1st FIDE Cheadle Open

[SarahLongson]

1st Cheadle FIDE Open - Tuesday 4 February to Thursday 6 February 2025

Cheshire and North Wales Chess Association are pleased to host this FIDE rated 6 round open event in the new Altitude Suite at the 4* Cheadle Village Hotel.

International Arbiter Matthew Carr will be running all games on live boards.

60 player capacity
£60 entry fee
FIDE and ECF Rated
Guaranteed cash prizes for winners
£250 - 1st place
£125 - 2nd place
£60 - 3rd place
£30 - rating prize

** Highest placed NCCU player (who has not already qualified) will win a free place to take part in the British Championships 2025 **

Current player list: https://chess-results.com/tnr1096569.aspx?lan=1

[Roger de Coverly]

Current player list: https://chess-results.com/tnr1096569.aspx?lan=1

The third seeded player is a name from the past. A contemporary and rival to Sheila Jackson in British Championships of the 1970s.
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/402567

[Mick Norris]

NCCU website

At the NCCU Council Meeting held by Zoom on 12/01/2025, arrangements for the 2024-25 NCCU Individual Championship and Senior Championship were agreed. It is appreciated notice is somewhat tight, so please circulate the information to those you think may be interested. Arrangements for the Junior Championship are yet to be made as the Cheadle dates fall on school term dates.

The Championship carries with it (if the winner is not already qualified) the option to be the

NCCU’s nominee for the British Championship 2025.

(The NCCU will refund the player’s entry fee after the event as long as they actually participate!)

If the Champion is already qualified or declines the option, then the option is offered on the same terms to the next-lower placed qualifying player.



NCCU eligibility requires that the player must hold at least one of the following qualifications.

a. birth in the area under the jurisdiction of a CCA affiliated to the NCCU.

b. five consecutive years residence at any time in the area under the jurisdiction of a CCA affiliated to the NCCU.

c. two years immediately previous and present membership of a club affiliated to a CCA which is in turn affiliated to the NCCU.

d. one month’s immediately previous and present residence in the area under the jurisdiction of a CCA affiliated to the NCCU.

e. present attendance as a teacher or student at a school, college or university in the area under the jurisdiction of a CCA affiliated to the NCCU.

[SarahLongson]

Prize fund has now been increased due to sponsorship from officialstaunton.com

1st - £400
2nd - £200
3rd - £100
Grading Prize - £100

[Mick Norris]

Current player list: https://chess-results.com/tnr1096569.aspx?lan=1

The third seeded player is a name from the past. A contemporary and rival to Sheila Jackson in British Championships of the 1970s.
https://ratings.fide.com/profile/402567

Susan Caldwell has started with 2 wins, beating Sarah Longson with black, and has white v Surtees in round 3

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Susan Caldwell has started with 2 wins, beating Sarah Longson with black, and has white v Surtees in round 3"

And now three wins...

Black in round 4 against Keith Arkell.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Caldwell vs Surtees in round 4 was a fun game:
[Event "1st Cheadle FIDE Open"] [Site "Village Hotel Cheadle, Cheadle Road, Cheadle SK8 1HW"] [Date "2025.02.05"] [Round "3"] [Board "2"] [White "Caldwell, Susan L"] [Black "Surtees, Mike J"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO ""] [WhiteElo "2150"] [BlackElo "2083"] [PlyCount "0"] [EventDate "2025.02.04"] [EventRounds "6"] [EventCountry "ENG"] 1. d4 g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. f4 e6 5. Nf3 Ne7 6. Be3 a6 7. Be2 Nd7 8. Qd2 h6 9. g4 Nf6 10. h3 b5 11. e5 b4 12. exf6 bxc3 13. Qxc3 Bxf6 14. Qd2 Nd5 15. Bf2 g5 16. fxg5 hxg5 17. Bg3 Bb7 18. O-O-O Nb6 19. Rh2 a5 20. Ng1 Bd5 21. a3 Rb8 22. Qxa5 c5 23. Qe1 Bxd4 24. Bb5+ Nd7 25. Bxd7+ Kxd7 26. c3 Bxg1 27. Qxg1 c4 28. Qf2 Rh7 29. h4 Qg8 30. h5 Qg7 31. Rxd5 exd5 32. Qa7+ Kc8 33. Bxd6 Rb7 34. Qa8+ Kd7 35. Qxb7+ Kxd6 36. Re2 f5 37. Qb6+ Kd7 38. Qe6+ Kc7 39. Qxf5 Qf7 40. Qxf7+ Rxf7 41. Rh2 Kd6 42. Kd2 Ke5 43. h6 Rh7 44. Ke3 d4+ 45. cxd4+ Kd5 46. Rh5 Re7+ 47. Kd2 Rh7 48. Kc3 Ke4 49. a4 Kf4 50. a5 Kxg4 51. Rh1 Kf3 52. a6 g4 53. a7 Rh8 54. h7 1-0

[Reg Clucas]

Caldwell vs Surtees in round 4 was a fun game

Not to be discouraged, Mike Surtees went on to play his 3rd game of the day later that evening, in the Stockport League.

[Leonard Barden]

Hard luck for Susan Caldwell, silver medallist for England in the 1976 Women's Olympiad at Haifa. In her first tournament for more than 40 years she was co-leader with 3/3 after the victories described above, but then blundered a stone cold endgame draw against GM Keith Arkell in Round 4. before again blundering in a near-winning position in Round 5.

[LawrenceCooper]

Hard luck for Susan Caldwell, silver medallist for England in the 1976 Women's Olympiad at Haifa. In her first tournament for more than 40 years she was co-leader with 3/3 after the victories described above, but then blundered a stone cold endgame draw against GM Keith Arkell in Round 4. before again blundering in a near-winning position in Round 5.

As someone who is very familiar with Keith's endgame prowess I wouldn't call an ending with level material a stone cold endgame draw.

[Leonard Barden]

https://lichess.org/broadcast/1st-chead ... G/SgTDN8ma

See 30...Nec5! eval 0.0 instead of 30...h4??

[LawrenceCooper]

https://lichess.org/broadcast/1st-chead ... G/SgTDN8ma

See 30...Nec5! eval 0.0 instead of 30...h4??

Yes, I see the evaluation but that doesn't mean the grandmaster can't find ways to cause problems.