(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[NickFaulks]

Thanks, I should have thought of chess-results.

[Nigel White]

Official homepage -

http://www.czechopen.net/

Chess-results link -

https://chess-results.com/tnr530505.asp ... turdet=YES &flag=NO

Note that Tim is in the B-Open. Sowray & Wiley in the GM A-Open.

I was wondering if the Jan Zelezny entered in the B section was the great javelin thrower of that name - but his FIDE record suggests that he is too young to be so.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Zelenzy was head and shoulders better than the opposition, I suppose in the same way Magnus dominates his era. England's Steve Backley needed Jan to be off-form to get a look in. He was quite unique in that he was smaller and weaker than most of his opponents, but made up for it with speed and a crazy, total body technique that often left him flat on his face. Still holds the world record 24 years on!

[Kevin Thurlow]

How about Chess-Javelin? You make a move, throw a javelin, press the clock and the opponent has to go and fetch the javelin, before making his reply?

[Matt Bridgeman]

Did you just invent a new sport?

[J T Melsom]

England's Steve Backley needed Jan to be off-form to get a look in.

Seems rather an unfair description of Backley's overall medal haul, and his own world record setting. Were was Jan when Steve was winning his four European Championships? Backley may have been overtaken but still one of the very best.

[Matt Bridgeman]

I was a huge athletics fan back in those 90's heyday years. I think it was rare for Backley to get the better of Zelezny, when Zelezny was at peak form. The Czech thrower won 3 world golds and 3 Olympic golds, over the same time period Backley was active. But granted Backley was masterful for having form in the European Championships. Generally Backley was very consistent on the big stage, and that in part was because he understood his technique very well. Much better than a lot of his rivals. But the problem was Zelezny at those world and Olympic Games would just come out and get in a huge throw, often in the 1st round, and kill the competition stone dead.

[John McKenna]

In addition to the Pardubice A & B Opens there's a rapidplay and team event (before the main & rapid events).

The only non-Czech in the rapid when I last looked was top-of-the-list Armenian GM Sergei Movsesian (2677). He is a member of the club - SK Pardubice Rapid.

Looks like 6 are needed to form a team and all the 25 team names in it so far sound Czech.

Edit - may be a squad of up to 6 for a team of 4.

[John McKenna]

Thousands more UK travellers face quarantine as Czech Republic nears threshold...

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thousands-mor ... 06611.html

[Simon Rogers]

Thousands more UK travellers face quarantine as Czech Republic nears threshold...

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thousands-mor ... 06611.html

Good to see you back on the forum John.
With all these quarantines, probably best staying in the UK.
There is Fareham and Northumberland Chess Congresses the same weekend.

[J T Melsom]

Generally Backley was very consistent on the big stage

I think that was essentially my point. The original post seemed to under-play this level of achievement. Being second best to a modern great may not be as glorious as winning, but its no small achievement.

[Wadih Khoury]

Got an email for a French fide rapid event in Franconville.

Covid measures include:

Mandatory mask
Hand sanitizer before/after each game
Increased spacing
No spectators
No on site analysis
Limited to 150 participants
Pairings online
"Adapted" canteen

Overall, it seems like sensible measures similar to Biel (+ mask).
I think we need to move to these types of measures to restart OtB, while protecting people and keeping the OTB experience as normal as possible.

[NickFaulks]

I think we need to move to these types of measures to restart OtB, while protecting people and keeping the OTB experience as normal as possible.

Some people think that wearing a nappy on your face is normal. Some don't.

[Mick Norris]

Czech Republic added to UK quarantine list with Switzerland and Jamaica

[Tim Spanton]

Czech Republic added to UK quarantine list with Switzerland and Jamaica

This may be good news for Pardubice - with any luck the quarantining will be over before the chess ends on Sep 28