British Championship 2018

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
Kevin Thurlow
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:11 pm

The "Match of the Day" had some excitement round about move 12. I wandered out to buy a cup of tea, had a sip of it and put it on my score sheet, next to the clock (so clearly in my space). The idiot to my right (who was right-handed) somehow knocked it over so it went over his board and his leg. He and his opponent looked blankly at each other, so I found an arbiter, who came over with an assistant and 500 m of kitchen roll, and paused the clock on the wet board. They proceeded to mop up the tea. Roger was thinking and I went over and suggested he pause the clock whilst the clean-up was in progress. The arbiter then said the same thing. So Roger and I smiled and went for separate walks for a few minutes. Eventually we resumed, and I had to buy myself another cup of tea, which I placed on the left of the board...

My travels in Hull have been useful, finding some family history, but finding also oddities. There's a lovely notice near the venue, which says (roughly), "Don't drop your chewing gum, it sticks to rats' feet and makes it easier for them to enter your house and bite you." I also drove past an "adult" shop, which was next door to "Pramland". I wonder if they are related or arrived independently.

Ian Thompson
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Location: Awbridge, Hampshire

Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Ian Thompson » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:05 pm

David Robertson wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:06 pm
So the Forum Championship - hereafter known as the ForCup - is shared
What about Keith Arkell and Jack Rudd, and even Daniel Fernandez?

David Robertson

Re: British Championship 2018

Post by David Robertson » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:24 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:05 pm
David Robertson wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:06 pm
So the Forum Championship - hereafter known as the ForCup - is shared
What about Keith Arkell and Jack Rudd, and even Daniel Fernandez?
Certainly, Jack has made a strong bid for the ForCup, first against Macklin, and then today. But with no disrespect to those you name - all of whom are worthy candidates on occasions - the ForCup should be awarded to those forum members who, by their regular endeavours, show they fully understand the meaning and spirit of the trophy.

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Michael Farthing
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Location: Morecambe, Europe

Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Michael Farthing » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:26 pm

It must be seen as a triumph for Kevin with a forum rating of 2385 against Roger's 16854!

As for Ian's other suggestions, only Jack is in the top league with 3667.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Aug 03, 2018 9:50 pm

Paul Cooksey wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 2:57 pm
I'd rather have white, since I don't really like de4 and e6-e5. But Kevin played into it quickly so I suppose he knows what he i doing.
Engines, particularly the Stockfish at chessbomb prefer Black for most of the game. It accounts for White's lack of progress.

Kevin is not the first recent opponent to duck out of trundling down 1960s Ray Keene "Flank Openings" theory, or even some recent Gawain Jones ideas. But the main lines usually started 1. Nf3 have become partly fashionable again. Svidler and Giri giving them a punt.

Brendan O'Gorman
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Brendan O'Gorman » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:41 pm

Some more pics added (including the start of the ForCup game) https://brendanogorman.smugmug.com/Ches ... -Hull-2018

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:49 pm

"What about Keith Arkell and Jack Rudd, and even Daniel Fernandez?"

Indeed. I have noticed over the week that a fair number of the other players in Hull look at the forum, but (perhaps wisely) don't put fingers to keyboard.

Possibly Roger and I are regarded as interlopers in the tournament, so deserve to be cheered on?

Alexander Hardwick
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Alexander Hardwick » Sat Aug 04, 2018 1:55 am

Now that there are only 2 rounds to go, is it possible to find out which players have chances of a norm?

Nick Burrows
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Nick Burrows » Sat Aug 04, 2018 6:12 am

Alexander Hardwick wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 1:55 am
Now that there are only 2 rounds to go, is it possible to find out which players have chances of a norm?
Several players are still in with a chance of an FM norm (Forum Master). Any player needs to have made at least 1 forum post, in combination with 1 instance of the pedantic appliance of an obscure rule of chess, upheld by an arbiter.

