European Club Cup

[Rhys Cumming]

Here are the full games. Unfortunately the regulations for norms mean 7 round norms are pretty meaningless even if you get them. You can get a 7 round norm, but your combined norms need to be 27 games total so you inevitably need a 4th.

[White "Ragger"]
[Black "Cumming"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. h4 Bg7 6. h5 Nc6 7. d4 Bg4 8. h6 Bf6 9. e3 O-O 10. Be2 Nb6 11. O-O Qc8 12. Bd2 Rd8 13. Rc1 e5 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Ne4 Bh8 16. Nxe5 Bxe2 17. Qxe2 Bxe5 18. f4 Bxb2 19. Rc2 Qf5 20. Rxb2 Qxe4 21. Rc1 Rd7 22. Rb3 Re8 23. Kf2 Nd5 24. Rc4 Qe7 25. Rd3 Nf6 26. Kg1 Red8 27. Rxd7 Rxd7 28. Bc3 Nd5 29. Qf3 Qh4 30. Rd4 c6 31. e4 Nb6 32. Rxd7 Nxd7 33. Qe3 Qe7 34. Kf1 f6 35. Qd4 Kf7 36. g4 Ke8 37. a4 Qc5 38. Qd3 b5 39. axb5 cxb5 40. Ke2 Qa3 41. Qc2 b4 42. Bd4 Qa6+ 43. Ke3 Kd8 44. Qd2 Qa3+ 45. Kf2 Ke7 46. g5 fxg5 47. f5 gxf5 48. exf5 g4 49. Be3 Qc3 50. Bg5+ Nf6 51. Qe2+ Kf8 52. Qe6 Qc2+ 53. Kg1 Qd1+ 54. Kf2 g3+ 55. Kxg3 Qg4+ 56. Kf2 Qxg5 57. Qd6+ Ke8 58. Qb8+ Kd7 59. Qxa7+ Kd6 60. Qb8+ Kd5 61. Qb5+ Ke4 62. Qxb4+ Kxf5 63. Qf8 Qf4+ 64. Kg2 Kg4 65. Qg7+ Qg5 66. Qf8 Kh5+ 67. Kf3 Qxh6 68. Qd6 Qg5 69. Qd3 Qd5+ *

[White "Hjartarson"]
[Black "Cumming"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 c6 5. Ngxe4 Nxe4 6. Nxe4 d5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. Ng3 h5 9. e3 h4 10. Ne2 Nc6 11. d4 Qf6 12. Nc3 Qg6 13. Bd2 Bd6 14. Rc1 Bf5 15. h3 O-O 16. Qf3 Nb4 17. Be2 Nd3+ 18. Bxd3 Bxd3 19. Qg4 Qh7 20. Nxd5 f5 21. Qd1 f4 22. Qb3 Kh8 23. Bb4 fxe3 24. Nxe3 Rxf2 25. Kxf2 Bg3+ 26. Kg1 Qe4 27. Bd2 Qf4 28. Ng4 (28. Rh2 Qf2+ 29. Kh1 Qxd2 30. Rd1 Qxe3) 28... Qxd2 29. Qc3 Qf4 (29... Qe2) 30. Re1 Rf8 31. Qxd3 Bxe1 32. g3 Qc1 33. Qe2 Bf2+ 34. Kg2 Qc6+ *

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thank you! And apologies, btw, for spelling your surname à la Dominic Cummings (I have now corrected that).

Have reposted within pgn tags:

[White "Markus Ragger"] [Black "Rhys Cumming"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. h4 Bg7 6. h5 Nc6 7. d4 Bg4 8. h6 Bf6 9. e3 O-O 10. Be2 Nb6 11. O-O Qc8 12. Bd2 Rd8 13. Rc1 e5 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Ne4 Bh8 16. Nxe5 Bxe2 17. Qxe2 Bxe5 18. f4 Bxb2 19. Rc2 Qf5 20. Rxb2 Qxe4 21. Rc1 Rd7 22. Rb3 Re8 23. Kf2 Nd5 24. Rc4 Qe7 25. Rd3 Nf6 26. Kg1 Red8 27. Rxd7 Rxd7 28. Bc3 Nd5 29. Qf3 Qh4 30. Rd4 c6 31. e4 Nb6 32. Rxd7 Nxd7 33. Qe3 Qe7 34. Kf1 f6 35. Qd4 Kf7 36. g4 Ke8 37. a4 Qc5 38. Qd3 b5 39. axb5 cxb5 40. Ke2 Qa3 41. Qc2 b4 42. Bd4 Qa6+ 43. Ke3 Kd8 44. Qd2 Qa3+ 45. Kf2 Ke7 46. g5 fxg5 47. f5 gxf5 48. exf5 g4 49. Be3 Qc3 50. Bg5+ Nf6 51. Qe2+ Kf8 52. Qe6 Qc2+ 53. Kg1 Qd1+ 54. Kf2 g3+ 55. Kxg3 Qg4+ 56. Kf2 Qxg5 57. Qd6+ Ke8 58. Qb8+ Kd7 59. Qxa7+ Kd6 60. Qb8+ Kd5 61. Qb5+ Ke4 62. Qxb4+ Kxf5 63. Qf8 Qf4+ 64. Kg2 Kg4 65. Qg7+ Qg5 66. Qf8 Kh5+ 67. Kf3 Qxh6 68. Qd6 Qg5 69. Qd3 Qd5+

