Dramatic changes in congress performances

[Michael Renshaw]

Just back from Scarborough and another excellent congress. Well done to Lara & the team. On the playing side a personal low for me scoring a lowly 1 out of 5. Just hope that I can show the same bouncebackability as this player (source ECF grading list).

31/7/15 British Championship (Yates) 5/5 Winner (£150)
21/8/15 Manchester Summer 0.5/4
5/9/15 CCF Late Summer 0/5
11/9/15 Leek Congress 0/4
25/9/15 Hull Congress 0.5/4
17/10/15 Witney Congress 1/5
23/10/15 Scarborough 4.5/5 Joint winner of section (£300)

Statistically most players end tournaments with a score between 1.5 and 3.5.

[Andrew Bak]

I have a feeling a lot of the Congress regulars will know exactly who you are referring to

[Angus French]

I take it the reference is to Stephen Crockett whose results look very inconsistent. Could there be a reason for that?

[John Upham]

I take it the reference is to Stephen Crockett whose results look very inconsistent. Could there be a reason for that?

Do you have any suggestions for the reason(s)?

[Angus French]

I take it the reference is to Stephen Crockett whose results look very inconsistent. Could there be a reason for that?

Do you have any suggestions for the reason(s)?

I have absolutely no idea. A medical condition maybe? I was hoping that someone "in the know", like you perhaps, might be able to throw some light.

[David Blower]

Well that players prize winnings is £450. How much would it have cost to enter all the congresses?

[Michael Renshaw]

You can go back further and the prize money adds up (Rhyl, Nottingham, Cotswolds etc). I take your point though that the player is only making enough to cover the cost of all congresses winning and losing, accommodation and travel etc. However this is more than the rest of us can hope for. There is a probability attached to finishing outside the main rump of 1.5 to 3.5 and if that probability is timed by itself with every event then the odds are truly astronomical.

[Michael Farthing]

Surely this is the essence of the game? A queen sacrifice that captures the king: it's just taken a step further - a queen sacrifice that captures the king in the next game - or congress.

[Nick Grey]

Too much chess.

[MartinCarpenter]

Quite plausible as a cause, yes. Leads to reduced internal motivation for each game then naturally losing interest unless there's a chance of winning something.

If it were purposeful grade sabotage all those byes involved would be a bit odd.

[Mick Norris]

He has won the Midlands U150 Grand Prix a lot
2014-15

2013-14

2012-13

2011-12

[Barry Sandercock]

Angus French wrote:
Could there be a reason for that ?

These things happen. Last year at Northwick Park Congress, I scored 0/4. At my next congress Blackpool, I scored 4.5/5. Reason ? possibly a change of openings.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Angus French wrote:
Could there be a reason for that ?

These things happen. Last year at Northwick Park Congress, I scored 0/4. At my next congress Blackpool, I scored 4.5/5. Reason ? possibly a change of openings.

Aside from very much doubting your change of openings hypothesis, you’re missing the point. A bad performance one tournament and a good tournament the next is normal. Consistently scoring only very bad or very good performances over a long period isn’t.

[Barry Sandercock]

Yes. I see what you mean.

[Michael Renshaw]

My final word on this thread. The £450 quoted previously is just a snapshot. He also bagged a further £150 from the British (U125 Rapidplay) plus £100 from the Stockport Rapidplay. Outright winner at Rhyl would have given him in the region of £200 and presumably more cheques would have winged over to him via Nottingham 4.5/5 and the Cotswolds 5.5/6. There are also a few 4/5`s knocking around that may have bagged him some more. We could be talking a grand here and its still October.
A prolific prizewinner deserves applause but this guy wins off the same mark year on year and according to Mick Norris’s post he’s been doing this for a while. He can only do this by neutralising 4.5/5`s with 0.5/5’s. Whatever the reason nobody should gain an advantage by playing poorly. I can’t even decide if any rules are being broken but something needs to be done or the integrity of congress chess will be damaged.