British Championship Thread

[JustinHorton]

To me it's like watching your local team rather than the Champions' League: not the same standard perhaps, but you feel far more involved. Much more interesting in a number of ways.

[Ian Lamb]

yes that a good point Justin i agree with that.

[JamesMurphy]

I don't know if you've already commented on this but I was a little disgusted at the 14 move draw between Rendle and Eggleston in Round 8. Clearly Eggleston helps to get his IM norm by agreeing and Rendle it seems can't be bothered... That's not really very sportsmanlike and not really in the spirit of the game. Although it looks like Rendle has incredibly weak black squares he can still offer the exchange of the bishop with Bc1 and if Nh5 then g3 should stop any progress.

I think we need to stamp out "Grandmaster draws" from Chess. You don't win anything by agreeing a draw in 14 moves!

[Alex Holowczak]

I don't know if you've already commented on this but I was a little disgusted at the 14 move draw between Rendle and Eggleston in Round 8. Clearly Eggleston helps to get his IM norm by agreeing and Rendle it seems can't be bothered... That's not really very sportsmanlike and not really in the spirit of the game. Although it looks like Rendle has incredibly weak black squares he can still offer the exchange of the bishop with Bc1 and if Nh5 then g3 should stop any progress.

I think we need to stamp out "Grandmaster draws" from Chess. You don't win anything by agreeing a draw in 14 moves!

Well, I'm all for the tactical draw.

In the UK Chess Challenge, you might need 4/6 to go through to the next round. If you are on 3.5 going into the last round, and so is your opponent, who in their right mind will bother playing the game? Just play 1. e4, offer draw, go and catch the train. Job done. More players go through, which gets the competition organiser more money in entry fees, and more people get to experience the next stage. I can't see a single disadvantage.

I see that sort of thing as a tactic, just as much as any of the part of the game.

[Jonathan Bryant]

I think we need to stamp out "Grandmaster draws" from Chess. You don't win anything by agreeing a draw in 14 moves!

Last year there were a great many short draws but I can hardly recall any this time around. I've been meaning to post to comment on it but never quite got around to it. Rendle-Eggie is notable beacause for its rarity in the current tournament.


Incidentally, as to your "you don't win anything ..." line. Conquest's victory last year included a 9-move draw against Hebden.

[Roger de Coverly]

I think we need to stamp out "Grandmaster draws" from Chess.

The FIDE rules now state

The rules of a competition may specify that players cannot agree to a draw, whether in less than a specified number of moves or at all, without the consent of the arbiter.

No such specification applies at the British.

You don't win anything by agreeing a draw in 14 moves!

In this case though, there was the small matter of an IM Norm

http://www.britishchess09.com/norm_chances.htm

9 Round Norm Chances

These are provisional and subject to verification.

Eggleston
9 round IM – ½ /2 (v pin 44 or above in Round 9)
9 Round GM – 1 ½ /2 (v Pin 1 in Round 9)

[JustinHorton]

When there's nineteen games to watch, why should we care when one of them ends quickly?

[Ian Lamb]

of course if the im will take the draw why not and your on for an im norm this way then it seems sensible to offer the draw early then if he says no get it out of the sytem and play for win. seems a good idea to me.you then know what you have to do in the game.

[Geoff Chandler]

I don't know if you've already commented on this but I was a little disgusted at the 14 move draw between Rendle and Eggleston in Round 8.....

Hi James.

A wee bitty harsh that one. Disgusted? No. Slightly disapointed perhaps,
but fully understandable.

This was Eggleston's (and Rendle's) first draw of the tournament.
Cut them some slack.

[Keith Arkell]

On the subject of quick draws:

My last Draw in the British in under 30 moves was in the last round,with Black, v Gallagher on top board in 2001,as it happens.

I received an inordinate amount of criticism for this(admittedly wimpish) decision.

Do a little investigating though,and you'll be amazing to see how many of these critics turn out to have had their own fair share of quick draws when it has suited them!

In any case,who has worked the harder? The player who has had 3 decisive games in say 28,32 and 36 moves;or the player who has had two 95 move grinds,followed by a 10 move draw?

Right,I've got a game to prepare for.....err...on the other hand,it looks like a nice day for a round of pitch-and-putt....

[Ian Lamb]

keith pich and putt does not bring you rating points back !!!. Graham buckley today well iam expecting you to beat him you normally do.you can get plenty of practice at pich and putt at Paignton keith at oldway mansions. which is why you also one of the reasons you like to play at paignton is the rexlax from the chess with a round of putting i guess?

[Michele Clack]

An early draw might be perfectly reasonable if you have got into a position that tends to throw up a lot of draws, especially if it is the type of position you don't really enjoy playing. There is a world of difference between that and agreeing a draw without regard to the game just because it might get you something. The tactics should be played on the board in my opinion. I once had a chance for 2nd place in a weekend tournament if I won my last game. My opponent let me go into a benko and I thought I had a good chance. Unfortunately he knew an old line I didn't and I had my work cut out to equalise. I was quite a bit up on time but accepted a draw because I could see nothing else to try that gave me a winning chance except on time. The arbiter congratulated me on my sportsmanship but to me the game is there to be played and played in a good spirit. Saying that if it had been a team event I would have played on. Not logical I know but there you go.

[Ian Lamb]

michele that diffrent if playing for second place in a weekend tourny in last round then you will always go all out for the win but this is a diffrent situation there 3 rounds to go chance of an im norm both young lads and likley that they are freinds with each other.

[Ian Lamb]

who going to win today is howell going to beat pallister is willaims going to beat jones? or you think jones will get over his lost yesterday with a win? is conquest going to derail them at the last what your views forum?

[Alex Holowczak]

So... you've been in two time scrambles on the previous two days. How do you respond to that? You turn up at least 6 minutes late the following day.