World Senior Chess Championship S50

[Graham Borrowdale]

He did play in the Delancey Blitz at Richmond a couple of months back but no games seem to be available. However, given the distance between him and the rest of the field he seems in fine form!

http://results.tournamentdirector.co.uk ... B5530E04CB

Got to love the 2nd round pairing: John Nunn - Petra Fink-Nunn

Just out of interest, is John Nunn's very old inactive rating used to rate his opponents' results?

[IM Jack Rudd]

Just out of interest, is John Nunn's very old inactive rating used to rate his opponents' results?

Yes.

[Lewis Martin]

He did play in the Delancey Blitz at Richmond a couple of months back but no games seem to be available. However, given the distance between him and the rest of the field he seems in fine form!

http://results.tournamentdirector.co.uk ... B5530E04CB

It was a blitz tournament, so unless there was some live coverage, which is unlikely, then there wouldn't be many (if any) recorded games in full.

With regards to distance from the rest of the field, which is also relevant to the upcoming tournament, how much 'weaker' does a player become after not playing so much?

Speaking about my personal experience, it doesn't take me much more than a few games to perhaps get to average of my performance, and subsequently after some more games, I get stronger with less rust. I had a good 4NCL season in part due to a steady flow of games like the local league. After a brief hiatus due to exams, this more or less stopped. I had the World Deaf Team Championships in Opatija coming up and I decided to play in the local congress and just without any expectations other than just trying to win one game. Indeed, I overlooked a tactic in the first round and lost, and was a bit more steady after, with 2 wins, and a hard-fought draw. (I had a bye Friday evening)

So, a 2270-odd perf in the 4NCL season, after a little break and subsequent small dip in the local congress I had a 2241 performance in Opatija. Not a huge amount of difference after a few games just to "remember how to play chess again".

Obviously Nunn's hiatus is longer (and at a much higher level) than mine. But I suspect that after one or two reasonably strong tournaments, Nunn won't be that far off his best to challenge for the World Seniors in Greece.

[Roger de Coverly]

With regards to distance from the rest of the field, which is also relevant to the upcoming tournament, how much 'weaker' does a player become after not playing so much?

One point, less relevant in an Over 50s tournament, is that styles of play and even entire opening ideas can evolve or emerge. Those playing continuously may see these as they develop. If absent from a continuous involvement, you might miss old certainties being overturned.

It's more than just sharp opening theory, positional assessments can also change to the potential disadvantage of the player who doesn't know the new material.

[Martin Crichton]

John Nunn playing! Nailed on favourite for world champion.

Nailed on favourite to come 2nd - Keith ARKELL is playing..

you must be high on something lol I remember seeing Nunn give Arkell a lesson in the 1998 Bunratty masters....it would be interesting to see what the one to one record is between the 2

I smashed Nunn a few years ago in a rapid play event... mind you that was the other Nunn (Petra)

I think John will be favourite to win - ring rust or not... (Sadler came out of retirement a few years ago and held his rating.) Nunn might do the same!.....he will never drop as low as your heros current rating of 2440!

[John Moore]

John Nunn playing! Nailed on favourite for world champion. Guess he'll be a bit rusty though.

I wonder what his opening repertoire will be. English Attack / Najdorf /Modern Benoni?

Great to see the Doctor entering the field again. Wouldn't it be strange if he now played Reti/English as White and the Berlin with Black

[Kevin Thurlow]

John has been producing the occasional book, so although he may well not be playing much OTB chess, he has certainly been looking at opening analysis. It may be more an issue of getting tired after several hours at the board rather than wondering what to do after 1.e4 c5.

[Keith Arkell]

you must be high on something lol I remember seeing Nunn give Arkell a lesson in the 1998 Bunratty masters....it would be interesting to see what the one to one record is between the 2

Nunn..... will never drop as low as your heros current rating of 2440!

Try not to let facts get in the way of a good story. I didn't play in the 1998 Bunratty Masters, and I didn't play John Nunn anywhere else in 1998 either. From the 90s I can only find 5 games between us:
Lloyds Bank Masters '90 draw
Lloyds Bank Masters '92 loss for me
Isle of Man '94 loss for me
4NCL '97 draw
and our last game, from the Golombek Memorial in 2000 was a draw.

