Northumberland Chess Congress

Details of upcoming UK events, please provide working links if possible.
Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:49 pm

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:19 pm
Well, congratulations on getting an event going anyway!
I completely agree with Kevin. The best thing we can do is support Mick and get the word around.
It is going to be tough running an OTB tournament in these times.
I've met Mick twice. At Blackpool and Scarborough Congresses. He is a good egg and his heart is in the right place.

Nick Grey
Posts: 1838
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:16 am

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Nick Grey » Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:25 pm

Hope It is going to knock Barnard Castle off the number 1 spot on the up north tourist map.

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Sun Aug 16, 2020 10:54 am

Nick Grey wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:25 pm
Hope It is going to knock Barnard Castle off the number 1 spot on the up north tourist map.
Barnard Castle is a lovely place. Been there once before many years ago.
Very nice by the river. I wonder if a statue of Dominic Cummins will be built in Barnard Castle.
If I win the lottery I will take you on holiday there along with the other Nicks on the forum. Nick Ivell, Nick Faulks and Nick Burrows.
My other friends on the forum I'll take to Portmeirion.

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Wed Aug 19, 2020 10:39 am

Number of entrants has increased to 36.
Good to see a number of forum members have entered already.

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:41 pm

I've just been on the Northumberland Chess Association website and Mick Riding has done a Covid 19 Protocol as regards to hygiene etc.
On the Northumberland Chess Congress website there are now 38 entrants.

ben.graff
Posts: 98
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 5:53 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by ben.graff » Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:01 am

I’ve just entered. It is a bit outside my normal patch, but what the heck! Hats off to the organisers for getting this on. There will be compromises all round I’m sure, but well worth it. Great to give those who want to play the opportunity.

My hunch is that it will be easier to get League chess moving again, once a few OTB tournaments have taken place. Here’s hoping! Northumberland, bring it on!

I guess if we find people playing sixty-move games in five minutes in Northumberland, we will know it is going to take a bit of time for everyone to adjust to OTB again! 😀
Ben Graff
Author of 'Checkmate! Great Champions And Epic Matches From A Timeless Game' 'The Greenbecker Gambit' and 'Find Another Place'

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Wed Aug 26, 2020 12:44 pm

ben.graff wrote:
Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:01 am
I’ve just entered. It is a bit outside my normal patch, but what the heck! Hats off to the organisers for getting this on. There will be compromises all round I’m sure, but well worth it. Great to give those who want to play the opportunity.

My hunch is that it will be easier to get League chess moving again, once a few OTB tournaments have taken place. Here’s hoping! Northumberland, bring it on!

I guess if we find people playing sixty-move games in five minutes in Northumberland, we will know it is going to take a bit of time for everyone to adjust to OTB again! 😀
Good to hear that you've entered Ben. Although your name has still not appeared on the list of entries yet.
There seems to be a Dallas that has entered twice, not sure.
It has Christian name spelt slightly different and slightly different grade but both from Dumfries and Galloway.

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:04 am

Simon Rogers wrote:
Wed Aug 26, 2020 12:44 pm
ben.graff wrote:
Sat Aug 22, 2020 10:01 am
I’ve just entered. It is a bit outside my normal patch, but what the heck! Hats off to the organisers for getting this on. There will be compromises all round I’m sure, but well worth it. Great to give those who want to play the opportunity.

My hunch is that it will be easier to get League chess moving again, once a few OTB tournaments have taken place. Here’s hoping! Northumberland, bring it on!

I guess if we find people playing sixty-move games in five minutes in Northumberland, we will know it is going to take a bit of time for everyone to adjust to OTB again! 😀
Good to hear that you've entered Ben. Although your name has still not appeared on the list of entries yet.
There seems to be a Dallas that has entered twice, not sure.
It has Christian name spelt slightly different and slightly different grade but both from Dumfries and Galloway.
I've just been on the Northumberland Chess Congress website and your name has now appeared on the list of entries Ben.
One of the Dallas surnames has been removed.
There are now 39 entries to date.

Adam Ashton
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:37 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Adam Ashton » Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:01 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 5:42 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Sat Aug 15, 2020 3:56 pm
One special condition seems unique to this event.
Players must record their move before pressing the clock. Including players who continue to record moves despite being below the ‘five minute’ marker. This is to mitigate the risk of transgressing distancing rules when it is your opponents move.
I have to say that I don't see the point. If anything it would encourage disputes and the need to summon the arbiter if a player writes the move down, crosses it out, writes another down, crosses it out etc.
I took that to mean the required sequence is:
  1. Move
  2. Write move down
  3. Press clock
  4. Sit back
so what you are concerned about can't happen.

