Tuesday, 27 December 2016

Last post of the year

This will be the final posting in 2016 as I (Bob Jones) will be away until 6 January.

The closing date for entries in the Christmas Quiz is 5 January, so be sure to your answers by then.

Looking back at the Suffolk League in the first half of the 2016/2017 season, it has been heartening to note that there were only four board defaults, one in Division 1 (Bury St Edmunds C) and three in Division 3 (Ipswich E, Ipswich F and Felixstowe B).

There have been a few postponed matches, but these appear to have been agreed between the respective teams without any apparent ill-feeling.   Two matches which should have been played in the first half are outstanding: Manningtree A v Bury St Edmunds B (to be played on 11 January) and Stowmarket A v Saxmundham A (28 February).

Competitions Secretary David Green has experienced very few problems so far this season.   One involved both captains agreeing to a result with one game transposed (Player A appearing to play for Team B, and vice versa).   But that has now been sorted.   David is hoping that the second half will be as peaceful as the first.

A Happy New Year to all our readers!






Monday, 26 December 2016

Christmas Quiz Part III


This is the final part of the Christmas Quiz.   It continues to use puzzles taken from Hugh Courtney's Christmas Quizzes in Chess magazine.   Today the puzzles are from the 1985 quiz.

Puzzle 1

The Black King is intentionally omitted.   This question is in three parts:

On which square must the Black King be placed:
a)   to be in stalemate?
b)   for White to be able to mate in one?
c)   so that it can never be mated (assuming the king remains on that same square)?


Puzzle 2

With so few pieces on the board, this one should be easy.   But be warned, it's anything but!

In this position, White takes back his last move and instead plays a move that is instant checkmate.   What is the retracted move and what does White play instead?


Puzzle 3

Finally, another 'retractor' problem:

Firstly, Black retracts his last move (a capture).   Next, Black plays another move instead to allow White to checkmate in one.   What is:   a) the retracted move?   b) What White piece then emerges on the board?   c) What is Black's next 'helpful' move?   d) How does White then checkmate?


If you have answered some (or all) of these puzzles over the past three days, then your answers to stand a chance of winning a new chess book



Sunday, 25 December 2016

Christmas Quiz Part II


In the absence of a traditional Christmas tree puzzle, here's a snowflake.   It's White to play and mate in two.   After White's first move, Black has two possible moves.   You will need to find the mate after each of Black's moves:

(From Hugh Courtney's Christmas Quiz 1973)

And now, the same position moved down a row.   This time it's White to play and mate in three:

(From Hugh Courtney's Christmas Quiz 1978)


Finally, click here.


Saturday, 24 December 2016

Christmas Quiz Part I

This is the first of three days of Christmas puzzles.

Hugh Courtney died in 2012 at the age of 84.   Every year up to 2004 he published a Christmas Quiz in Chess magazine.   His stated aim was "to astound, puzzle, bemuse, infuriate, delight, amaze and amuse".

The following 'twin' puzzles were published forty years ago in the December 1976 issue of Chess:



These are both helpmates in two, with Black playing first.   White will mate on his second move.   In a helpmate, Black plays moves which assist White.   These are quite tricky!

Don't put your answesr in the comments below, but wait until Boxing Day and then email your answers.   The best set of answers will win a new chess book.


Friday, 23 December 2016

Halfway point

With the matches played yesterday at Bury, the Suffolk League has reached its halfway point.   With the exception of a couple of postponed matches, each team has now played all the other teams in their division.

In Division 1, Manningtree A top the league, despite having played only five matches.   Their outstanding match against Bury St Edmunds B will be played on 11 January.   Manningtree A are unbeaten and are half a point clear of second-placed Ipswich C.   At the other end of the table, Bury St Edmunds C are half a point clear of bottom team Ipswich B.   Bury St Edmunds C is the only team not to have won a match yet.   To view the current league table, click here.

In Division 2, Bury St Edmunds A are three points clear of the pack, with Felixstowe A in second place.   Bottom-placed Stowmarket have a match in hand (against Saxmundham A) but this won't be played until the end of February.   Click here for the latest league table.