[White "Johann Hjartarson"] [Black "Rhys Cumming"] 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 c6 5. Ngxe4 Nxe4 6. Nxe4 d5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. Ng3 h5 9. e3 h4 10. Ne2 Nc6 11. d4 Qf6 12. Nc3 Qg6 13. Bd2 Bd6 14. Rc1 Bf5 15. h3 O-O 16. Qf3 Nb4 17. Be2 Nd3+ 18. Bxd3 Bxd3 19. Qg4 Qh7 20. Nxd5 f5 21. Qd1 f4 22. Qb3 Kh8 23. Bb4 fxe3 24. Nxe3 Rxf2 25. Kxf2 Bg3+ 26. Kg1 Qe4 27. Bd2 Qf4 28. Ng4 (28. Rh2 Qf2+ 29. Kh1 Qxd2 30. Rd1 Qxe3) 28... Qxd2 29. Qc3 Qf4 (29... Qe2) 30. Re1 Rf8 31. Qxd3 Bxe1 32. g3 Qc1 33. Qe2 Bf2+ 34. Kg2 Qc6+

That second game is full of tactics!

[Ian Thompson]

Unfortunately the regulations for norms mean 7 round norms are pretty meaningless even if you get them. You can get a 7 round norm, but your combined norms need to be 27 games total so you inevitably need a 4th.

Hardly inevitably. You can get norms counting for a maximum of 13 games. The 4NCL is an obvious possibility for getting one of 11 games to get you back on track for a third norm of 9 games. There's also the possibility of getting extra games added, for norm purposes, to the actual number of games played if you exceed the norm requirements by at least a point (as happened in last season's 4NCL where someone got an 11 round norm despite only playing 10 games).

[Roger Lancaster]

Rhys Cumming has a second GM scalp with black so moves to 3/4.

Have been trying to find these games!

Round 1, Rhys Cumming beat GM Markus Ragger (2584) with Black.
Round 3, Rhys Cumming lost to GM Lorenzo Lodici (2575) with Black.
Round 4, Rhys Cumming beat GM Johann Hjartarson (2474) with Black.

Rhys Cumming plays for Sussex Martlets.
2/3 against GMs with Black!

Round 1, Lee Davis (White Knights) beat GM Dejan Antic (2347) with Black.

No other GM scalps (even from the higher-rated ENG, WLS and IRL players).

Three of the games are available (none were on live boards):

Ragger, Markus (2584) - Cumming, Rhys (2253)
39th European Chess Club Cup (Hotel Zepter, Vrnjacka Banja), 20.10.2024
0-1
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4 Bg7 6.h5 Nc6 7.d4 Bg4 8.h6 Bf6 9.e3 O-O 10.Be2 Nb6 11.O-O Qc8 12.Bd2 Rd8 13.Rc1 e5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Ne4 Bh8 16.Nxe5 Bxe2 17.Qxe2 Bxe5 18.f4 Bxb2 19.Rc2 Qf5 20.Rxb2 Qxe4 21.Rc1 Rd7 22.Rb3 Re8 23.Qf2 Nd5 24.Rc4 Qe7 25.Rd3

The game score appears to be incomplete - does anyone have the rest of the moves?

