Coventry congress

Details of upcoming UK events, please provide working links if possible.
Jonathan Rogers
Posts: 4640
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:26 pm

Coventry congress

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Nov 05, 2017 12:46 pm

Overshadowed by the European team chs, I suppose, and seemingly lacking a broadcast of live games, but this is the event which will decide one (or is it two?) qualifiers for the big prize money knock out in December. Notable results yesterday include Sarah Longson beating Hebden in round 1, before losing to Alan Merry in round 2; and James Jackson beating James Adair in round 2, before in turn losing to Alan Merry in round 3. Alan leads on 3/3 but plenty of IMs and GMs on 2.5/3.

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4818
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford

Re: Coventry congress

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:02 pm

Two qualifiers.

Richard Bates
Posts: 3338
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Richard Bates » Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:39 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:02 pm
Two qualifiers.
One.

Unfortunately no very slow starter prize.

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4818
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford

Re: Coventry congress

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:43 pm

Ah right, I stand corrected. It was two last year.

LawrenceCooper
Posts: 7173
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:13 am

Re: Coventry congress

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:10 pm

Jonathan Rogers wrote:
Sun Nov 05, 2017 12:46 pm
Alan leads on 3/3 but plenty of IMs and GMs on 2.5/3.
Now 4/4. Sowray on 3.5 so Merry-Sowray for the qualifying place in the final round as no one else has more than 3/4.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8453
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by NickFaulks » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:33 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:10 pm
Now 4/4. Sowray on 3.5 so Merry-Sowray for the qualifying place in the final round as no one else has more than 3/4.
Either would be an excellent story.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Jonathan Rogers
Posts: 4640
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:26 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:54 pm

I'll have to postpone the Barbican newsletter a few hours more, evidently! :D :mrgreen:

Jonathan Rogers
Posts: 4640
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:26 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Nov 05, 2017 4:08 pm

Turns out that I can write it already. Well done to both players!

LawrenceCooper
Posts: 7173
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:13 am

Re: Coventry congress

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sun Nov 05, 2017 4:33 pm

Jonathan Rogers wrote:
Sun Nov 05, 2017 4:08 pm
Turns out that I can write it already. Well done to both players!
Seconded! :D

Mike Truran
Posts: 2393
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:44 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Mike Truran » Sun Nov 05, 2017 10:06 pm

Five GMs, six IMs and seven FMs. Not too bad for a weekend congress. :D

Many thanks to Malcolm and congratulations to Alan for offering and winning the BKO place.

Matthew Turner
Posts: 3600
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 11:54 am

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Matthew Turner » Mon Nov 06, 2017 11:09 pm

Strange tournament with quite a few uncharacteristic mistakes from the top players. Of no doubt though, the player who played the best won. Well done to Alan.

Clive Blackburn

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Clive Blackburn » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:07 am

Sarah Longson's win against Mark Hebden in Round 1



PGN code taken from Tim Wall's post:- https://www.chess.com/blog/timpeterwall ... ark-hebden

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:43 am



That's a position from the Smyslov Defence to the Spanish except that usually it's White to move. Mark should be familiar with it, as he had the same position against Nigel Short in 1984. Then as now, he played the d5 liquidation and play was the same as the Coventry game until this position at move 20.



Sarah took on e4. Nigel on the other hand played Bb2 and lost quickly after 20. .. Re5 21 f3 Rg5 22. Nf1 Rxg2



According to an engine if Nigel had played Ng3-f5 instead of Ng3-f1, he's doing OK as the f1 square is available as an escape for the King , so .. Rxg2 doesn't work.

Mark's mistake seems to have been at move 22



After 22 .. Rxe5 23 Bxh6 is assessed at plus 3 by an engine. Offering to sacrifice the Queen for a pile of wood with 22. .. Qxd4 has been played a couple of times before although it's not comfortable for Black and a verdict of "a bit worse" perhaps needs to be sustained by engine calculation of all the pitfalls.

So over the board inspiration or deep preparation by the Longsons?

User avatar
David Shepherd
Posts: 912
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:46 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by David Shepherd » Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:09 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:43 am


Mark's mistake seems to have been at move 22
Or maybe it was the move before when playing Rxe4 rather than Bb4 seems ok

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21301
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Coventry congress

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:29 pm

David Shepherd wrote:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:09 pm

Or maybe it was the move before when playing Rxe4 rather than Bb4 seems ok
Abandoning the defence of g7 from f8 makes Bxh6 a mating threat rather than just picking up a pawn. Engines don't think .. Bb4 directly a loser though, but that can be misleading as they presume when entering dubious complications that they can solve their way through them.

21 .. Bxe4 22. Rxe4 was played in a 2008 game between Svidler and Jakovenko, whilst 21. .. Rxe5 offering an exchange sacrifice after 22. Bh7+ has also been tried. The tactic are nice for Black if accepted as after 22. .. Kxh7 23. Rxe5 Nc6 pins and hits the d4 Knight. Then 24 Re4 Qd5 with the threat of a mate on g2.