45th Torbay Congress - Final Day (20.11.2011.)
November 20th, 2011 | 
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The balloon goes up as Arkell & Mackle get down to their Rd. 5 game.
In Rd. 3 it transpired that during the game between John Stephens and Jon Wells, Wells made a move and went off. Stephens made a quick reply and also went off for a stroll round. Wells got back to find that the Controller had assumed the game was over, had reset the clocks and was starting to set up the pieces in the starting position.
In Rd. 4, Exmouth’s Champion, John Stephens, and President, Mark Abbott, were drawn to play father and son combination, Chris (pere) & Adrian Archer-Lock. Father lost and son won.
Stephens (W) analysing with Archer-Lock Snr.
Arkell demonstrates his Rd. 4 win to opponent Paul Helbig, with Littlejohn, Stephens & Mackle looking on.
Final round gets under way.
The draw for Rd. 5 of the Open was as follows, with Arkell and Mackle being the obvious pairing for Bd. 1 as they were joint leaders. However, much as Arkell may have been the bookies’ favourite at the start, here he had the Black pieces and Mackle played the opening with vigour, and the GM had to call on all his defensive qualities and endgame technique to stay in the game. No question here of a quick draw to guarantee a share of 1st prize; the game went on to be one of the last to finish in the whole room, and drew a growing crowd of interested spectators, intrigued at the finely-balanced endgame position.
| Open Rd. 5 | ||||||||
| Bd. | White | Grd | Black | Grd | ||||
| 1 | Mackle, D. | 197 | (3½) | ½ | ½ | (3½) | Arkell, K | 226 |
| 2 | Waddington, M. | 187 | (3) | 0 | 1 | (3) | Webster, R. | 192 |
| 3 | Archer-Lock, A | 179 | (3) | 0 | 1 | (2½) | Carr, N. | 190 |
| 4 | Helbig, P. | 185 | (2½) | 0 | 1 | (2½) | Menadue, J. | 192 |
| 5 | Dunn, A | 167 | (2½) | 0 | 1 | (2½) | Stephens, J. | 173 |
| 6 | Rosen, D. | 186 | (2) | ½ | ½ | (2) | Abbott, M. | 170 |
| 7 | Brusey, A. W. | 174 | (2) | ½ | ½ | (2) | Gregory, K. | 184 |
| 8 | Wheeler, J. F. | 173 | (2) | ½ | ½ | (2) | Bolt, G. | 181 |
| 9 | Bartlett, S. | 162 | (2) | ½ | ½ | (2) | Dilleigh, S. | 180 |
| 10 | Littlejohns, D. | 174 | (2) | 1 | 0 | (2) | Rahimli, N | 170 |
| 11 | Archer-Lock, C. | 181 | (1½) | ½ | ½ | (2) | Regis, D. | 175 |
| 12 | Thompson, R. | 178 | (1½) | 1 | 0 | (1½) | Aston, P. | 152 |
| 13 | Homer, S. | 179 | (1) | 1 | 0 | (1) | Wells, J. C. | 179 |
| 14 | Coburn, J. | 156 | (1) | ½ | ½ | (½) | Hamilton, E. | 147 |
| 15 | Nyman, J | (½) | 1 | bye |
Arkell & Mackle almost swallowed up by spectators.
As games came to an end, the identity of prizewinners at all levels became apparent. This is an unofficial and somewhat incomplete list of all winners, subject to ratification.
| Torbay | Congress | 2011 | ||||
| Section | Grd. | Pts. | ||||
| Open | 1st= | K. C. Arkell | 220 | Paignton | 4 | £130 |
| D. Mackle | 197 | N. Abbot | 4 | £130 | ||
| R. Webster | 192 | W. Bridgford | 4 | £130 | ||
| GPs | 180-174 | A. Archer-Lock | 179 | 3 | £15 | |
| D. Littlejohns | 174 | Taunton | 3 | £15 | ||
| U-174 | J. Stephens | 173 | Exmouth | 3½ | £30 | |
| British QP | D. Mackle | |||||
| Major | ||||||
| (U-170) | 1st= | R. Desmedt | 154 | Wombwell | 4 | £90 |
| P. Jackson | 166 | Coulsdon | 4 | £90 | ||
| 3rd | R. Burton | 160 | Weymouth | 3½ | £40 | |
| GPs | 156-153 | R. Greatorex | 154 | Llangollen | 3 | £30 |
| U-153 | I. S. Annetts | 152 | Tiverton | 3.5 | £30 | |
| Intermediate | 1st= | N. Dicker | 139 | Glastonbury | 4½ | £90 |
| (U-150) | M. Wilson | 136 | Wigston | 4½ | £90 | |
| 3rd | A. Papier | 140 | Bristol | 4 | ||
| GPs | 139-134 | T. Crouch | 134 | K. Head | ||
| P. Dimond | 135 | Bath | ||||
| D. Gilbert | ||||||
| 133-126 | M. Cuggy | 133 | Brixham | 4 | ||
| U-125 | T. Slade | 122 | Barnstaple | |||
| S. Ross | Shifnal | |||||
| D. Jenkins | Camborne | |||||
| Minor | 1st | A. Tatam | Plymouth | 4½ | £110 | |
| (U-120) | 2nd= | J. Barber-Lafon | N. Abbot | 4 | £37 | |
| H. Welch | Seaton | 4 | £37 | |||
| A. Fraser | Beckenham | 4 | £37 | |||
| GPs | U-110 | I. Bowman | Liskeard | 3½ | £30 | |
| U-96 | B. Aldwin | Exeter | 3 | £15 | ||
| G. J. Jenkins | Exeter | 3 | £15 |
The Torbay Individual Championships are held within the overall congress. Those eligible are players who play, or have ever played matches in the Torbay League. Thus, Ivor Annetts, although a member of an Exeter League Club, was for many years a member of Teignmouth, which qualifies him for one of these titles (see below).
| Torbay Individual Champions | Winner | Club | ||
| Open Section | Dominic Mackle | Newton Abbot | ||
| Major Section | Ivor Annetts | Tiverton | ||
| Intermediate Section | Mike Cuggy | Brixham | ||
| Minor Section | Tony Tatam | Plymouth |
The late John Whitfield was a disabled player who played whenever and wherever he could in Devon. His widow donated this relatively new cup for the best performance by a junior, won this year by 10 yr old Theo Slade of Marhamchurch in N. Cornwall. Theo is coached at distance by Dr. Dave Regis who runs the Exeter Juniors C.C. Occasionally, as at this event, they are able to interact face to face.
Theo Slade receives the Whitfield Cup from League President, Trefor Thynne.
Dave Regis analyses Theo Slade's Rd. 5 game.
Ivor Annetts (l) was the best Devon performer in the Major Section, receiving his trophy from Ray Chubb.
Hazel Welch (l) & Jacquie Barber-Lafon were delighted with their 2nd= prize in the Minor.
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