Antic, Dejan (2347) - Davis, Lee (1955)
39th European Chess Club Cup (Hotel Zepter, Vrnjacka Banja), 20.10.2024
0-1
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.g3 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.Bf3 h6 13.Ne6 Bxe6 14.dxe6 Qc8 15.Ba3 Qxe6 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Bxb7 Rab8 18.Bd5 Nexd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.Qxd5 Qxd5 21.cxd5 Rb5 22.Rfd1 e4 23.Rac1 Rf7 24.Rc4 a5 25.Rd2 h5 26.bxa5 Bh6 27.Rdc2 Rxa5 28.Bb4 Rxd5 29.Rxc7 Rxc7 30.Rxc7 Bd2 31.Bxd2 Rxd2 32.a4 d5 33.a5 Ra2 34.Rc5 d4 35.Rxf5 d3 36.Rd5 Kf7 37.Kf1 Ke6 38.Rd8 Ra1+ 39.Kg2 Rxa5 40.Re8+ Kd5 41.h3 Kd4 42.Rd8+ Kc3 43.Rc8+ Kd2 44.Rc4 Re5 45.Kf1 e3 46.fxe3 Kxe3 47.Rc1 Rf5+ 48.Kg2 Rf2+ 49.Kg1

Are the final moves also missing here?

Lodici, Lorenzo (2575) - Cumming, Rhys (2253)
39th European Chess Club Cup (Hotel Zepter, Vrnjacka Banja), 22.10.2024
1-0
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1 f6 8.Bb3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.Nc3 Bf7 11.Ne4 O-O 12.c3 Qd7 13.Bc2 Rad8 14.Ng3 Nb6 15.Nh4 Be6 16.Ne4 g5 17.Nf3 Kh8 18.Ng3 g4 19.hxg4 Bxg4 20.d4 exd4 21.Qd3 Rf7 22.Nxd4 Nxd4 23.cxd4 Bb4 24.Bd2 Bxd2 25.Qxd2 Rg7 26.Qh6 Nd5 27.Re4 f5 28.Re5 Rg6 29.Qh4 Rdg8 30.Bb3 Qg7 31.Bxd5 Rh6 32.Qe7 f4 33.Qxg7+ Kxg7 34.Rg5+

Will post the round 4 win by Cumming when it becomes available via chess-results.com, unless someone else can obtain it from somewhere else earlier?

In the Ragger-Cumming game score above, White's 23rd should be Kf2 rather than Qf2. Otherwise 24 Rc4 would have left the rook en pris.

[LawrenceCooper]

Rhys drew in round 5 and will get another titled player in round 6 as Sussex play Sharks. Wood Green play their third team from Israel, in rounds 2, 4 and now 6.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Rhys Cumming (who will be White) will probably be paired with either Daniel Fernandez or Ameet Ghasi, so I was wondering what sort of player would help with norm chances in round 7? I presume title requirements for both GM and IM norm have already been met, and Rhys will have played players from 6 different federations already. It is just a case of enough points and the right sort of rating in the final round? Maybe best to wait and see.

[Mick Norris]

Rhys v Dan Fernandez

[LawrenceCooper]

Rhys v Dan Fernandez

Dan won.

[LawrenceCooper]

Rhys Cumming (who will be White) will probably be paired with either Daniel Fernandez or Ameet Ghasi, so I was wondering what sort of player would help with norm chances in round 7? I presume title requirements for both GM and IM norm have already been met, and Rhys will have played players from 6 different federations already. It is just a case of enough points and the right sort of rating in the final round? Maybe best to wait and see.

Having lost in round 6 I believe he needs a draw in round 7. The opposing team have a 2314 on board 1 and a 2411 IM on board 2 so he will play one of those. I think either means he needs 4/7.

[LawrenceCooper]

This game was scored as a 0-0 draw: https://lichess.org/broadcast/european- ... 3/OY5VyEDJ

[Roger de Coverly]

Double Default for collusion was it? Clock times seem to suggest it was known by both players.

[LawrenceCooper]

Double Default for collusion was it? Clock times seem to suggest it was known by both players.

Threefold repetition hadn't occurred when the game ended.

[Matt Mackenzie]

That looks a bit petty, even if it was a prearranged draw.

[David Shepherd]

What does no threefold repetition mean though in this context? Was the game stopped by an arbiter or a draw offered or just a wrong claim which was accepted by the opponent? If just a wrong claim that was accepted by the opponent it seems harsh to score 0=0. there seems to me in that case to be an argument that the players have just agreed a draw.

[Ian Thompson]

What does no threefold repetition mean though in this context? Was the game stopped by an arbiter or a draw offered or just a wrong claim which was accepted by the opponent? If just a wrong claim that was accepted by the opponent it seems harsh to score 0=0. there seems to me in that case to be an argument that the players have just agreed a draw.

The event has a rule prohibiting draws by agreement in less than 30 moves with a draconian penalty for breaking it - "Players may only agree to a draw after the 30th move has been made by black. Players violating this rule will be forfeited."