Keverel Chess

Posts Tagged ‘13th Beacon Seniors Congress’

The venue

After a few opening remarks, thanking everyone concerned, play got under way at the earlier time of 10 a.m., a fact that no-one forgot or overlooked. The way the last round results panned out meant there were multiple ties at several levels, a fact that decreased the amounts involved, although the committee did enhance the amounts. On the other hand, more players (15) got at least something for their toil and trouble.

There were a few quick draws, as people wished to make an early start for home, while no less than 20 players (nearly one third of the total) went on to Torquay for the Torbay Congress that started the same evening.

Here are the details:

Prizewinners.

Seniors Section:

1^st= R. J. Everson 165 Dartford 4/5 pts

I. McAllan 175 Sidcup 4

K. I. Norman 189 Wokingham 4

N. F. Stephenson 190 Middlesbrough 4

M. J. Yeo 203 Ringwood 4

Grading prizes 154 – 119:

1^st= I. S. Annetts 152 Tiverton 3½

J. G. Gorodi 148 Newton Abbot 3½

T. J. Holt 146 Birmingham 3½

U-119:

1^st= A. R. Fraser 113 Beckenham 2½

P. L. Gordon 116 Isle of Wight 2½

Slow Starter:

1^st W. H. Ingham 158 Teignmouth 3

“Juniors” Section:

1^st= S. Bartlett 165 Newquay 3½

J. C. Wells 184 N. Norfolk 3½

D. Wise 188 Middlesbrough 3½

Grading prize: U-160:

1^st C. Sellwood 130 Camborne 3

All Rd. 5 games playable here ▼

http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/games/current/beacsen125/base.htm

A feature of the “Juniors” section is its closeness, with 6 players in the joint lead on 2 points. Meanwhile, in the Seniors, the story of the round was the win by Norman Stephenson with Black against Yeo, which puts him in the clear lead. He shouldn’t have too much trouble getting a half point with the White pieces to guarantee at least a share of 1st prize. Yet logic has played little part in the proceedings so far, so expect anything.

A key game was played out on the adjacent board, where Everson offered sacrifices left and right, but lost his nerve at the last minute when he felt he might have over-reached himself by going two pieces down, and offered a draw. Norman shook his hand immediately, because he had seen the forced win that Everson had overlooked.

The results are as follows, and all Round 4 games are playable here ▼

http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/games/current/beacsen124/base.htm

The draw for this round illustrated the crazy logic that often pervades this particular event, more so than a typical weekender. All grades are mixed in together, only the accellerated Swiss pairing in the first 2 rounds keeping top and bottom apart. However, it is easy to forget that many a modestly-graded octogenarian, in all likelihood had a much higher graded in their prime, and every so often will pull out a little gem of a game, worthy of their best. Nothing can be taken for granted in the Seniors - let the unwary beware!

So here we see two experienced 150+ players on “null points”, fighting for the Slow Starter prize, while two modest grades on Bd. 5 challenging for the lead. It’s crazy, but great fun.

Having come all the way from Holland to play, Wim Velker, was taken ill on Tuesday evening, and took a bye for Rd. 3 but later phoned in to say that the illness was persisting and would have to withdraw and return home.

All Rd. 3 games playable here ▼

http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/games/current/beacsen123/base.htm

The 3 lady competitors were all lined up in Round 3. Mesdames Cox, Norman & Welch.

Dinah Norman vs Hazel Welch alongside Gosling v Andrews.

Bd. 1: Martin Page vs Mike Yeo, who seems destined to occupy that table throughout.

Alan Fraser vs Sid Jones on Bd. 5 finished with Fraser in joint 2nd place.

Before play started, Messrs Smith & Jones, Arbiter and Organiser respectively, spent time working out the budget, bearing in mind the likely expenses and the nature of the prizes offered. It was necessary to work out “natural breaks” in the grading list where the Grading Prize limits will fall. In addition, Chris Carr, a regular competitor, who entered late and withdrew even later due to a short notice hospital appointment for a major operation, offered his entry fee to the event, and this will be added to the prizes. Hence there will be a £25 Slow Starter prize, open to anyone who loses their first two games. This gives everyone something to fight for right to the end. Details will be posted tomorrow.

Also determined today was that next year’s event is definitely booked for Monday 4th November 2013 - all other arrangements remain the same.

The Rd. 2 results were as follows:

All Rd. 2 games playable here ▼

http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/games/current/beacsen122/base.htm

Seniors Bd. 1: Yeo vs Gosling.

East meets West: "Juniors" Bd. 1: Bartlett (Cornwall) vs Wells (Norfolk).

Mike Kaye is clearly shocked by Garth Andrews' move. Marian Cox v Leggett on next board.

Jim O'Grady on his way to a loss against Mike Wiltshire.

Preparations for this year’s Seniors Congress at the Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth, were going quite smoothly up to the last few minutes before the scheduled start at 1 p.m. With c. 30 minutes to go, at which point little gremlins started to appear. Players who thought they’d entered, but hadn’t, turned up, while some who had entered pulled out at the last minute (one had been rushed into hospital for a major operation [unstandable] while another had just become a grandfather [somewhat less so]). One minute the overall numbers were odd, requiring a bye, then an unexpected entry arrived, evening things up, then another withdrew, bringing a bye back into the equation. Another player arrived 45 minutes late, thinking he was early for a 2 p.m. start. Who’d be a controller at a Seniors Convention?! but Ewart Smith took it all in his stride.

Eventually, after a few welcoming remarks, the show got on the road and a mighty hush descended.

The early results were as follows:

All Rd. 1 games playable here ▼

http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/games/current/beacsen121/base.htm

General view of the playing area.

Ingham vs Yeo on Bd. 1 of the Seniors.

The 10 players in the "Junior" Section.

Colin Sellwood on his way to a fine draw against top seed David Wise.

Two regulars, Dinah Norman and Wim Velker, start their first game.

As reported earlier, the Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth, home of the West of England Congress and the Royal Beacon Seniors Congress, went into receivership during the Christmas period, when the bank foreclosed on the owner’s loans. The (former) owner, Paul Nightingale, is appealing against their decision, pointing out that he had never defaulted on any re-payments, and the matter clearly still has some way to run. Until a long-term resolution is reached, the bank has put in a temporary manager who will ensure that it is a case of “business as usual” until things can be sorted out.

Fortunately, this meant the West of England’s Easter Congress, where entries are already coming in and rooms at the hotel booked, could proceed as planned. Panic over - for now. Looking further ahead, the Seniors Congress, pencilled in the hotel’s diary for November 2012, is also safe, based on the dates and terms already agreed. I double-checked this with the management last night before going ahead with preparing the brochure.

So, with all arrangements being unchanged, the event starts on Monday 5th November, (so may we expect a few fireworks in Rd. 1?) and finishes on the afternoon of Friday 9th, shortly before the start of the Torbay Congress at the Riviera Centre, Torquay, at 7 p.m. thus enabling the keen ones to enjoy a full 7 days of chess on the English Riviera.

The brochure/entry form is currently at the printers and will be available shortly. Meanwhile, here is a picture of the Beacon, taken by the hotel’s Deputy Manager, Robert Davies, with his kind permission.