Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Details of upcoming UK events, please provide working links if possible.
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Wadih Khoury
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Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:14 pm

Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Wadih Khoury » Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:38 pm

Hi everyone,

Subject to usual pandemic caveats, I will be organising a 6 rounds, 60+30, ECF + FIDE rated tournament at the same venue in Oxfordshire, accessible from London, South East and Midlands.

£30 entry fees. Limited number of reduce £20 fees for those 1900+ on both ECF and FIDE and limited free entries for players 2000+ FIDE.

Hopefully 3 sections, (min 10, max 16 per section) organised by strength (average of ECF and FIDE rating), with a minimum of juniors and women/girls per section.
Max capacity of 48.

For those of you disliking masks, they will be strongly recommended but not mandated at the board, but will be mandatory when moving inside the building.
All subject of course to changes in laws and recommendations as we near the date of the event.

Tournament rules and safety protocols here: https://tinyurl.com/63k5um5m

Registration link here: https://tinyurl.com/msbx788h

Wadih Khoury
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Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:14 pm

Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Wadih Khoury » Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:51 pm

Participants list now available here:
https://www.vegaresult.com/vega-trn/ind ... ent_id=588

Angus French
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Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Angus French » Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:45 am

Wadih Khoury wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:38 pm
Hi everyone,

Subject to usual pandemic caveats, I will be organising a 6 rounds, 60+30, ECF + FIDE rated tournament at the same venue in Oxfordshire, accessible from London, South East and Midlands.

£30 entry fees. Limited number of reduce £20 fees for those 1900+ on both ECF and FIDE and limited free entries for players 2000+ FIDE.

Hopefully 3 sections, (min 10, max 16 per section) organised by strength (average of ECF and FIDE rating), with a minimum of juniors and women/girls per section.
Max capacity of 48.

For those of you disliking masks, they will be strongly recommended but not mandated at the board, but will be mandatory when moving inside the building.
All subject of course to changes in laws and recommendations as we near the date of the event.

Tournament rules and safety protocols here: https://tinyurl.com/63k5um5m

Registration link here: https://tinyurl.com/msbx788h
Well done for putting on an event. But can I ask: what is the point of not mandating mask wearing while at the board but mandating it at other times?

Wadih Khoury
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Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Wadih Khoury » Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:30 am

It's based on last year's protocols and a compromise between the various views on the subject.

Angus French
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Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Angus French » Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:59 am

Wadih Khoury wrote:
Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:30 am
It's based on last year's protocols and a compromise between the various views on the subject.
I think it's pretty much accepted that the major risk is from airborne transmission and, if a player is infectious, those that are closest - the opponent and others playing close by - are going to be at most risk due to a greater concentration of virus-carrying aerosols.
Last edited by Angus French on Fri Jan 28, 2022 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Wadih Khoury
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Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Wadih Khoury » Fri Jan 28, 2022 12:02 pm

Agreed. I mean a compromise between those that reject masks (and they are no longer legally mandated) and those who want to maintain this strong mitigating measure.
Like all compromises, I hope it will keep everyone reasonably satisfied while accepting it cannot please everyone.
I will keep a mask at all times and encourage people to do so.

Wadih Khoury
Posts: 604
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:14 pm

Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Wadih Khoury » Mon Feb 21, 2022 9:04 am

The event went on successfully, congratulations to the winners!

The most common observation was it was a much tougher tournament than most, which is exactly the experience I hoped to offer to the players. A 6 round marathon against players of similar caliber.

Results can be seen here:


Section A: https://www.vegaresult.com/vega-trn/index.php?id=891
Section B: https://www.vegaresult.com/vega-trn/index.php?id=892
Section C: https://www.vegaresult.com/vega-trn/index.php?id=893

Leonard Barden
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Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Leonard Barden » Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:43 am

Impressive that so many strong players attended, that's exactly what we used to aim for in the London and Liverpool junior invitation tournaments of the distant 1970s. Keep up the good work.

Wadih Khoury
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Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Wadih Khoury » Mon Feb 21, 2022 12:33 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:
Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:43 am
Impressive that so many strong players attended, that's exactly what we used to aim for in the London and Liverpool junior invitation tournaments of the distant 1970s. Keep up the good work.
Yes I was surprised by the quality and level of the participants, and many strong junior players ended up in section B (some are British junior champions, terrafinalists or participants to the adult championship).

In my opinion, what attracts the stronger players is the fact that they can have 6 games against players in their skill range (unlike in an open where you sometimes alternate a very easy and very hard opponent) and the fact that the format limits rating disparities. I also had a limited number of subsidised places which helped.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Over the Board Returns 4 - Oxford - Feb 19th-20th

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Feb 21, 2022 3:52 pm

Wadih Khoury wrote:
Mon Feb 21, 2022 12:33 pm
[Yes I was surprised by the quality and level of the participants,
I see one of the co-winners, Matthew Dignam, had been tempted out of OTB retirement in England. According to the ECF rating history, he last played in a toirnament in 2014 and hasn't played league chess since 2008. Both myself and Roger Lancaster were amongst his final club opponents.

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