BRITISH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS - THE GAMES

[David Sedgwick]

I'm surprised the pairing aren't up yet- all the results are shown.

I believe the target time for publication is 2300.

At least in part, the draw is done manually rather than by computer, so it's not a particularly quick process.

Whether or not that should be the case has been extensively debated on this Forum already.

[Alex Holowczak]

At the risk of doom-mongering, I fear there could be a bigger problem here. The pairings were made pretty promptly when the results were in last week, so I don't see why there'd be this sort of hold up this week.

[Mark Howitt]

Yes- the pairing were made at about 9:15 before.

[Alex Holowczak]

Yes- the pairing were made at about 9:15 before.

Well, it's not quite as easy as that. If someone has a 160-move game, suddenly 9:15 becomes a difficult target to aspire to!

Last week, the pairings were put on the door immediately outside Ponds Forge. So competitors in the Championship might want to pay a quick visit. If they're not on the door, then they're doing them. If they are, then something's gone wrong.

[David Sedgwick]

Last week, the pairings were put on the door immediately outside Ponds Forge. So competitors in the Championship might want to pay a quick visit. If they're not on the door, then they're doing them. If they are, then something's gone wrong.

Roger de C has posted on the other thread that the pairings are on the ansaphone (0114 223 3538).

That does indeed suggest that something has gone wrong with the upload to the website.

[Mark Howitt]

The latest I saw the pairing before was around 9:30- at least the players know apparently. I'd like to know too though !

[LozCooper]

Round 9 pairings:

Pert N-Short,
Adams-Palliser,
Jones-Hawkins,
Howell-Ansell,
Wells-Zhou,
Gordon-Pert R,
Rendle-Williams,
Conquest-Summerscale,
Jones V-Gormally,
Bates-Hunt,
Ledger A-Houska,
Hebden-Boyd,
Arnott-Buckley.

That's as far as I got with 2 phone calls to 0114 2232538.

[Alex Holowczak]

From the pairings hotline (I think this is all of them...):

Pert N-Short, Adams-Palliser, Jones-Hawkins, Howell-Ansell, Wells-Zhou, Gordon-Pert R, Rendle-Williams, Conquest-Summerscale, Jones V-Gormally, Bates-Hunt, Ledger A-Houska, Hebden-Boyd, Arnott-Buckley, Eggleston-Jaunooby, Walton-Griffiths, Adair-McQueen, Lalic P-Khandelwal, Webb-Sreeves, Brown-Constantinou, Lalic S-Jackson, Gregory-Chapman, Kemp-Mason, Ross-Shaw, Yurenok-Birtwhistle, Boulton-Nelson, O'Toole-Dargan, Jenks-Holland, Surtees-Kolbus, Almond-Rudd, Simons-Ledger D, Harvey-French, Britton-Dines, Hegarty-Beaumont, Rabbitte-Burnett, Waterfield-Salimbeni, Magee-Jones W, McKenna-Foo, Haria-Krzyzanowski, Lenier-Atako, Yapp-Coates, De Coverly-Weaving, Mellor-Pleasants, Phillips bye

[Matthew Peat]

Very tough opponent for Short to beat as Black (As an added incentive his live rating is now 2699.9). It will be interesting to see just how many risks he is prepared to take. Jones - Hawkins should also be fascinating.

I heard someone in the commentary room yesterday raise the point of Hawkin's rise in strengh whilst playing relatively few FIDE rated events. I read somewhere that he uses computers extensively. I wondered what that actually meant.

[Adam Raoof]

I heard someone in the commentary room yesterday raise the point of Hawkin's rise in strengh whilst playing relatively few FIDE rated events. I read somewhere that he uses computers extensively. I wondered what that actually meant.

I think it means that in the North East there are relatively few opportunities for a player to take part in FIDE rated events, and that the pool of strong players is finite. This means, unless you have money and time to travel, that you won't play many FIDE rated events, but you can take full advantage of new technology to help you improve. At some point a player with talent has to break out and play in title events, and luckily there are Unions, County Associations and charities that recognise that need and support players like Jonathan in a modest way.

Next year's British should do a great deal to promote chess in that part of the UK!

[Roger de Coverly]

I heard someone in the commentary room yesterday raise the point of Hawkin's rise in strengh whilst playing relatively few FIDE rated events. I read somewhere that he uses computers extensively. I wondered what that actually meant.

From http://grading.bcfservices.org.uk/getre ... ef=174270L, in 2010-11 he played 76 games valid for domestic ECF grading. So that's quite a bit of league and weekend congress play. He's well known as a regular Congress winner in his local North East area.

This is more, for example, than the Perts
http://grading.bcfservices.org.uk/getre ... ef=129715G
http://grading.bcfservices.org.uk/getre ... ef=129722D

Using computers can mean doing a lot of research, both of games previously played using databases and potential new moves using engines. It could also mean playing a lot of (probably) blitz on the on-line servers such as ICC.

[William Metcalfe]

Johnathon uses computers to check lines at home as ernie said he also does a lot of prep work with another strong player from the north east.
The start of Johnathons rise happened because he suddenly had to play board 1 for his league team in the Durham league he was regularily playing players graded about 200 and above on top of that he played opens in weekend congresses even though he was able to play in the major or challenger sections.So obv the lesson here is to play up and challenge yourself whenever possable.

[andrew martin]

Enjoy the Game of the Day from Rd 8 : Graeme Buckley v Peter Wells


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnNiY79x4Es

[Nicky Chorley]

And Nick Pert, and Richard Bates http://www.sunion.warwick.ac.uk/chess/P ... -9899.html
(quite a good sub when I was A-team captain a few years back in the late 90s)

Cool! I knew about Pert (I think Steve Turvey was a student at the same time as him, but not sure), but not about Bates.

[Maxim Devereaux]

I am already confused by Adams-Palliser. As a confirmed adherent of the Sveshnikov, and an infrequent 1.e4 player (and almost never Open Sicilians), what I know about the Najdorf could probably be written on a Post-It note, but I have to say I'm slightly surprised that Black has neglected to play ...h6 in this line, and White has chosen not to go Bc1-g5xf6 in return.

Jones-Hawkins still following the Scotch seen in Howell-Adams from rd.6 up to move 13 (13.Qb3)