British Championship 2018

[Jonathan Rogers]

Well come on everyone, more predictions needed for tournament winner (and whether outright, or on tiebreak). Of course it's not easy, but that makes it more fun and that's the point!

I still suggest that predictions be allowed up until end of play today. Since it is still possible, at the time of writing, for all plausible winners to be on 2/2

[JustinHorton]

Yeah I saw that, so I'm well confused.

You have to regard the result recorded on chess-results.com as the definitive version. With all the boards in the British being DGTs, players are instructed to leave the final position without resetting the pieces along with the signed scoresheets.

This I already gathered, but what confuses me is more the fact that the two online services don't match. It's not uncommon for them to have the same error.

[Roger de Coverly]

It's not uncommon for them to have the same error.

If they are both using the same data source for the result, namely arbiter input on the DGT Boards, you would expect them to have the same result. It's only if one was right and the other wrong, that some intervention must have taken place.

There's likely a delay between the clocks being stopped and the result input. That might have a bearing.

[Nick Grey]

On the young players that come from nowhere, we are blessed in our part of the country with players that were weaker than I and are now stronger. Those U21s are playing in the Championship on merit. As is the not so young Mr Young. Then you add the seniors who are playing their best chess for years and gives hope to us all. It looks like a really good mix of players this year.

I have to give up the TV remote so can watch live games - but may have to turn the commentary down!

Good luck all.

[Nick Grey]

Prediction - McShane outright.

[Roger de Coverly]

He seems to have appeared from nowhere, and has improved RAPIDLY. Clearly a player to watch.

He's 18 this year and evidently has made the breakthrough to 200 standard having only been in the 160s not so long ago. I played him in the first round of last year's Major Open. At the time I thought he held me to a draw, but perhaps it was the other way round.

[Matthew Turner]

Prediction - Adams to beat Howell on tie-break.
Howell and Hawkins to have tough games today
Gormally to lose (no offence Danny, but it is a tricky opponent).

[Keith Arkell]

In case anyone is wondering whether my game today is the first ever all-GM clash as early as round two, I seem to recall a Hodgson Speelman clash from the same round in about the year 2000 - and they weren't even both on 1/1!

[Nick Burrows]

Good luck Keith!

[Neil Graham]

In case anyone is wondering whether my game today is the first ever all-GM clash as early as round two, I seem to recall a Hodgson Speelman clash from the same round in about the year 2000 - and they weren't even both on 1/1!

2002 at Torquay had Summerscale v Speelman & Ward v McShane in Round Two - at that time there was a significant number of Commonwealth entries and I have excluded meetings between them and the home contingent.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Yes, it was 2000, probably indeed the only time it happened on 0.5/1!

It might be much less unusual on 1/1. Rowson occasionally had GM opponents in round two: in 2007 (I think) he lost to Flear. In another year he played Arakhamia-Grant in round two, though I am not sure whether she was already a GM.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I must admit, it would be quite impressive if the top six all won today

[Leonard Barden]

Total shambles in the chess24 live games at the moment. Several games shown with results but zero moves. Board 20 assessment White winning but the board showing Black having delivered mate; no moves at all in the Major Open.

Looks like the top 11 championship games are showing normally, below that the chaos starts.

I don't recall anything like this before on chess24, ever.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Knowing Daniel though, those probably are the real moves played in Fernandez v Muir (as seen on Chessbomb).

[Nick Burrows]

Knowing Daniel though, those probably are the real moves played in Fernandez v Muir (as seen on Chessbomb).

Yes - what a nutter!