British Chess Magazine - News Archive for 2008

Archive Keyword Search Facility

Year: 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008

2008

British Championships, Liverpool, 27 Jul - 9 Aug [03/08/08]

The countdown has now started to the 95th British Chess Championships, being held in St George's Hall Liverpool from 27 July. Official website: www.britishchess08.com.
   The latest list of entrants shows that the English are determined to wrest back the championship which they once considered their personal property. Stewart Reuben has been running a British Championship quiz on the official website but here's an additional poser for you - when was the last time a born-in-England, English-registered player won the British Championship title? I won't keep you on tenterhooks - the answer is 1998. Working back, the title has gone to Scotland for the past four years, then there were two Indian winners; then Swiss-registered Joe Gallagher; then two years of Julian Hodgson (who was born in Wales). An entire decade has passed since Nigel Short won at Torquay 1998 - and even he doesn't reside in England.
   Barring late entries, we will have a brand new title-holder in 2008 because no former champion has as yet entered the fray (this could be the first time this has happened since the championship's early history though I've not taken the trouble to check*). With 2500+ rated English players Gawain Jones, Nick Pert, Stuart Conquest, Mark Hebden, Stewart Haslinger, Stephen Gordon, Keith Arkell and Danny Gormally all in the field, the hopeful English fans might be singing 'chess is coming home' in Liverpool. But, as any English football fan will tell you, never underestimate Croatia. English resident, Croatian-registered Bogdan Lalic will be flying the flag for his native country in Liverpool. And, while (barring late entries) there will be no Jonathan Rowson or Jacob Aagaard this year, Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant is playing - now registered for Scotland and a runner-up at the 2006 championship. She always does well at the British Championship, though it is good to see that leading English women players Jovanka Houska and Susan Lalic will be there to give her a run for her money for the women's title. Intriguingly, there is also an outside chance of a German lifting the British Championship trophy for the first time. IM Dietmar Kolbus is a strong player from Germany who has lived in the Isle of Man for a number of years. He took the prize for the best Manx score in the last Monarch Assurance tournament. If he ties for the championship, my money's on Dietmar to win the penalty shoot-out... JS (* Leonard Barden wrote suggesting 1952 as a year in which no former champion took part in the British Championship and he's right. That was the last time it happened. Others before that were as follows: 1905 (Atkins - the first champion, Napier, from the inaugural 1904 event didn't play), 1912 (RC Griffith won on his sole appearance in the championship), 1913 (Yates), 1920 (RHV Scott), 1929 (Sultan Khan).

Here's my updated historical list of British Champions in all categories. I originally drafted this for the BCF website some years ago but the federation has not kept it up-to-date. Also, I have since made some amendments as the list published in the ECF Yearbook has a number of inaccuracies and misspellings. I've no doubt that my list is still not 100% accurate and I would appreciate any feedback if anybody spots anything wrong.
     Other coverage: Prof. David Robertson's blog (he is the principal mover and shaker behind all the big-time events we've seen in Liverpool in recent years, and currently playing in the Major Open).

BritBase: Latest Downloads [15/07/08]

Three additions made to BritBase today - games downloads for the recent Irish Open Championship, Scottish Championship and the South Wales International. View/Download Irish Open Championships 2008 • View/Download Scottish Championships 2008 • View/Download 5th South Wales International 2008. My thanks to Jack Rudd for the South Wales International games.

Irish Open Championships, 5-13 Jul [15/07/08]

Alex Baburin is the new Irish champion, winning it at his first attempt (despite being resident in Ireland for 15 years). He finished first equal with Alon Greenfeld at the open championship event, both scoring an impressive 8/9 and receiving 2,000 euros each. Third was Mark Hebden with 6½, followed by Stephen Jessel on 6. Two more GMs, Algimantas Butnorius and Stuart Conquest, finished further down the field. A games download/viewer is available (see above). The tournament was held at the Academy Plaza Hotel in Dublin and sponsored by Island Oil and Gas. Official website: http://www.icu.ie/articles/display.php?id=188

115th Scottish Championships, Glasgow, 5-13 Jul [15/07/08]

The Scottish Championship is being held as a nine-round open at Glasgow Academy, with the highest scoring Scot being eligible for the championship title. The first prize is £2,000. Official website: http://www.bcfservices.org.uk/livechess/scottish/2008/. Final: GM Jan Markos (SVK) and Tautvydas Vedrickas (LTU) shared first place in the open tournament with 7½/9. Alan Tate (SCO), of the Wandering Dragons club, took the Scottish title on tie-break (based on FIDE performance) from 2007 champion Andrew Muir. Both scored 6½, as did Ravshan Khamroev (UZB).

