44th Guernsey International Chess Festival

[Kevin Thurlow]

21-27 October 2018

46 in the Open and 43 in the Holiday so far. Open players include GMs Oleg Korneev, Tiger Hillarp-Persson and Jean-Pierre Le Roux, and IM Nigel Povah making (I think) his first visit.

See http://chess-results.com/tnr347554.aspx?lan=1&art=0
and
http://www.guernseychessclub.org.gg/

[David Sedgwick]

21-27 October 2018

46 in the Open and 43 in the Holiday so far. Open players include GMs Oleg Korneev, Tiger Hillarp-Persson and Jean-Pierre Le Roux, and IM Nigel Povah making (I think) his first visit.

See http://chess-results.com/tnr347554.aspx?lan=1&art=0
and
http://www.guernseychessclub.org.gg/

There are two more in the Holiday Tournament. Two regulars had booked their accommodation, but forgot to enter the tournament until just after this year's booklet had gone to press. They are not flavour of the month with Tournament Organiser Peter Rowe.

The booklet confirms that this year will be Kevin Thurlow's 40th appearance.

[Alex Holowczak]

There are two more in the Holiday Tournament. Two regulars had booked their accommodation, but forgot to enter the tournament until just after this year's booklet had gone to press, They are not flavour of the month with Tournament Organiser Peter Rowe.

*Off-topic alert*

I ran a schools' team blitz tournament tonight, where the host school invited children to put together their own teams of 4 players; groups of friends and whatnot, a good way of avoiding the hassle of putting the teams together themselves. Consequently, someone from each of the teams the school entered had to fill in a form and hand it in to me to put into the computer. The children from the host school arrived at about 3:30-4:00 when their lessons ended, and in the end the tournament started at 5:15 once all of the other schools arrived. When I published the Round 1 pairings, one of the teams wasn't paired. "Why aren't we in the pairings?!" It turned out that it was because they all left it to each other to hand in their team sheet, and none of them had got around to it in the hour and a half they were waiting because they were playing skittles blitz games with each other. Sadly, my telepathy skills were left somewhat to be desired, and so they had to wait until Round 2 to start their tournament.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Sadly, my telepathy skills were left somewhat to be desired, and so they had to wait until Round 2 to start their tournament."

And I bet they thought it was your fault!

[John Moore]

There are two more in the Holiday Tournament. Two regulars had booked their accommodation, but forgot to enter the tournament until just after this year's booklet had gone to press, They are not flavour of the month with Tournament Organiser Peter Rowe.

*Off-topic alert*

I ran a schools' team blitz tournament tonight, where the host school invited children to put together their own teams of 4 players; groups of friends and whatnot, a good way of avoiding the hassle of putting the teams together themselves. Consequently, someone from each of the teams the school entered had to fill in a form and hand it in to me to put into the computer. The children from the host school arrived at about 3:30-4:00 when their lessons ended, and in the end the tournament started at 5:15 once all of the other schools arrived. When I published the Round 1 pairings, one of the teams wasn't paired. "Why aren't we in the pairings?!" It turned out that it was because they all left it to each other to hand in their team sheet, and none of them had got around to it in the hour and a half they were waiting because they were playing skittles blitz games with each other. Sadly, my telepathy skills were left somewhat to be desired, and so they had to wait until Round 2 to start their tournament.

Did they get the bye in the first round then.

[John Upham]

I expect it is me but I can only see four out of eleven live games with moves.

The remaining seven are at the starting position.

I tried the official site and ChessBase and it is the same.

John

[David Sedgwick]

I expect it is me but I can only see four out of eleven live games with moves.

The remaining seven are at the starting position.

I tried the official site and ChessBase and it is the same.

John

It's not you.

For understandable business reasons, the hotel almost invariably has an afternoon and evening booking for the playing area the day before the start. The setting up process is therefore rather rushed.

Hence the organisers were only able to broadcast four games today. They hope to have more live games tomorrow.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Hence the organisers were only able to broadcast four games today. They hope to have more live games tomorrow."

which should include Board 1, Sedgwick - GM Korneev… David made an early bid for the brilliancy prize today.

[John Upham]

"Hence the organisers were only able to broadcast four games today. They hope to have more live games tomorrow."

which should include Board 1, Sedgwick - GM Korneev… David made an early bid for the brilliancy prize today.

Has the fire alarm sounded ?

[David Sedgwick]

"Hence the organisers were only able to broadcast four games today. They hope to have more live games tomorrow."

which should include Board 1, Sedgwick - GM Korneev… David made an early bid for the brilliancy prize today.

Has the fire alarm sounded ?

To the best of my recollection, The Curse of Sedgwick has never yet struck at Guernsey.

Today might be the time, of course. This year is the 8th occasion I have played at Guernsey (in addition to 10 years as the arbiter) and until today I have never played a grandmaster or been on Board 1.

I hope that readers of the Forum will be able to follow the game on a live board while it is in progress. Sadly Geert Bailleul, our excellent arbiter, will not allow me to do so.

[John Upham]

I emailed the contact on

http://www.guernseychessclub.org.gg/fes ... stival.htm

to ask them to update the links to the live games as they point to the 2017 live games.

John

[David Sedgwick]

The links at the top of the page at www.guernseychessclub.org.gg are correct.

[John Upham]

The links at the top of the page at www.guernseychessclub.org.gg are correct.

Thanks David !

[Kevin Thurlow]

Live games should work.

[Roger de Coverly]

Live games should work.

It appears that Korneev has threaded his way through the opening complexities and can now grind to victory with his extra pawn.
Sedgwick-Korneev
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. d5 Bf6 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Rxe4 d6 12. Bg5 Bxg5 13. Nxg5 h6 14. Nf3 O-O 15. Qd2 Bd7 16. Rae1 Ng6 17. Nd4 Re8 18. Rxe8 Bxe8 19. Bd3 Ne5 20. Bc2 Bd7 21. f4 Ng4 22. Bf5 Nf6 23. Bxd7 Qxd7 24. Nf3 Qb5

Apparently if instead of 13. .. h6, Black castles, then 14. Nxh7 draws after accurate play, a line first seen in an Estrin game in the 1940s. Engines think Black is a little better, which means they assess compensation for the pawn, but not enough. 14. Qe2 is the most popular idea against 13. .. h6, sacrificing on g5, but regaining the piece using the pin on the e file.