Five days in London!!

Giulio Simeone · Post by **Giulio Simeone** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:07 pm

Hello,
I just spent five days in London and I wanted to share with you some photos. I liked very much either the centre's major attractions (Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, ecc.), either the houses' architecture, which is very different from Italy's standards. The first day we made a sightseeing tour on the Thames, it was really wonderful. I planned carefully the routes through the city, but I should have planned them even more carefully because more than one time we didn't find the right bus stops and we had to call taxies. We stayed in Acton, in an hotel that was quite nice but was too far from the centre.

This time I hadn't time for chess ... but next time I will

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John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:00 am

Hi Giulio,
I read your post and enjoyed the photos you attached. One actually has blue sky so I am relieved that you had at least one sunny day in London.
(From Saturday onwards it was perfect weather for playing chess.)
In future if you arrive at Heathrow and want to be nearer the centre you could try the Hammersmith area - there are some large modern hotels there and they aren't too expensive (except for during the Olympics).
If you want any details about playing chess in the UK you only have to ask here.

Giulio Simeone · Post by **Giulio Simeone** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 2:38 pm

Hello John,
you are right, since Saturday London's weather was perfect for playing chess, actually the girl I was travelling with went so discouraged by the cold that the last day we stayed all the time around the hotel!! I even tried to look for chess clubs in West London, but I find only the Chiswick chess club, which seem to be open only on Wednesdays. Anyway, the bad weather of these days is not only an english feature, also in Rome it's quite cold and rainy.

I just took a look at the UK chess calendar, indeed the set of tournaments that will be played in North Shields on next July is very interesting ... I like northern england very much, I have looked at many photos and videos and the landscape seems really astonishing. Even the time rate is something that nowadays you don't found almost anywhere in the world, 90 minutes x 40 moves + 50 minutes x 20 moves + 15 minutes + 30 seconds/move. I would have to take two planes, or to approach Newcastle by train. Surely I will think about it

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:33 am

In Scotland one summer after a beautiful day there was so much rain and mist that my wife and I had to stay in the hotel next day.
Most English chess clubs open one evening a week but not weekends. Hastings' club is open more often, I believe.
The FIDE Major Open at the Brit. Champs. is a good event, but games are long and it is eleven rounds so not much free time.
Are you interested in architecture - you once mentioned a Mansard roof - do you know about London Open House weekend?
http://www.londonopenhouse.org

Giulio Simeone · Post by **Giulio Simeone** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 2:40 pm

You have a good memory John ... actually, in the thread where you and other people commented a game of mine, I said that my knight and my bishop find themselves in a roof mansard where there was space for only one element

I am not an architecture's expert, I only like to travel and to appreciate the differences between countries, and indeed architecture can be very different from one place to another.

Together with the British Championships and the FIDE major open there are also some five round tournaments, and you can choose to play in the morning, in the afternoon or in the weekend ... that's another unique feature, that I haven't found anywhere else. I could combine one of this tournaments with a longer vacation, if I found a reasonably cheap way to get to Newcastle, it's a possibility to take seriously into account.

John McKenna · Post by **John McKenna** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:43 am

Mansard is easy to remember because it's unusual. He was a French architect who loved the classical style but never visited Rome.
There may be cheap flights direct from Rome to Newcastle by Jet2. Trains are expensive unless booked early.
Morning tournaments at the Br. Ch. will be 40 moves in 100 mins. plus 20 mins. to finish - like a slow game then a rapid one. You might find that kind of 'weekend' chess difficult to adjust to.
At the British in Canterbury 2010 I enjoyed the 5-day afternoon 7 hr. games.

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Five days in London!!

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