Division 3 is the only division to have completed all their matches.   Unbeaten Manningtree A appear to be romping away as they are four points clear of Saxmundham B.   Felixstowe B are three points adrift at the foot of the table. Here is the latest league table.


Thursday, 22 December 2016

Hastings International

The annual Hastings International Chess Congress will be held from 28 December to 5 January.   To date, 12 GMs and 11 IMs have entered the Masters section.   Local players Adam Taylor and Ed Player have also entered, as well as former Suffolk student IM Justin Tan.

You will be able to follow their progress here.


Wednesday, 21 December 2016

Bury St Edmunds Christmas meal

17 members of Bury St Edmunds Chess Club, including several Ipswich players who are also members of the club, met on Monday night at Oakes Barn in Bury for a Christmas meal.   The event was organised by John Peters and will almost certainly be repeated next year.   Numbers had to be restricted due to the limited space available.

After an excellent three-course meal (costing only £12.50 pp), most members stayed on for some Blitz games of chess.

Left to right in the photo are: Graham Moore, Andrew Shephard, Tim Lunn, Michael Clapham, Steve Ruthen, John Feavyour, Mike Harris, Ian Wallis, Laurie Pott, Adam Leigh, Hugo Smith, John Peters, Andrew Donnelly, Ed Player, Jon Collins (hiding), and Steve Gregory.


Tuesday, 20 December 2016

London Chess Conference

The London Chess Conference took place at the Hilton Olympia from 10 - 12 December and was timed to coincide with the start of the 8th London Chess Classic.

There's an article here about it, by one of the presenters, Sean Marsh.   The official website is here.

The topic of the Conference was 'The Didactics of Chess'.   To save you looking it up, 'didactics' means 'the science, art, or practice of teaching'.   So the Conference focused on different ways of teaching chess, mainly to children.   Speakers from around the World included Malcolm Pein (Chess in Schools and Communities), Mike Basman (ex-UK Schools Chess Challenge) and Kevin O'Connell (formerly from Ipswich).

It would be useful if the speakers' papers could be published, but there's no word on that yet.


Monday, 19 December 2016

Get on board with chess

An article in The Times today - here - explains why Lord Price, former chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, believes that children should start playing chess.

Meanwhile, yesterday's Telegraph reports that 'MPs call for chess to be redefined as a mindsport'.   Perhaps this is a better line to follow than wanting chess to be declared a 'sport'.   The lack of physical effort needed will always preclude it from becoming a 'sport'.


Sunday, 18 December 2016

London Junior Championships results

The first age-groups (Under 10s and Under 14s) played this weekend in the London Junior Championships.   The remaining age-groups (Under 8, 12, 16, 18) play in the week after Christmas.

Six children from Bury Knights JCC competed in these events.   In each age-group there are two sections: Minor and Major.   To qualify for the Under 10 Major section, players had to score at least 4½/6 in a qualifying tournament.

The only Suffolk entrant in the Under 10 Major section was seven-year old Rowan Kent, who attends Woodbridge School and is also a member of the Bury Knights.   Rowan scored 2/7, but has another two years in the same section.   After Christmas he will play in the Under 8 section, where he should stand a much better chance of a good score.   There were two local entrants in the Under 10 Minor section: Amy John and Toby Martin.   Amy, who is only eight years old, scored 4/7.   She won her first three games but then faced the top seed in Round 4.   Toby scored 3½/7.

In the Under 14 section there is no qualifying requirement.   Entrants are divided into Major and Minor sections according to grade, with the Minor section only open to players graded 120 or below.   12-year old Tom Roy, graded 91, had an excellent tournament, scoring 4½/6 to finish in joint third place in the Minor section.   He will have two more years to play in the Under 14s, so should be able to move up to the Major section next year.

Adam John, still only 10 years old and graded 129, played in the Under 14 Major section.   He scored an excellent 3½/6.   After Christmas he will play in the Under 12 Major.   His brother Alan was unable to complete the tournament and withdrew today.


Newer Posts Older Posts Home