Nottingham Rapidplay and Nottingham Congress 2024

[John Swain]

The Nottingham Rapidplay will take place on Sunday 4 February and the Nottingham Congress on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 April, 2024, both at our usual venue, Nottingham High School.

Details of the Rapidplay have been published at: https://www.nottinghamshirechess.org/competitions/

The Rapidplay will be a 6 round Swiss system event, with five ECF-rated sections (Open, Major <1900, Intermediate <1700, Minor <1500, Improvers <1300). The entry fees are £20 for adults and £15 for juniors, whilst the prizes in each section are £200 for first, £100 for second and £50 for third. There will be a £30 rating prize in each section and other prizes may be added depending on number of entries. Entry is free for GMs, WGMs, IMs and WIMs.

[John Swain]

Our capacity for this year's Nottingham Rapidplay has been increased to 180 (last year it was 160). We have just had our 160th entrant and are filling up fast! There is also a £5 late entry fee which applies in just over 24 hours, at midnight on 29/30 January, which may concentrate minds tomorrow!

We will compile a Reserves' List and dip into this if we have withdrawals, but unfortunately we had to disappoint sixteen folk on the Reserves' List in 2023.

[John Swain]

As it states on the NCA website, capacity has now been reached, as of 9.45 p.m. this evening. If you wish to be put on the Reserve List, please email the NCA Tournament Committee: [email protected]

Please state the relevant information found on p.2 of the entry form: https://rapidplay.nottinghamshirechess. ... m_2024.pdf

We will contact you if we have space. You would be able to pay in cash on the day.

[John Swain]

The results of the Nottingham Rapidplay, including prize-winners, may be seen at:
https://www.nottinghamshirechess.org/wp ... Prizes.pdf

The Open was won jointly by GM Mark Hebden and IM Jonah Willow with Kamila Hryshchenko third.

£250 was raised for the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal from the sale of hot drinks and disposal of some books, DVDs and videos by West Nottingham Chess Club. Thanks are due to the parents and other volunteers who staffed this facility and to Simon Scott for coming up with the idea to downsize WNCC kit.

Thanks are also due to: Marcel Taylor who sponsored the prizes in the Improvers section; Steve Burke and Graham Neil who collected entry fees; arbiters Phill Beckett, Stephen Humphreys, Simon Scott, John Swain, Marcel Taylor and Hambel Willow; Nottinghamshire Primary Schools Chess Association for the loan of equipment; the capacity attendance of players, who in some cases helped us to set up.

Entries are now being taken for the 47th Nottingham Congress, 20-21 April: https://www.nottinghamshirechess.org/competitions/

[John Swain]

A record 172 players competed in the Nottingham Congress, compared with 153 last year. We had accepted 180 entries (our maximum) but unfortunately there were eight last-minute withdrawals for a variety of reasons. The Open was won jointly by IM Andrew Ledger and Samuel A. Walker. Prize-winners and entrants may be viewed here:
https://www.nottinghamshirechess.org/wp ... izes-1.pdf

The loss guarantee kindly provided by Nottinghamshire Chess Foundation was therefore not required and an extra £200 in prizes was distributed via £40 Slow Starter awards in each section for players scoring no more than one point from the first three rounds.

From sale of refreshments £352.50 was raised for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal. Thanks are due especially to Marc Richmond but also to Florian Biermann and Graham Neil and occasional help from arbiters for staffing the hot drinks facility.

Thanks are also due to all the other organisers and arbiters who helped to make the Congress a success – Phill Beckett, Steve Burke, Stephen Humphreys, Graham Neil, Simon Scott, John Swain, Marcel Taylor and Hambel Willow.

Marcel Taylor is finally bowing out after seven years of very generous sponsorship, initially of the Congress and later the Rapidplay as well, for which we are extremely grateful. Marcel also came up with the idea of an Improvers section at both events. The competitors and organisers gave him a very well-deserved round of applause.

Full results may be seen at chess-results.com https://chess-results.com/tnr904680.aspx?lan=1