[Sean Hewitt]

Back from my curry, all the games from the Open and Minor are downloadable here www.e2e4.org.uk/games/county_finals/games.zip

[Christopher Kreuzer]

For the record, updating the initial listing of finals pairing with the final results:

Open: Middlesex 8.5-7.5 Surrey
Minor: Hertfordshire 8-8 Leicestershire (Hertfordshire win on board count)
U180: Middlesex 9-7 Yorkshire
U160: Yorkshire 8-8 Greater Manchester (Greater Manchester win on board count)
U140: Lancashire 7.5-8.5 Hertfordshire
U120: Hertfordshire 3.5-8.5 Essex
U100: Essex 6-6 Kent (Essex win on board count)

The ECF results page is here (to be updated):

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=36

A summary and a sense of the progression in each match is at Ian Hunnable's blog here:

http://www.essexchess.org.uk/index.php/ ... 2/mm-ccf12

Click on the tabs for more detail on each match.

There is a report on the Middlesex County Chess Association blog:

http://middlesexchess.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... venue.html

The list of champions for 2012 is:

Open: Middlesex
Minor: Hertfordshire
U180: Middlesex
U160: Greater Manchester
U140: Hertfordshire
U120: Essex
U100: Essex

As others have observed, only Greater Manchester breaking the SCCU hegemony (this was guaranteed as it was the only final not featuring a SCCU team)! Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Essex all achieve doubles. Commiserations to all the losing finalists, but especially to Yorkshire for losing both their finals, one by the narrowest of margins.

A couple of thoughts from me, as someone attending the finals day for the first time (playing for Middlesex U180). It was an excellent day out, and the chess was very enjoyable. The Open (Lowenthal) trophy, which I'd not seen before, was very impressive. The arbiting, controlling, organisation, facilities, bookstall and refreshments were all excellent.

The only matches I really managed to follow (after drawing my own game in eminently forgettable fashion) were the U180 and Open. Which was a pity as I see that no fewer than three matches were decided on board count and two (including the Open) were decided only by one point. The U180 final was mostly uneventful, with a fair number of draws and a couple of wins from Middlesex, until one of our players blundered in a winning position. Even then, the result never really looked in doubt. Have been very impressed by the play from the team as a whole this season, as in the matches I played in there always seemed to be something in reserve or an existing edge going into the final hour of play.

The Open was more exciting to follow, with an early lead from Surrey pegged back, and then Middlesex establishing a one-point lead with Middlesex ahead or level on the remaining three boards, which all finished in draws. The final board (board 4 I think) went down to the last five minutes and less for both players. The Middlesex player (White) had less time, but in the end it reached K+R (Middlesex) vs K+B (Surrey) and it was the Surrey player (Black) who claimed a draw, then converted to a draw offer, with the Middlesex player accepting. I had been worried that White might lose on time without claiming a draw (Surrey would have won on board count if they had managed to win this or one of the other draws on the top boards), but of course K+B isn't mating material against K+R (though K+N against K+R is).

There are some photos in various places, including the Essex website linked above. Hopefully more links to reports and photos will be posted in this thread or on the forum over the next few days. Congratulations to all the winners, and from a personal point of view it's great that Middlesex managed to win both the Open and U180!

[Sean Hewitt]

Detailed Results

Open http://www.e2e4.org.uk/CountiesFinals/open.htm
Minor http://www.e2e4.org.uk/CountiesFinals/minor.htm
U180 http://www.e2e4.org.uk/CountiesFinals/u180.htm
U160 http://www.e2e4.org.uk/CountiesFinals/u160.htm
U140 http://www.e2e4.org.uk/CountiesFinals/u140.htm
U120 http://www.e2e4.org.uk/CountiesFinals/u120.htm
U100 http://www.e2e4.org.uk/CountiesFinals/u100.htm

[Mick Norris]

A couple of thoughts from me, as someone attending the finals day for the first time (playing for Middlesex U180). It was an excellent day out, and the chess was very enjoyable. The Open (Lowenthal) trophy, which I'd not seen before, was very impressive. The arbiting, controlling, organisation, facilities, bookstall and refreshments were all excellent.

The only matches I really managed to follow (after drawing my own game in eminently unforgettable fashion) were the U180 and Open. Which was a pity as I see that no fewer than three matches were decided on board count and two (including the Open) were decided only by one point.

Chris, apologies for again failing to introduce myself, but as you say, there seemed no time to look at other sections and it was pot luck who I managed to bump into

First time for me, glad I have experienced the finals, which in advance I had assumed would be an occasion to be happy to take part in, rather than just happy to win

I was very happy to win, surprised really there was not more show of emotion all round, but disappointed to see Lancs lose the U140 despite having Jim Tennant-Smith on top board among the half-dozen MCF players in their team - and ditto Yorks U180 as I had a clubmate playing for them

Well run event, the refreshments were excellent (as expected from Julie and Cyril), nice to see Andrew there with the bookstall, the room was well lit, spacious, no problems with temperature and almost no problems with noise

However, we were still playing in a sports hall with uncomfortable chairs, tables difficult to write on with carbon-copy scoresheets, oversize chess pieces and not enough arbiters (we had 1 intervention in our match, could have been more, and when the title was on the line with 6 seconds left on a Yorks clock, no arbiter to be seen)

Which brings me to the time control, what a farce as usual - why not have a sensible time control with increment, and not need as many arbiters?

