Your 2015 British Chess Quiz!!

[Jonathan Rogers]

We need a good one of these. This isn't it. But there are no others, and we both know that you will read on regardless. Anyway, it's multiple choice.

1) 4NCL

Guildford 1 won the 2014/5 with 100% and their second team finished second. What was your reaction?

A That was the third time they won with 100% - even Wood Green only managed that once.
B That was the third time their second team finished second, dammit.
C It was quite funny in 2008/9 though, when their second team beat their first team in round eight, and thus Wood Green won it.

2 British Championships

A popular win for the Hawk! Which of these occurred to you?

A My oh my! That is the first time that an Englishman has defended his successfully title after winning it for the first time since Hodgson in 1992
B Hawkins actually played much better in 2014 when he shared the title with Howell.
C No one wants to be a bore about the declining profile of the main event, but who was that 2150 odd player who lost to Hawkins in about one hour in round seven?

3 ECF politics

One board member tells another to f*££@ off, everyone else involved in the aftermath gets voted out and we still have no CEO! Your reaction?

A Pretty standard year in the life of the ECF. Just be thankful that CJ didn't mention chess in his autobiography.
B Why on earth did the decision of an inactive English GM to become an inactive Welsh GM somehow bring all this to the attention of the mainstream press?
C You can understand Dominic Lawson not wanting to turn up at that AGM, though.

4 The London Chess Classic

Which was by common assent not a Classic at all this year. What is the solution?

A Obviously 3-1-0. Although hang on, they used that in 2014 and that event was just as dire.
B If you invite Kramnik and Luke, you at least get one player who won't play 1 e4, allowing the Berlin, and another who would never play the Berlin as Black.
C They should actually make the players use the first move selected by those schoolchildren.

5 Individual successes

Which most stood out for you?

A Jovanka at the European team chs. An actual medal!
B Alex Golding in the first week of the British. It was fun while it lasted.
C Didn't James Adair make another GM norm in 4NCL? Why don't we talk about him more?
D Your choice.

[John Moore]

Jon - I couldn't help noticing that Alex Golding (see your question 5 answer b) lost with White in 12 moves at Hastings today!

[Roger de Coverly]

Jon - I couldn't help noticing that Alex Golding (see your question 5 answer b) lost with White in 12 moves at Hastings today!

Is it worse when you resign in a position containing a "get out of jail"?

[FEN "2kr3r/p1p2ppp/2p5/4bb2/8/2P5/PPP2PPP/R1B1R1K1 w - - 2 13"]

13. g4 saves the mate and avoids the loss of a piece. The stockfish chessbomb says Black is better by 0.75.


1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Be2 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. O-O Nxc3 7. dxc3 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bf5 9. Bb5 Bd6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. Re1 O-O-O

[Mick Norris]

We need a good one of these. This isn't it. But there are no others, and we both know that you will read on regardless. Anyway, it's multiple choice.

1) 4NCL

Guildford 1 won the 2014/5 with 100% and their second team finished second. What was your reaction?

A That was the third time they won with 100% - even Wood Green only managed that once.
B That was the third time their second team finished second, dammit.
C It was quite funny in 2008/9 though, when their second team beat their first team in round eight, and thus Wood Green won it.

2 British Championships

A popular win for the Hawk! Which of these occurred to you?

A My oh my! That is the first time that an Englishman has defended his successfully title after winning it for the first time since Hodgson in 1992
B Hawkins actually played much better in 2014 when he shared the title with Howell.
C No one wants to be a bore about the declining profile of the main event, but who was that 2150 odd player who lost to Hawkins in about one hour in round seven?

3 ECF politics

One board member tells another to f*££@ off, everyone else involved in the aftermath gets voted out and we still have no CEO! Your reaction?

A Pretty standard year in the life of the ECF. Just be thankful that CJ didn't mention chess in his autobiography.
B Why on earth did the decision of an inactive English GM to become an inactive Welsh GM somehow bring all this to the attention of the mainstream press?
C You can understand Dominic Lawson not wanting to turn up at that AGM, though.

4 The London Chess Classic

Which was by common assent not a Classic at all this year. What is the solution?

A Obviously 3-1-0. Although hang on, they used that in 2014 and that event was just as dire.
B If you invite Kramnik and Luke, you at least get one player who won't play 1 e4, allowing the Berlin, and another who would never play the Berlin as Black.
C They should actually make the players use the first move selected by those schoolchildren.

5 Individual successes

Which most stood out for you?

A Jovanka at the European team chs. An actual medal!
B Alex Golding in the first week of the British. It was fun while it lasted.
C Didn't James Adair make another GM norm in 4NCL? Why don't we talk about him more?
D Your choice.

1 None of the above (Div 1 isn't interesting if it is a foregone conclusion)
2 B if I thought about it, as you say Jonathan was a popular winner
3 All of the above
4 None of the above - don't hold it before the Candidates and expect excitement?
5 A (not that B & C weren't impressive - will be interesting to see how good Alex becomes, and James is clearly GM standard - answer to 2nd question - because he is from the North?) - as for D, their have been some good junior performances; David Howell has been excellent at times; the joint number 17s in the English Jan 2016 rating list have both impressed too

[David Blower]

Oh well can we add questions of our own?


Brewood Chess Circle

6) The Brewood B team stayed up with a win against Rushall B on the last evening of the season in a game that went to the very last board, resulting in Rushall getting relegated. What was your reaction?

a) The jammy sods, how on earth do Brewood keep surviving relegation every year.
b) Argh good, its good to know that Brewood have won their annual relegation battle.
c) I just know that David Blower will put this on the ECF forum.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Just found this while searching the forum for mentions of "Wood Green". I missed it at the time, but want to say I enjoyed reading it. You should do more of these humorous pieces Jonathan!

[MartinCarpenter]

It is good C to most of it! Adair getting GM norms is I guess just slightly 'expected' somehow. Although he is in full time (non chess) work now, so....

There was Yorkshire managing to retain the county championship for the first time ever. Can't tell if that is mostly a reflection on the (genuinely impressive) strength of the team, the state of the competition or rampant historical indifference/disorganisation