Falkland Islands

The very latest International round up of English news.
John McKenna

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by John McKenna » Tue Jun 04, 2019 12:57 pm

The Stanley Marathon - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Marathon

(Note the nationality of some past winners.)

If a small, but dedicated, group of older chess-playing and younger marathon-running Argies (perhaps including some vets) are reduced to sneaking into the main island via a third country and then have to creep about in the dead of night for a couple of kilometres to reach the chess venue it's hardly a carefully planned commando operation - along the lines of the WWII Allied raid on Dieppe in 1942.

The Dieppe raid was severely repulsed by the Bosch (they've since beaten their swords into the proverbial... and make a great range of peacetime products), but it served as a testrun for the D-Day landings in 1944.

Yet, from my armchair observation post, I can't see another large seaborne invasion force appearing on the horizon any time soon.

All I can see is a small storm in a large, but otherwise empty, South Atlantic teacup, accompanied by the distant echoes of rattling sabres carried on the remnants of a whistling wind coming up from the roaring forties.

PS Presumably they left the same way they came, and may have done so in a hurry. Were any discarded scoresheets found? They might indicate the strength of the landing party.

Can't be too careful you know - the last show was preceded by "scrap merchants" occupying S. Georgia while HMF had their backs turned!!

Maybe I should start sittin' on the fence on this one, but not the peace-at-any-price one Jezza's on. No dinner for him last nite.

Nigel Short
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:14 am

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by Nigel Short » Thu Jun 06, 2019 6:14 pm

The Falkland Islanders have just started a chess club. The first meeting will take place at 7.30 pm on Monday at the Malvina House Hotel.


Geoff Chandler
Posts: 3486
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:36 pm
Location: Under Cover
Contact:

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by Geoff Chandler » Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:49 pm

There is a Malvinas variation attached to the English Opening.

1.c4 d5 2.cxd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5



Maybe the newly formed Falkland chess club can come up with a Falkland variation in the Argentinian Gambit.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 3.cxd5 Bxb1 4.Qa4+ c6 5.dxc6 Nxc6 6.Rxb1 Qxd4




ECO names and variations here: https://www.chesslecture.com/eco.php

Stewart Reuben
Posts: 4542
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:04 pm
Location: writer

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by Stewart Reuben » Fri Jun 07, 2019 1:01 pm

I think t was Nigel Short who previously asked why the ECF was not doing more for the UK Overseas Territories. These are:
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory (BAT) - ASSI has no direct responsibility in relation to BAT as the Antarctic Treaty takes precedence.
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar - outside ASSI's remit due to its position within the European Union.
Montserrat
Pitcairn Island, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) - ASSI's responsibility in relation to the SBA is limited to the provision of advice to the Administrator.
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
Of course the responsibility would lie with the non-existent UK Chess Organisation. BCF used to have as part of its constitution to encourage chess in the Commonwealth.
Some are separate members of FIDE. Some have shown no interest. Some would not be eligible for membership of FIDE as they do not meet the current requirements, such as Gibraltar, IOM, Northern Ireland. Gib and the IOM liaise with FIDE via the ECF.

Kevin Thurlow
Posts: 5821
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:28 pm

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:48 pm

At the recent UK Armed Forces Chess Championship, there was some informal discussion about possible venues for subsequent events. Inevitably, somebody suggested Falkland Islands.

(There are practical reasons why that would not be a good idea.)

Nigel Short
Posts: 323
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 9:14 am

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by Nigel Short » Tue Jun 11, 2019 11:05 pm

The Falkland Islands Chess Club met for the first time at the Malvina House Hotel at 7.30pm on Monday. They will meet again next week.

Stewart Reuben
Posts: 4542
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:04 pm
Location: writer

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Jun 12, 2019 1:34 pm

Nigel Short .The Falkland Islands Chess Club met for the first time at the Malvina House Hotel at 7.30pm on Monday. They will meet again next week.<

The ECF can help particularly with teaching materials and possibly equipment.

John McKenna

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by John McKenna » Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:05 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 1:34 pm
Nigel Short .The Falkland Islands Chess Club met for the first time at the Malvina House Hotel at 7.30pm on Monday. They will meet again next week.<

The ECF can help particularly with teaching materials and possibly equipment.
Stewart, that could mean the ECF have boards but no pieces, as yet, to go on 'em.

(Just as HMF have the carriers but no planes, as yet, to go on 'em.)

And, Nigel, the hotel is not letting on about the chess club meeting there -

http://www.malvinahousehotel.com/news/

Stewart Reuben
Posts: 4542
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:04 pm
Location: writer

Re: Falkland Islands

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Jun 12, 2019 11:53 pm

John McKenna. There are boards, sets, clocks and scoresheets. It is not our practice to offer boards, without sets. FIDE used to offer sets without boards. Campo thought federations should be able to make their own. It might be decided that sending boards plus sets plus clocks was to expensive.
For The Gambia we also provided a computer.

Post Reply