5th South Wales International Open, 5-10 Jul [11/07/08]

The South Wales International is a nine-round swiss event with GMs including Stewart Haslinger, Peter Wells and Normands Miezis plus a number of IMs. Official website: http://www.southwaleschess.co.uk/SWI/home.html. Final: GMs Normunds Miezis (LAT) and Stewart Haslinger (ENG) shared first place with 7½/9. David Eggleston (ENG) and James Cobb (WLS) shared 3rd place with 6½, both achieving IM norms.

Yeovil Congress, 13-15 Jun [17/06/08]

Matthew Turner and Chris Beaumont shared first place at the Yeovil Summer Congress over the weekend. 61 players took part in the congress in all. Open: 1-2 M Turner (Millfield), C Beaumont (Clifton) 4½/5, 3 C Purry (Frome) 3. Intermediate: 1-2 Tim Chapman (Guildford/Yeovil), Harry Streeter (Millfield) 4/5, 3-6 Andrew Farthing (Worcester), Megan Owens (Downend), Chris Webb (Dorchester), James Hall (East Grinstead) 3½. Minor: 1-3 Barry Davies (Keynsham), Simon Gray (Yeovil), Raymond (ISCA) 4/5. My thanks to Jack Rudd for the results and for supplying all the games from each section (quick work!) • View/Download games

Pesonen Memorial Match, Middlesex vs Sussex 2007-8 [08/06/08]

John Dodgson reports on a six-board correspondence match between Middlesex and Sussex which was played as part of Middlesex's centenary celebrations in 2007 and also to remember the Finnish-born Sussex player Erkki Pesonen who died in 2006. All six games are available in viewer or for download. Click on the above link.

Chess Skill Questionnaire [05/06/08]

Dr. Robert Howard of the University of New South Wales in Australia is carrying out a study of the chess skills of internationally-rated players. It involves a short online survey. Anyone with a FIDE rating can take part. For further details, click here.

BCMBlog [28/05/08]

Two further items on the BCMBlog in the last day or so: Boris Spassky's interview at Hay-on-Wye (which I attended) and a short obituary of Patrick Walker, sponsor of the Monarch Assurance Isle of Man tournament for 18 years, who sadly died at the weekend.

BCMBlog: Mike Truran Open Letter, 8 May [09/05/08]

Click on the BCMBlog (http://bcmchess.blogspot.com/) for the text of an open letter sent to BCM by an outgoing non-executive director of the English Chess Federation, Mike Truran. English chess is currently in crisis following the resignation last week of four directors of the national federation - Martin Regan, Peter Sowray, Claire Summerscale and Mike Truran. As we understand it, the reason for the directors' resignations is the ECF Council's unwillingness to engage in a meaningful debate about the future of the organisation and the state of chess in the country. For further background, consult the following: the SCCU website report on the ECF Council meeting of 26 April • debate on the ECF Forum • debate on the Atticus CC forum • Streatham & Brixton CC Blog • North East Chess Forum.

Richard Furness Remembered [08/05/08]

I've just read a very nice piece by Jonathan Rogers at the 4NCL website on the late Richard Furness (1937-2004) who was one of the UK's best ever chess organisers and arbiters. It reminded me that Richard had written his own memoirs for BCM shortly before he died and we had published them in five parts between May and October 2004. I thought it would be appropriate for them to be made available to a wider audience on the web, so here they are, exactly as published in the magazine. Click on the links to read Richard's memoirs (all in PDF format): Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Photos from Richard's scrapbook. If you have enjoyed reading them, perhaps you might consider making a small donation to Richard's chosen charity - the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

4NCL Final Weekend, 3-5 May [04/05/08]

The last three rounds of the 4NCL (British Team League) season take place from 3-5 May. Click here for live coverage of some of the games.

2007 ECF Book of the Year Presentation [15/04/08]

Left to right: Jacob Aagaard, Julian Farrand, Igor Nor, Ray Edwards, John Shaw

The presentation for the English Chess Federation's 2007 Book of the Year award (read the citation at the ECF website) was made at BCM's Chess Shop on 14 April. Two of the award judges, Ray Edwards and Julian Farrand, made the presentation to Israeli chess coach and author Igor Nor for Quality Chess's San Luis 2005 (read James Vigus's review of this excellent book in the June 2007 BCM). The book, which Igor Nor co-authored with his former pupil, ex-World Under-14 and under-16 champion, grandmaster Alik Gershon, is an in-depth account of the highly eventful FIDE world championship tournament won by Veselin Topalov . Also present at the presentation were representatives of the publisher, Quality Chess - Scottish GMs Jacob Aagaard and John Shaw. After four straight British Championship victories for Scotland - and Jacob is the reigning champion - perhaps this can be counted as another Scottish chess success. Or rather a joint Israeli/Scottish success! Incidentally Dr. Igor Nor is currently residing in England: he is a research assistant at the Department of Computer Science, Bristol University.

