Suffolk Chess

The Norfolk and Norwich Chess Club Rapidplay Congress took place last Sunday.   A total of nine Suffolk players were represented amongst the total entry of 82.

The only Suffolk adult was Ed Player (pictured right), seeded fourth, who 'walked away' with the Open/u160 section of 15 entrants, scoring 5½ points out of 6, a clear 1½ points ahead of anyone else.   The runners-up in the Open were Andrew Brett (194), Roy Hughes (187) and Jonathan Wells (175).   Ed beat all three.

Also playing in the same combined section was 12-year old Alan John (112) who scored two points including a win against a 148 and draws against players graded 155 and 142.

There were only seven entrants in the Under 120 section.   The lowest graded, 10-year old Adam John (94) (pictured left), scored 4½ points to finish in second place.   He lost only to the eventual winner.

In the Under 100 section (18 entrants), 12-year old Ralph Martin scored 4 points to finish in equal third place.

In addition to the graded sections, there were three age-group sections for juniors.   A total of 42 children played.   Suffolk players' scores were:

Tom Roy (u13) - 4½ (=3rd)
Toby Martin (u10) - 3
Amy John (u8) - 4 (3rd)
Tia Martin (u8) - 3
Edison Lorejo (u8) - 3

All nine Suffolk players were from either the Bury St Edmunds club or the Bury Knights Junior Chess Club.

Suffolk's Ian Wallis, facing 210-graded David Graham in the final round of the recent Bury St Edmunds Congress, found himself (White, to play) in the following position.   Can you see what Ian should have played (but didn't)?

Ian comments:   "Coming at the end of a very tough but enjoyable congress this was an opportunity missed.   I would like to think if this occurred in the first round I would have found the continuation!   I played 32. Qh4, retaining an advantage but eventually letting Black off with a perpetual check.

32. Nxe7+! was the killer move.

If 32. ... Kg7,   33. Rxh7+!   Kxh7,   34. Qg6+   Kh8   35. Qg8#
If 32. ... Kf8,   33. Nxg6+   hxg6 (33. ... Kg7,   34. Qd4+   Kxg6   35. Qg4+   Kf6,   36. Qh4+   Kg7,   37. Qxh7+   Kf8,   38. Qg6 transposes to same position.   38. Qh8+ also wins easily.)   34. Qxg6   Ke7,   35. Re1+   Kf8 (else the rook drops with a trivial win) but now 36. Qh6+ and it is mate in six or sooner.
If 32. ... Rxe7,   33. Qxe7 +-
Complicated lines but calculable; must be getting old!"

Thanks for this Ian - more games and positions are always welcome.

Back in 1990, the Suffolk Rating List was published every month.   The November 1990 issue contained Elo ratings for all active adults in Suffolk, as well as more than 400 juniors.   The 'Top 100 Juniors' list showed Simon Lunn at the top (2020) and Emily Orton (1150) at #100.

How things have changed!   Nowadays we are struggling to find twenty juniors with ratings over 1150 (or its ECF equivalent).

Suffolk has entered the English Primary Schools' Chess Association Under 11 tournament again; this will be the fourth successive year that a Suffolk team will compete against other counties.   For the past three years Suffolk has been unable to qualify for the Finals, finishing in seventh or eighth place in the Zonals.   In 1990 the Suffolk Under 11 team won the Zone Final, then travelled to Newton Abbot in Devon to play in the National Finals.   They finished runners-up to Kent by just half a point.

The Under 11s in 1990 were headed by a couple of twins by the name of Pert (1740/1720), and down at Board 8 was an up-and-coming eight-year old by the name of Edmund Player (1430).   At the top of a Suffolk Under 11 list today would be 9-year old Adam John (93 / 1219), 10-year old Jaden Jermy (89R / 1067) and 10-year old Aaron Saenz (72 / 971), all from the Bury Knights JCC.   These youngsters certainly have the potential to emulate their great predecessors, but we just don't have the strength in depth.

Chess is not being played nearly so much in schools as it was 25 years ago, and there is only one active junior club in the county.   But the good news is that there are a number of people trying to get junior chess off the ground again.   They deserve the active support of the county's adult players.

The 64th Hertfordshire Congress took place over the weekend, with six Suffolk players included amongst the 135 entrants.

The best result was by Graham Moore, who came joint third in the Open with 3½ points out of five and a 207 grading performance.   The Open was won by the only titled player, IM Richard Bates.