Maybe another poster knows if any players are still in with a shout of the title?

LawrenceCooper
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sat Aug 04, 2018 9:26 am

Alexander Hardwick wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 1:55 am
Now that there are only 2 rounds to go, is it possible to find out which players have chances of a norm?
Without doing any calculations the not always accurate chess-results performance ratings:

David Eggleston 2583

Koby Kalavannan 2425

Katarzyna Toma 2382

Matthew Payne 2395

Sue Maroroa 2317

Akshaya Kalaiyalahan 2194

Richard Bates
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Richard Bates » Sat Aug 04, 2018 9:39 am

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 9:26 am
Alexander Hardwick wrote:
Sat Aug 04, 2018 1:55 am
Now that there are only 2 rounds to go, is it possible to find out which players have chances of a norm?
Without doing any calculations the not always accurate chess-results performance ratings:

David Eggleston 2583

Koby Kalavannan 2425

Katarzyna Toma 2382

Matthew Payne 2395

Sue Maroroa 2317

Akshaya Kalaiyalahan 2194

For norm purposes Egglestone’s performance is over 2600. I would guess he and Koby need 1.5/2 for GM/IM respectively. Toma hasn’t played enough foreign players. Sue Maroroa won’t play 9 games

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sat Aug 04, 2018 10:08 am

People seem to have stopped discussing the main title prospects for some reason. Adams does look certain to win again. He had an enormous slice of luck against Fodor (who has been playing well apart from that). How well has Adams played in the other games? Has he recovered his form? Did he play well against Jones, or did Jones play relatively poorly? Would Adams expect to beat Pert, or would halving out in the last two rounds be enough? There is still a scenario, where Adams draws the last two rounds and is caught or overtaken by Howell or others, and there is a play-off for the title, or does it get shared now (need to go and look up the new regulations).

EDIT: "In the event of a tie at the end of the Championship, there will be a playoff, held as soon as possible at the end of the
Championship."

So Adams needs one more win and a draw to win outright, unless David Howell can win both his remaining games. The others (the seven players on 5/7) are left hoping that Adams draws twice and Howell also drops half a point. Though Fernandez and Howell cannot both reach 7 points. If Howell and McShane both win, they will probably meet in the final round, though McShane and Jones have not played yet. If Fernandez and Hebden both lose in round 8 (quite possible), then Adams will have to play one of the potential winners from the current 4.5/7 score group (Adair, Houska, Eggleston, Gormally) in the final round, or even someone only on 5/8 if there are lots of draws. Howell might also get a very favourable (i.e. winnable) last round pairing.

Nick Ivell
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Nick Ivell » Sat Aug 04, 2018 10:27 am

I'm sticking with Howell, although no one seems on great form to me.

Strange how Hawkins never gets a mention now. Of course he's not going to win this year. Maybe he's doing too much coaching. You can excel at coaching or playing; you cannot excel at both. Indeed I suspect that coaching lowers the teacher's standard of play. That certainly happened to me in the 90s.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sat Aug 04, 2018 10:54 am

David Robertson wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:48 pm
Paul Cooksey wrote:
Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:29 pm
Adams making progress
Winning now. But I'm baffled by Gawain's 31 Bc7 & 32 Bb6 choice - it simply loses a pawn, whereas Be5 (say) leaves things flat
Having played through the game now, that was the turning point. To be fair to Gawain, that Be5 line (with black playing 31...g6) is quite long and still leads to Black rounding up the White a-pawn and with White being forced to sacrifice his bishop for Black's a-pawn. The difference seems to be between these two positions (both Black to move):




The former may be drawn for White, the latter is completely winning for Black.

Jonathan Bryant
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Re: British Championship 2018

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Sat Aug 04, 2018 4:47 pm

Daniel Young has just beaten his second IM with the black pieces.

He has 2.5/3 against IMs so far this event.
Last edited by Jonathan Bryant on Sat Aug 04, 2018 4:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.