Devon Team RapidPlay Tournament (03.10.2010.)
October 4th, 2010 | 
Author: The gradually increasing interest in this tournament, revived in 2008 after a lapse of several years with Trefor Thynne making the excellent facilities of the Newton Abbot Club available, was indicated by the number of teams entering (up by one to 10) and the quality of the players in the stronger teams. The numbers had reached a point where it was advisable to have a qualified Controller and this was provided with his usual calm efficiency by John Ariss.
The avian flavour to team titles, started recently by Tiverton, came a bit unstuck when it was discovered that confusion could arise as Tiverton Ravens and Rooks might clash with Newton Abbot’s Rooks and Knights. To avoid this possibility, Tiverton’s Rooks evolved into Magpies at the last minute. Darwin would be proud of them! Birds are not compulsary and it was suggested aquatic-life might be exploited in future - so watch out for Barnstaple Barnacles or Torquay Tadpoles.
A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all, made all the more so by an excellent spread provided at half-time by Mr. & Mrs. John Doidge. Those needing their “sugar rush” after 3 games, were not disappointed.
It was perhaps no surprise that the two strongest teams came 1st and 2nd; Newton Abbot Rooks having an average grade of 187! Nor was it any surpise that Jack Rudd, with a RapidPlay grade of 223 waltzed through to a maximim score to win the £10 prize for the Best score by an adult. Alex Billings of Torquay Boys’ Grammar School won the same amount for the best score by a junior.
If this event continues to develop, it might be an idea in future to introduce the equivalent of a Grading Prize for teams who have no hope of challenging the top teams. This would maintain the interest down the order.
All the details may be found on the master chart below. Please note that RapidPlay Grades have been used wherever available. From it one can work out that, for example, in Rd. 1 Jack Rudd of Barnstaple beat Mike Cuggy of Brixham, plus all other individual encounters.
| No. | Pos. | Grd. | Rd | Rd | Rd | Rd | Rd | Rd | Tot. | |
| 1 | 1st | Newton Rooks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 10 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||
| 1 | D. Mackle | 194 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2 | S. J. Homer | 181 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5½ | |
| 3 | A. W. Brusey | 183 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 4½ | |
| 4 | T. F. Thynne | 181 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| Totals | 739 | 4 | 3 | 1½ | 3½ | 4 | 3 | 19 | ||
| 2 | 2nd | Tiverton Ravens | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | |||
| 1 | B. Edgell | 207 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3½ | |
| 2 | S. Bartlett | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 3 | M. Richardt | 165 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5½ | |
| 4 | J. Morrison | 147 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4½ | |
| Totals | 684 | 2½ | 2½ | 2½ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16½ | ||
| 3 | 3rd = | Barnstaple | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 9 | |||
| 1 | J. Rudd | 223 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2 | J. Munsey | 128 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2½ | |
| 3 | T. Slade | 133 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| 4 | R. J. Nash | 138 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Totals | 622 | 4 | 1 | 1½ | 1 | 4 | 3 | 14½ | ||
| 4 | 3rd = | Torquay B.G.S. | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 8 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |||
| 1 | R. Thompson | 166 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2 | G. Darling | 134 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 3 | O. Demerger | 149 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 4 | A. Billings | 123 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4½ | |
| Totals | 572 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ½ | 1 | 4 | 14½ | ||
| 5 | 5th | Exmouth Eagles | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 9 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 8 | |||
| 1 | B. W. R. Hewson | 176 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 2½ | |
| 2 | B. G. E. Gosling | 161 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2½ | |
| 3 | P. J. Kennedy | 151 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 4 | |
| 4 | R. H. Jones | 157 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| Totals | 645 | 3 | 1½ | 2½ | 2½ | 0 | 3½ | 13 | ||
| 6 | 6th = | Newton Knights | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 2 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 1 | |||
| 1 | A.Kinder | 169 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2 | J. Leung | 141 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 3 | |
| 3 | F. Sugden | 128 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 3½ | |
| 4 | J. Doidge | 99 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | |
| Totals | 537 | 1½ | 1 | 3 | 1½ | 2 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 7 | 6th= | Brixham | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 3 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 2 | |||
| 1 | M. Cuggy | 141 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | E. J. Smith | 120 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | R. M. Green | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 4 | N. Mills | 93 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| Totals | 425 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 8 | 8th | Exmouth Owls | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 4 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | |||
| 1 | J. S. Murray | 143 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | O. Wensley | 120e | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 3½ | |
| 3 | J. Clarke | 128 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½ | |
| 4 | F. R. Hodge | 111 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 3½ | |
| Totals | 502 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ½ | 8½ | ||
| 9 | 9th | Tiverton Magpies | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 5 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 3 | |||
| 1 | J. Knowles | 135 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2 | K. Atkins | 134 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 3 | E. A. Maynard | 104 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 4 | A. Brinkley | 89 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Totals | 463 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 10 | 10th | Torquay | ||||||||
| Opponents’ no. | vs | 1 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 1 | G. C. Rosser | 141 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2 | N. F. Tidy | 129 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | S. P. Greeno | 117 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | R. J, Ballantyne | 105 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 492 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
And now for some of the action….
Rd. 1 gets under way. Foreground: Mackle (stripes) plays Rosser; Homer & Tidy look on.
Exmouth Eagles play Magpies: Brians Hewson & Gosling and Phil Kennedy.
Exmouth Owls on their way to a draw vs Torquay Boys' G. S.
The two Exmouth teams prepare to meet on the bottom boards - clearly no pressure. Hewson v Murray; Gosling v Wensley; Kennedy v Clark; Jones (camera) v Hodge
Final Rd. - The two Newton Abbot teams meet on top board.
Alex Billings (r) winner of the junior prize, receives his prize from Trefor Thynne.
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