Surrey Easter Congress, 21-24 March [29/03/08]

IM Graeme Buckley won the Open at the Surrey Easter Congress with 6½/7 ahead of IM Eddie Dearing, 6, and GM Alexander Cherniaev, FM Jovica Radovanovic and Yang-Fan Zhou on 5. Click on the above link for a report by IM Susan Lalic. No games available as yet.

Bolton Easter Congress, 21-23 March [28/03/08]

The Open tournament at the traditional Easter tournament was won by GM Nigel Davies on 4½/5, ahead of GM Stewart Haslinger and James Hanley on 4. Click on the link above for a short report, kindly sent by Rod Middleton, which features three games from the event. Stewart Haslinger's spectacular win against Ali Jaunooby is well worth playing through.

West of England Championship, Exmouth, 21-24 March [28/03/08]

Russell James won the West of England Open held in Exmouth over the Easter weekend. Second-placed Ian Thompson was the highest finishing player qualified for the WECU championship title, so he takes the title and the British Championship qualifying place. Open Scores: 1 Russell James 5½/7, 2-4 Ian Thompson, John Hodgson, Daniel Hall 5, etc. Major: 1st Sarah Hegarty 6½, 2-3 John Stephens, Dave Rogers. Grading Prize - U137: Tim Woodward, Alan Papier, Robert Thompson. Minor: 1-3 Christopher Brooker, John Bashall, Daniel Frean. Grading Prize U100: John Maloney. Women’s championship: Sarah Hegarty. View/Download games • Crosstable at WECU site.

Southend Congress - Jack Speigel Memorial, 21-24 March [27/03/08]

17-year-old David Howell was the runaway winner of the category 10 Jack Speigel Memorial tournament, played alongside the traditional Southend Easter Congress. After losing his first round game to Mark Hebden, Howell reeled off six straight wins and was already sure of outright first place before the final round started. Essex IM Lawrence Trent also did well to finish ahead of five GMs. View/Download all the games • complete results of the congress on the official website.

Jack Speigel Memorial, Southend (ENG), 21-24 March 2008       cat. X (2482)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Howell, David WL   g ENG 2528   *   1   1   0   1   1   1   1   6.0  2784
2 Wells, Peter K     g ENG 2520   0   *   1   =   =   1   1   =   4.5  2579
3 Trent, Lawrence    m ENG 2463   0   0   *   1   =   1   =   1   4.0  2535
4 Hebden, Mark       g ENG 2530   1   =   0   *   =   0   =   1   3.5  2475
5 Plaskett, Jim      g ENG 2490   0   =   =   =   *   0   1   1   3.5  2481
6 McDonald, Neil R   g ENG 2386   0   0   0   1   1   *   =   1   3.5  2496
7 Emms, John M       g ENG 2502   0   0   =   =   0   =   *   1   2.5  2377
8 Ward, Christopher  g ENG 2440   0   =   0   0   0   0   0   *   0.5  2066
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

54th Welsh Championships, Cardiff, 21-24 March [26/03/08]

The 2008 Welsh Championship, played at Whitchurch High School in Cardiff over Easter, was won jointly by the two IMs in the field, James Cobb and Leighton Williams. A complete report plus a download of all the games of the Championship, Major and Minor tournaments is also available (click on the above link) - many thanks to John Thornton for providing the report and games.

32nd Blackpool Conference, 7-9 March [12/03/08]

The live games website for the Blackpool Chess Conference indicates that GM Alexandre Dgebuadze (BEL) won with 4½/5. Leading English contender Mark Hebden lost to Roger Williamson and dropped out having scored 1½/3. As well as some games in PGN, the website features reports by Steve Giddins and photos by Steve Connor. Still a mystery to me why they insist on calling a congress a 'conference' - do the players confer during play? I think we should be told...

126th Varsity Match, Oxford-Cambridge [08/03/08]

The 126th Varsity Chess Match took place at the RAC Club, Pall Mall, London, on Saturday 8 March at 12.30pm. The match ended in a 4-4 draw. View/download Varsity Oxford-Cambridge 2008 games.

Click here for a full report of the match with photos.

