Kingston Invitational, 12-16 August

[John Saunders]

The 3rd Kingston Invitational begins this afternoon. It is a 9-round rated Swiss of 40+ players with norm opportunities, being held at Tiffin School, Kingston.

https://chess-results.com/tnr979511.aspx?lan=1

Live broadcast in the usual places. (I don't yet have links)

Anyone thinking of visiting should note that the town has a major traffic problem at present so let the train take the strain.

(posted via my mobile as the school WiFi disallows forum access)

[NickFaulks]

5 IMs, so norms may require a bit of luck in the pairings. Good tournament, anyway.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Do you just walk into the school and ask where the chess tournament is? (I went to this school, and I would say I know the site well, but so many new buildings over the last 20 years! The most recent I believe, being the one that replaced the old cafeteria/canteen.)

https://kingstonchess.com/third-kingsto ... onal-2024/

The winner will receive a prize of £1,000 (and the Kingston Invitational trophy, won last year by IM Conor Murphy); second receives £300; third £100. The leading junior (16 or under) will receive £200 and the Barden Cup, named in honour of Leonard Barden, long-time Guardian chess correspondent, who has long been an advocate for English junior chess and has taken a close interest in the Kingston tournament, encouraging us to give rising young players a chance to take on established stars. We are very proud that Leonard, who will be 95 on 20 August 2024 and is boundlessly self-effacing, has allowed us to name this trophy after him. It is, we believe, the first time he has been honoured in this way. There will also be a £50 best game prize, to be judged by the esteemed chess journalist John Saunders.

[John Saunders]

The lichess live link is https://lichess.org/broadcast/iii-kings ... 1/x7ltwfED

The entrance is in Queen Elizabeth Rd and there is a sign there with the word chess on it.

[John Saunders]

Report on the first round...

https://johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/08/ ... -1-12.html

EDITED (to improve the rendering of the blog page - also added a photo of the British Under-12 Champion, George Zhao, who defeated Peter Lalic in impressive style)

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I am very tempted to pop along and watch the late afternoon action. In theory I can get a single bus ride there, just have to pick the right day for the best chess (rounds are at 10am and 3.30pm each day). Maybe Friday for the final round?

There is the alternative option of dropping in on the Hans Niemann match vs Vitiugov: "10am and 3pm Wednesday to Friday" (in the Gem Fitzrovia Hotel, which is not as impressive as it sounds).

Decisions, decisions! Which one to pick? (Please don't say both.)

[IM Jack Rudd]

Swisses are usually more fun to watch than matches, because you get to look at multiple games, and chances are at least one will be interesting.

[John Saunders]

I am very tempted to pop along and watch the late afternoon action. In theory I can get a single bus ride there, just have to pick the right day for the best chess (rounds are at 10am and 3.30pm each day). Maybe Friday for the final round?

Be warned, allow plenty of contingency travelling time (an extra hour?) as the traffic situation in Kingston is quite diabolical at the moment. The town centre has been gridlocked throughout the last two days because of a major road closure. According to the Kingston Council twitter account, "Queen Elizabeth Road Kingston - Urgent Road Closure at the junction with Birkenhead Avenue due to the discovery of a large void in the carriageway. Estimated end date is currently 16 August 2024." So the closure began on Monday and ends on Friday, coinciding with the start/end dates of the tournament, and the road closed is the one right outside the venue. Chess is not having much luck at the moment, what with this and the shenanigans in Hull.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Also in Kingston, it is important to remember that red traffic lights do not apply to buses.

[John Saunders]

Photo-report of Day 2 of the Kingston Invitational... Conor Murphy (IRL), Maciej Czopor (POL) & Stanley Badacsonyi (ENG) lead on 3/3

https://johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/08/ ... ounds.html

[LawrenceCooper]

Photo-report of Day 2 of the Kingston Invitational... Conor Murphy (IRL), Maciej Czopor (POL) & Stanley Badacsonyi (ENG) lead on 3/3

https://johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/08/ ... ounds.html

Wood Green Youth v Wood Green on top board in round 4.

[John Saunders]

The report on day 3 (rounds 4 & 5) of the Kingston Invitational is available here:

https://johnchess.blogspot.com/2024/08/ ... ounds.html

Leaders after round 5: Stanley Badacsonyi and Conor Murphy on 4½. They would have met in round six but for the fact that Badacsonyi is taking a half-point bye to be with the rest of his family for A-Level results day, which I understand is a big thing these days. (I remember receiving my A-Level results on a postcard whilst staying in a down-at-heel B&B in Rhyl, not unlike 10 Rillington Place in the Richard Attenborough film, during the 1969 British Championships!)

Live games, round 6: https://lichess.org/broadcast/iii-kings ... Trp#boards
Chess-results link: https://chess-results.com/tnr979511.asp ... ES&flag=30

[NickFaulks]

https://view.livechesscloud.com/#e31d61 ... bc05b03550

Scroll down to Fellowes - Lalic.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

https://view.livechesscloud.com/#e31d61 ... bc05b03550

Scroll down to Fellowes - Lalic.

Now at move 145.

*goes and finds something else to do*

[LawrenceCooper]

https://view.livechesscloud.com/#e31d61 ... bc05b03550

Scroll down to Fellowes - Lalic.

Feel free to update us if there's a pawn move or capture