But I agree it's ineffective if the intent is to try to ensure that the player who's just moved has sat back before the player now to move leans forward. They're entitled to make their move as soon as their opponent has played theirs. There is no requirement to wait for the clock to be pressed. The second condition you'd need to introduce stop both players leaning forwards at the same time is that you're not allowed to play your move until your opponent has started your clock.

The sitting back condition seems problematic to me anyway:
Players must sit back after making a move.
That's not a normal thing to do, particularly if you're expecting a quick reply to a move by your opponent, or you're short of time and need to play your next move quickly. Players will probably inadvertently break it through habit.
You can reply before your opponent has pressed the clock? I always thought a move was not 'complete' until you push the clock, so assumed this wasn't allowed.

Best of luck to Mick with the event, hope it goes well.

Ian Thompson
Posts: 3543
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:31 pm
Location: Awbridge, Hampshire

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Ian Thompson » Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:37 pm

Adam Ashton wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:01 pm
You can reply before your opponent has pressed the clock? I always thought a move was not 'complete' until you push the clock, so assumed this wasn't allowed.
Yes. There is no law requiring a player to wait for the clock to be pressed and Law 6.2.2 implies that there is no need to wait - "A player must be allowed to stop his clock after making his move, even after the opponent has made his next move."

You're right that the move isn't 'complete' until the clock has been pressed, but the criterion for you being allowed to move is that your opponent has 'made' their move, not 'completed' their move.

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21291
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:53 pm

Adam Ashton wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:01 pm
You can reply before your opponent has pressed the clock? I always thought a move was not 'complete' until you push the clock, so assumed this wasn't allowed.
Before increments were commonplace, you could see the sequence, move, move, clock, clock from time to time when the second player was very short of time. With increments, players use the sequence move, clock, write. I would expect force of habit would overcome attempts by the Northumberland organisers to change this,

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Thu Aug 27, 2020 2:24 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:53 pm
Adam Ashton wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:01 pm
You can reply before your opponent has pressed the clock? I always thought a move was not 'complete' until you push the clock, so assumed this wasn't allowed.
Before increments were commonplace, you could see the sequence, move, move, clock, clock from time to time when the second player was very short of time. With increments, players use the sequence move, clock, write. I would expect force of habit would overcome attempts by the Northumberland organisers to change this,
With Alex Mcfarlane one of the organisers, I doubt any force of habit would overcome it.
Alex's booming Scottish voice scares me.
I remember playing my first congress in Blackpool during the mid 1990s at the famous Winter Gardens and I could hear Alex shouting before each round:
" Don't forget to pick up an entry form for the Glenrothes Chess Congress."

Tim Spanton
Posts: 1204
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 11:35 am
Contact:

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Tim Spanton » Thu Aug 27, 2020 5:13 pm

Simon Rogers wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 2:24 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:53 pm
Adam Ashton wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:01 pm
You can reply before your opponent has pressed the clock? I always thought a move was not 'complete' until you push the clock, so assumed this wasn't allowed.
Before increments were commonplace, you could see the sequence, move, move, clock, clock from time to time when the second player was very short of time. With increments, players use the sequence move, clock, write. I would expect force of habit would overcome attempts by the Northumberland organisers to change this,
With Alex Mcfarlane one of the organisers, I doubt any force of habit would overcome it.
Alex's booming Scottish voice scares me.
I remember playing my first congress in Blackpool during the mid 1990s at the famous Winter Gardens and I could hear Alex shouting before each round:
" Don't forget to pick up an entry form for the Glenrothes Chess Congress."
His voice sometimes scares me too, if there is someone on hand to translate his words into English

NickFaulks
Posts: 8452
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Aug 27, 2020 5:51 pm

Tim Spanton wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 5:13 pm
His voice sometimes scares me too, if there is someone on hand to translate his words into English
You're really not intending to come home, are you?
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Simon Rogers
Posts: 2337
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2020 4:30 pm

Re: Northumberland Chess Congress

Post by Simon Rogers » Sun Aug 30, 2020 11:23 am

I've just been on the Northumberland Chess Congress website.
The number of entries has increased to 43.
There are players on the list travelling from as far as Watford, Cirencester and Newbury.

Post Reply