Recent British Game Scores... [06/03/08]

Britbase has just been updated with game scores from some recent UK events. I am indebted to Bill Frost for sending me the games from the Torbay Open (November 2007), the Beacon Senior and 'Junior' events (also last November) and the East Devon Premier tournament played last weekend. Also, many thanks to Steve Burke and Neil Graham for sending me all the games and lots of info from the inaugural English Senior Championship played in Dovedale at the end of January. This was a splendid event, won by Andrew Whiteley ahead of a very strong field of over-60s players. Click on the link above for a full photographic report, kindly supplied by Neil Graham and Steve Burke.
In the photo, Andrew Whiteley, right, holds the trophy, with runner-up James Simpson, left.
    I should apologise for the lateness in posting all this info - I was laid low by a viral infection which sapped my energy for the entire month of February. Fortunately I am now on the mend. Here are the links to those game scores: Torbay Open • Beacon Senior • Beacon Junior • English Senior Championship • East Devon Premier. JS.

Too Much Chess! [18/02/08]

We are in urgent need of a moratorium on chess - there is currently far too much of it being played worldwide for journalists and webmasters to be able to keep up. Here are some links... Four Nations Chess Challenge - http://www.bergensjakk.no/four_nations_2008/ - nothing to do with the 4NCL, but a four-sided international match tournament between Sweden, England, Latvia and Norway from 15-17 Feb. That was the finishing order (not all the teams were truly representative of the countries' true strength, but it provided much needed experience for some of the younger players)... Cappelle la Grande (16-23 Feb) - http://www.cappelle-chess.com/ ... Aeroflot Open, Moscow, 14-22 Feb - http://www.aeroflotchess.com/... oh, and Morelia/Linares, 15-23 Feb (Mexico), 28 Feb - 7 March (Spain) - http://www.ajedrezmorelialinares.com.mx/.

6th Gibtelecom Chess Festival, 22-31 Jan 2008 [03/02/08]

The 6th Gibtelecom Masters was won by US grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura after an exciting play-off with China's Bu Xiangzhi. Both scored 8/10. Bu Xiangzhi started with a fantastic streak of 7½/8 but then lost to Efimenko and drew with compatriot Ni Hua. Nakamura was the opposite: a mediocre 3/5 start but then a hot streak of 5/5. He won the play-off 2-0. There were GM norms for Viktorija Cmilyte (LTU), Robert Bellin (ENG) and Zong-Yuan Zhao (AUS - his final norm), with IM norms for Max Devereaux (ENG - he should get the title), Zhao Xue (CHN), Joachim Thomassen (NOR) and Ismael Karim (MAR). Download/view games at the Gibraltar site. The official site has reports, photos, videos and much more besides.





 

Corus Wijk aan Zee, 12-27 Jan [27/01/08]

The annual Corus Wijk aan Zee event consists of three 14-player GM tournaments, beginning 12 January and ending 27 January (rest days Wednesday 16, Monday 21, Thursday 24). Official website: http://www.coruschess.com/ • ICC Live Coverage • Playchess Live Coverage • Crosstable • ChessVibes • ChessDom. FM Steve Giddins is covering this tournament for BCM.
    The line-up in the A section is phenomenally strong: Viswanathan Anand (IND, 2799), Vladimir Kramnik (RUS, 2799), Veselin Topalov (BUL, 2780), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE, 2760), Peter Leko (HUN, 2753), Vasyl Ivanchuk (UKR, 2751), Levon Aronian (ARM, 2739), Boris Gelfand (ISR, 2737), Teimour Radjabov (AZE, 2735), Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 2733), Michael Adams (ENG, 2726), Judit Polgar (HUN, 2707), Pavel Elyanov (UKR, 2692), Loek van Wely (NED, 2681).
   Final: In the end, first place was shared by Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian. Scores: 1-2 Aronian, Carlsen 8/13, 2-3 Anand, Radjabov 7½, 5-6 Ivanchuk, Leko 7, 7-8 Adams, Kramnik 6½, 9-11 Mamedyarov, Polgar, Topalov 6, 12-14 Elyanov, Gelfand, Van Wely 5. View/download games • click here for Steve Giddins' round reports.

R.I.P. Bobby Fischer [19/01/08]

Former world champion Bobby Fischer died on 17 January 2008, aged 64. He died of kidney failure, having been hospitalised with this condition for quite some time. The photo (right) shows the front cover of the forthcoming (February) issue of British Chess Magazine. There will be a full tribute to Fischer in the March issue.
   Players at Corus Wijk aan Zee stood in silence on 18 January in honour of Bobby Fischer. Video tributes to Fischer at chessvibes.com • The Guardian (19 January 2008) is the UK newspaper with the most impressive and well-written tributes to the late champion. It featured news of Bobby Fischer's death as the main story on its front cover (see left): for front cover story by Stephen Moss, click here • two-page Fischer obituary by Leonard Barden at the Guardian • shorter tribute in Leonard Barden's column of 19 Jan • Google News links to other Fischer articles