WHERE IN THE UK TO PLAY CHESS?

[Peter Webber]

I recently went along as a visitor to the Golders Green rapid play, and the Kings Head tournament earlier this year. All the players were rated higher than I am. If I can't find anyone in the UK to play against (at club or any other level) than I'm not going to stand a chance in hell of ever getting better if I play in a tournament every few weeks without getting any other form of practise. Where are all the tournaments for the LOWER RATED players??

[Roger de Coverly]

Where are all the tournaments for the LOWER RATED players??

Define first what you mean by "Lower rated".

[Peter Webber]

Say under 60-70?

[Roger de Coverly]

Say under 60-70?

If you look at the final ranking table of the most recent Golders Green tournament, there were a number of players below that.

http://chess-results.com/tnr194564.aspx ... =30&wi=821

You can click on individuals to see what pairings they got. If they didn't do particularly well, players of a 60 or 70 grade would only meet a player above 100 in the first round.

The average player, as in the median, is in the 130 to 140 range. That's where there are as many players in the grading list above them as below them. Whilst as expected the number of players thins out when you get to 160 and higher, it also thins out when you get to 60 and below.

[David Blower]

Might as well say it now, come to Brewood Chess Circle! We are always on the look out for new members, and there is no minimum ability level required. New members gets tips of how to improve their play from experienced members of the chess club. There is the opportunity to play in the clubs teams, should you wish to, but equally there is no pressure to do this, and coming along for a social game of chess, is also prefectly acceptable.

Various themes include reviewing previous games, going over specific openings, and technical chess endgames.

I honestly have to say Brewood is the best place I have found to play chess.

[Clive Blackburn]

Might as well say it now, come to Brewood Chess Circle!

Yes Peter, just join a club, any club, whichever is most convenient for you.

Play some games, make some friends, chat to your opponent about the game afterwards, it really is the only way to improve.

Playing online is just not the same.

[Mick Norris]

Say under 60-70?

Peter

As Roger says, there aren't many players graded at or under this level, so it isn't economic to run sections at this level, unfortunately - the main exceptions being junior only tournaments

You need to look through the ECF tournament calendar, and see what the bottom sections are and whether it is worth you having a go at one of these - there are occasional ones that have Novice sections, but I can only think of Heywood off the top of my head

A quick glance at the MCF website gives me the following, which I know aren't local to you:

Shropshire is U125 with a grading prize at U100, which I guess is reasonably typical

Stockport Rapidplay Sunday 31 January has U110 bottom section

See Congress Diary section on here too

[John Townsend]

I think Peter has already explained that he has found it difficult to get games at his "local (ECF) club".

Brewood Chess Club sounds pretty good. But is that the Brewood in the West Midlands? If so, it hardly seems a practical proposition geographically for Peter, if he lives in the North Herts./Beds. area.

[Matt Mackenzie]

As stated before, Peter should post one or two of his games on here.

Another novice - Nicky Chorley - did that in the last couple of years, and I'm sure he found the advice provided here helpful

[Michael Flatt]

There are a number of chess clubs in Hertfordshire as indicated here: http://www.stalbanschessclub.org.uk/ind ... hess-clubs

In December there are some adult tournaments in Harrow held in conjunction with the London Junior Chess Championships:
12th-13th December - 9th Northwick Park Congress, Minor U115 - Entry Form: http://www.ljcc.co.uk/entry%20forms/201 ... 202015.pdf
28th-30th December - London Christmas Chess Congress, Minor U125 - Entry Form: http://www.ljcc.co.uk/entry%20forms/201 ... 202015.pdf

Although, these tournaments might appear to be stronger than Peter may like, the headline 115 and 125 grades are maximums and most competitors will have much lower grades.

In the recent Hertfordshire Congress players in the Minor (U110) had grades between 24 and 109 (the median grade was 92).

Golders Green and Muswell Hill tournaments are Rapidplay and probably offer the best opportunity to get some games. I wouldn't get too hung up on grades. The best way to improve is to play regularly.

If Peter would like to send me a pm I could arrange some practice games against suitable opponents at St Albans - a mixture of juniors and adults.

[Peter Webber]

David Blower wrote:
If you have notated one of your games why not post it on here.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Well, here goes, not a great example, but I'm White against Fritz...

1 e2-e4 d7-d6 2.d2-d4 g7-g6. 3 Nb1-c3 Bf8-g7. 4 Ng1-f3 Ng8-f6. 5 Bf1-d3 Nb8-c6. 6 0-0 0-0. 7 Bc1-e3 Nf6-g4. 8 Bd3-e2 Nc6-b4. 9 e4-e5 Bc8-f5. 10
Nf3-e1 Ng4xe3. 11 f2xe3 d6xe5. 12 Ne1-d3 Bf5xd3. 13 Be2xd3 a7-a5. 14 e3-e4 Qd8xd4+. 15 Kg1-h1 Ra8-c8. 16 a2-a3 Nb4-a6. 17 Ra1-b1 Rc8-d8. 18 Qd1-f3 c7-c6. 19 Nc3-e2 Qd4-a4. 20 Ne2-c3 Qa4-d4. 21 Nc3-e2 Qd4-a4. 22 Ne2-c3 Qa4-d4

Being two pawns down, I decided to force a draw.

[IM Jack Rudd]

[White "Webber, Peter"][Black "Fritz"][Result "1/2-1/2"]1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.O-O O-O 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Be2 Nb4 9.e5 Bf5 10.Ne1 Nxe3 11.fxe3 dxe5 12.Nd3 Bxd3 13.Bxd3 a5 14.e4 Qxd4+ 15.Kh1 Rac8 16.a3 Na6 17.Rb1 Rcd8 18.Qf3 c6 19.Ne2 Qa4 20.Nc3 Qd4 21.Ne2 Qa4 22.Nc3 Qd4 1/2-1/2

[IM Jack Rudd]

My first impression from that game is that you wouldn't be outclassed in the Minor section of a tournament. More specifics relating to it:

5.Bd3 is a slight inaccuracy, for reasons that became clear later on: on d3, the bishop blocks your queen's defence of the d-pawn. More common is 5.Be2, which also has the side benefit of making the pin with ...Bg4 less of a threat.

9.e5? not only lost a pawn (which he could have taken immediately), it also opened up the f5 square for your opponent's bishop and gave away your control of the centre. I'd probably have played 9.Bc1, to avoid giving up the two bishops.

12.Nd3? and 14.e4? give up a second pawn; at either stage, you'd have been better off saving that pawn with 12.d5 or 14.dxe5.

Other than that, you didn't play badly. You could have considered playing 20.Rbd1, with the threat of 21.Nc3 Qd4 22.Bxa6; this has the bonus that 20...Nc5?? in response would lose the queen to 21.Nc3 Qd4 22.Be2.

[Mick Norris]

My first impression from that game is that you wouldn't be outclassed in the Minor section of a tournament.

That was my impression too

[Peter Webber]

Thanks Jack for your helpful reply which I'll take on-board, and the neat copy-editing, (how did you do that)?

One benefit I've found of playing against Fritz is that it seems to follow openings (up to a point). I've met a 97 rated and 115 rated player at my club who reckon they don't employ any openings, (more likely, they cobble together the moves in a different order?). One of my biggest playing problems is of knowing what do when players like this play unrecognisable openings or deviate from standard openings after a few moves. I guess I have to control the centre and develop rapidly in the same way as usual to overcome this? Speaking of openings, would the Petroff Defence be too difficult for me to learn at my level as a way of helping to overcome defeats, please?