Other Suffolk players did not fare so well.   They included (section and score in brackets) Silas Peck (Open - 1); Colin Roberts (Challengers - 1½); Alex Sheerin - (Challengers 1 out of 3); Steve Peck (Minor - 1½); David Wood (Minor - 1).

Former Suffolk player 11-year old Anita Somton was unbeaten in the Challengers on three points and a grading performance of 170.

An amazing video, which proves there is...

This eleven-round event concluded yesterday, with the two Suffolk players Justin Tan and Adam Taylor finishing on 8 points and 6½ points respectively.

Justin, on his Facebook page, comments on his 'shaky start', which included a loss to his Australian compatriot IM Rishi Sardana.   But he finished with a flourish, beating the only opponent with a higher rating, GM Alekseenko (2539) in the final round.   Justin's rating will improve marginally to just over 2450.   Seeded eight, he finished in joint fourth place (fifth on tie-break).

Adam lost four games, all to higher-rated IMs.   Three of these opponents also finished on 6½ points, the same score as Adam.   He lost 11 rating points to 2281.   His six wins tended to be against low-rated opponents.

The final standings in the Open can be viewed here.

The photo above shows Justin Tan (left) at the Closing Ceremony, about to shake hands with the winner of the Open, the untitled Iranian Masoud Mosadeghpour.

The UK Schools Chess Challenge, currently sponsored by Delancey, the property development company, has now been running for 20 years.   The tournament regularly attracts more than 50,000 children from around the UK.

The Bury Knights Junior Chess Club has supported the event since its inception.   In recognition of their involvement, the Club has received the following certificate from the organiser, MIke Basman, in recognition of ten years' continued participation:

The tournament enters its 21st year this season, and schools in Suffolk are invited to enter.   for further details.

18-year old Alan Merry (19 in a few days' time) just can't stop winning. His grading record this season shows he has played eleven games - and has won them all!   His grading performance over these eleven games is a staggering 246.

He won the Suffolk Closed Championship (5/5), won both his County First Team games (on Board 1), and then won all four games played at the recent Bury Congress.   Had he not taken a bye in Round 3, he would've had the opportunity to play GM Matthew Sadler.   But as it happened, both Alan and Matthew shared first prize on 4½ points.

Here is a game from Alan's Bury Congress (Round 4), when he beat Steven Jones, graded 203:

After successive wins in rounds six and seven, IM Justin Tan faced his Australian compatriot, IM Rishi Sardana, in Round 8 yesterday.   In the position below Justin blundered with 23. Be4??   Can you suggest Black's winning reply?

Black should've responded 23... Qc7!, with a completely winning position (24. Ka1   Nxe4   25. Rb1   Rc1   26. Re1   Rxe1   27. Rxe1).   Instead, Black played 23... Nxe4!?, when White cannot take the queen on d8 because of Nd2+ etc.   After 24. Rxe4   Qc7, White made another error with 25. Rde1 (Ree1 was necessary).   Black responded 25... Ne5 and White's position has collapsed.   Justin fought on to move 65, but was always losing.

It's interesting that Australia has two International Masters at Under 18 level, whilst England has none....

FM Adam Taylor is on 4½ points, having won yesterday.   Adam's Mum Debbie is Head of Delegation for the 24-strong English team, along with their six coaches.   You can follow Debbie on Twitter.

Both Justin and Adam will be on today's Round 9 live games from 13.00.

The Four Nations Chess League (the 4NCL) will commence in a fortnight's time (14/15 November), with Divisions 1 and 2 playing at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport, and Division 3 South and the new Division 4 South being held at the Park Inn, Telford.

There will be four Suffolk-based teams this season, with Anglian Avengers (captain Ian Wallis) having one team in each of Divisions 2 and 3.   Iceni (captain John Feavyour) will have two teams in Division 4.

Last season, Division 3 South was very large, especially so after the Northern section joined it for the final rounds.   A sensible decision was made to form a new Division 4.   Unfortunately for Iceni, their first team finished in mid-table last season and were placed in the new Division 4.   It would have been better for Iceni if their teams had been split between Divisions 3 and 4.

This season, the top three divisions will be organised in pools of eight teams.   Each team plays the others in their pool over the first seven matches.   The top four in each of the two pools then form a 'promotion pool' and the bottom four play in a 'relegation pool'.   The 20 teams in Division 4 will play in a straightforward Swiss system.