Before those games John used to beat me easily( apart from a win I had in a rapidplay at Leeds once). Remember that he was one of the very strongest players in the world, whereas I was not even a GM until 1996, after which we just had those 2 draws at the end.

You mocked my rating, Martin, but you really shouldn't take those things too seriously. I think I am quite a bit stronger now than when I was rated 2545 in 1996, and I think my tournament results and relative game quality bear that out.

It should be a very interesting Championship, with great representration from England now that John Nunn and Mark Hebden are playing.

[Martin Crichton]

I stand corrected Keith...on reflection it was I think Joe Gallagher in 98 that John gave a chess lesson to!
I mocked your rating? lol Keith (I was mocking your adoring fan not you!)... you are clearly a bit stronger than 2440 but good to see you recognising that John is in a different category than your good self...always good to keep things in perspective for some of your fans above
Was it 1983 that you first played in the Mulcahy in Ireland? I think Hebden was the first visitor when he was an IM followed by yourself and Britton, Gallagher, your ex, and a quite a few others after that. Those were the good old days when you were a rising star.

[Keith Arkell]

Of course Jonn was in a different class to me. AS I said, you are essentially comparing an IM with a world class GM!

Although there are only 6 years between us, it is still as if we are from different generations. John retired from a fantastic playing career 14 years ago and I am steadily improving at the game, and eg have played some of my best chess and got some of my best results this year.

Someone doesn't have to be an adoring fan to have a view in contradiction to the stats the original poster, Chris, was drawing attention to. My own view is simply that it should be very interesting.

Just one comment about ratings: I am over the moon to see that FIDE have finally realised that something drastic had to be done in order to bring junior ratings in line, as quickly as possible, with their actual playing strength. Giving juniors a K-factor of 40 means that those of us who play a lot of rated games against juniors will now start to see our ratings normalise.

Because of this, I'm going to put myself on the line here and say that in 6 months time my rating will be a lot more healthy than it is now (2440, for reference, in case anyone digs up this thread next year!)

[Martin Crichton]

Keith,
I couldn't agree more about the juniors and in 12 months time it will be much more attractive to enter tournaments that are riddled with juniors (most these days) as playing these kids you are essentially on a hiding to nothing...you gain nothing for beating them and lose a stack for drawing or losing to them.
I would suggest a lot of people are put off playing in tournaments for this exact reason. Good luck in the worlds over 50's. (I do follow your Caro-Cann games)

[Chris Rice]

It should also be noted Keith that you are the reigning European 50+ champion and currently the number 10 seed so you have an excellent shot at winning this just as Nick Burrows said! As does Mark Hebden. In fact three of the top 10 are English in a world championship event. Can't think that's ever happened before.

[Mick Norris]

http://worldseniors2014.fide.com/en/players
currently has
Starting rank
No. Name FideID FED Rtg
1 GM Nunn John D M 400017 ENG 2602
2 GM Hebden Mark L 400084 ENG 2554
3 GM Sturua Zurab 13600095 GEO 2523
4 GM Sveshnikov Evgeny 4100638 LAT 2502
5 GM Movsziszian Karen 13301152 ARM 2487
6 IM Kalegin Evgenij 4103416 RUS 2474
7 GM Arkell Keith C 400270 ENG 2440
8 IM Bruno Fabio 801038 ITA 2436
9 GM Kristiansen Jens 1400061 DEN 2405
10 IM Barle Janez 14600021 SLO 2338
11 IM Stepovoj Vladimir 4120159 RUS 2323
12 GM Bouaziz Slim 5500010 TUN 2321
13 IM Pritchett Craig W 2400065 SCO 2315
14 FM Chapman Terry P D 413399 ENG 2304

[Chris Rice]

Apologies, I stand corrected there. The link goes to all players where Keith is No 10 but clicking on the relevant section heading he is indeed No 7 seed and with an even better chance of winning. Three ENG players in top seven and five British players in the top 13 if you include Craig Pritchett. If Scotland goes independent will we be able to say British any more?

[Lewis Martin]

Off topic, but with regards to Chris R's post: was the World top 10 ever listed with 3 English players? I.e. Nunn, Short and Speelman. They've obviously flirted with it a few times, and while I'm sure there were 2 at the same time, were there ever 3?