It wasn't the worst conditions we have experienced this season, but it wasn't the best which is what a final should be

On balance, little point with having such a central venue, and maybe at worst 2 neutral venues (London and Birmingham) might make more sense (until the ECF gets a competent marketing director, sponsorship for a prestigious event with over 200 players, allowing a decent venue as per 4NCL)

Finally, what have the winning players got to show for it?

[John Swain]

Finally, what have the winning players got to show for it?

Well done to my old county, Greater Manchester, taking the U160 title.

I suggest you do what we did in Notts last season when our U180 team took the national title - pay for medals for each of the team. I'm sure your players would appreciate it. I think it cost the Notts CA about £5 a head. The ECF used to do this but it would appear does not have the resources.

[AustinElliott]

Finally, what have the winning players got to show for it?

Well done to my old county, Greater Manchester, taking the U160 title.

I suggest you do what we did in Notts last season when our U180 team took the national title - pay for medals for each of the team. I'm sure your players would appreciate it. I think it cost the Notts CA about £5 a head. The ECF used to do this but it would appear does not have the resources.

That sounds like a really excellent idea - and how about medals to be presented formally to the team at the Manchester Autumn Congress at the end of August, when presumably a lot of the winning U-160 outfit will be competing?

[Mick Norris]

Austin

I had thought about that, as the MCF AGM is too soon (19 July), although no idea how many of the team will play, it could be good to get together the whole squad, not just the 16 who played yesterday

[Christopher Kreuzer]

A couple of thoughts from me, as someone attending the finals day for the first time (playing for Middlesex U180). It was an excellent day out, and the chess was very enjoyable. The Open (Lowenthal) trophy, which I'd not seen before, was very impressive. The arbiting, controlling, organisation, facilities, bookstall and refreshments were all excellent.

The only matches I really managed to follow (after drawing my own game in eminently unforgettable fashion) were the U180 and Open. Which was a pity as I see that no fewer than three matches were decided on board count and two (including the Open) were decided only by one point.

Chris, apologies for again failing to introduce myself, but as you say, there seemed no time to look at other sections and it was pot luck who I managed to bump into

Not at all. I knew some of those who post here would be there and should have tried to look you up as well. I did arrive late, though I had time after my game had finished.

<snip bits>

However, we were still playing in a sports hall with uncomfortable chairs, tables difficult to write on with carbon-copy scoresheets, oversize chess pieces and not enough arbiters (we had 1 intervention in our match, could have been more, and when the title was on the line with 6 seconds left on a Yorks clock, no arbiter to be seen)

Oh dear. What actually happened in the end?

In that sort of situation, I think it is quite acceptable for team-mates or captains in the last few minutes to go and ask an arbiter to be present if any are available. I know David Welch was there for the concluding moments of the last board to finish in the Open, so arbiters were around.

And if a player needs to make a claim or complaint or request of an arbiter, they are entitled to stop the clock and go and get (or ask someone to go and get) an arbiter.

Which brings me to the time control, what a farce as usual - why not have a sensible time control with increment, and not need as many arbiters?

I think this is to avoid the event over-running in terms of time. If there are not enough arbiters, one thing is to have a different (reduced) time control for the lower sections (the two 12-board matches, the U100 and U120), so they finish earlier. You do need to make sure those sections finishing early don't make too much noise, as other matches will still be going on, and time scrambles don't always happen at the end of a playing session, but it might help.

It wasn't the worst conditions we have experienced this season, but it wasn't the best which is what a final should be

On balance, little point with having such a central venue, and maybe at worst 2 neutral venues (London and Birmingham) might make more sense (until the ECF gets a competent marketing director, sponsorship for a prestigious event with over 200 players, allowing a decent venue as per 4NCL)

Finally, what have the winning players got to show for it?

I think certificates are/can be issued? Not 100% sure of that, though. Medals would be nicer, I agree!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Links to a few more reports:

The U180 and U160 match reports from Yorkshire:

http://yorkshirechess.org/county-champi ... al-report/

I'm mentioned indirectly in "We hoped Roger Jennings had a sacrificial attack to win but his opponent safely waded through the complications and Roger had to accept a draw". OK, so I was glossing over things slightly when I said my game was eminently forgettable... it was the game next to me (board 9) that left me stunned for about five minutes and completely unable to concentrate on my game. Worth looking up if anyone is interested.

Brief comment on the U160 match from Greater Manchester:

http://www.mccu.org.uk/cm11-12/national ... 7jul12.htm

And a photo on the front page of the MCCU site:

http://www.mccu.org.uk/index.htm

Not sure where that photo will end up later on, but it is currently there.

[Alex Holowczak]

I think certificates are/can be issued? Not 100% sure of that, though. Medals would be nicer, I agree!

I've asked various people about this, because people often asked me about it. I may as well comment publicly on this issue...

When the decision was made a few years ago to remove the trophies, and replace them with free catering, there was no provision for certificates to be issued at all. The certificates were a myth, apparently.

Since then, Controllers have come and gone, none of whom have awarded certificates.

So I'm rather confused. I don't know where the myth has come from, but it seems certificates were never on the agenda. This was news to me when I found out about it a few weeks ago.

For what it's worth, I think a return to trophies/medals is a discussion worth having. However, this is too late for 2012/13 now. If someone puts it on the agenda for the 2013 Finance Council meeting, then I'd be happy for it to be discussed. Note that by doing this, the ECF would have to put the team entry fee up accordingly (which is why it's best at the Finance Council meeting).