Semi-Final Draw

Discussion about all aspects of the ECF County Championships.
Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire
Contact:

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Alex Holowczak » Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:02 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Also, Instead of 2.Kg7, what about 2.Kh6? Then, the black queen has to step onto the 'staircase' via h3 and c3! If 2.Kh7, then 3.Qf5+ immediately, which is boring. No staircase at all.
Well, I first thought of 2. Kh6 Qh1+ 3. Kg7 Qa1+ to get on the staircase again, overlooking 2... Bxh1. :oops: I did at least then find getting onto it via h3 and c3.

Kh7 just looked intuitively bad, so I didn't really consider it.

User avatar
Christopher Kreuzer
Posts: 8781
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:34 am
Location: London

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:06 pm

I have a suspicion, that if you remove the b5 pawn from the board, there are some stalemate possibilities that mean White may be able to draw the game! White gives up the bishop at some point on the white 'staircase' diagonal, and may be able to get stalemated on f7. I suspect, though, that Black will have a tablebase win in the Q+N vs Q ending (there is no stalemate, so no problem to be composed from this, at least not without further adjustments).

(Yeah, I missed Bxh1 as well!)

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Neil Graham » Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:22 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:I'll let someone else start a 'Finals Day' thread when all the finalists are known.

A summary for now:

Open Yorkshire v Lancashire
Minor Suffolk v Lincolnshire
U180 Devon v Middlesex
U160 Lancashire v Yorkshire
U140 Nottinghamshire v Lancashire
U120 Middlesex v Essex
U100 Leicestershire v Warwickshire

(N.B. Not all the results above have been confirmed by the competition controller yet. Some are only based on rumours and posts to this forum, apologies if they turn out to be incorrect! Neil will be busily summarising how many finalists are from each regional union!)
If the above is correct NCCU 5(2); MCCU 4(4); SCCU 3(7); EACU 1(1); WECU 1(0). 2016 figures given in brackets

User avatar
IM Jack Rudd
Posts: 4815
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:13 am
Location: Bideford
Contact:

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:54 am

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:I have a suspicion, that if you remove the b5 pawn from the board, there are some stalemate possibilities that mean White may be able to draw the game!
Lomonosov says no - the ending without the b5 pawn is a win, and sacrificing the bishop just makes the win quicker.

Mick Norris
Posts: 10310
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Mick Norris » Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:47 am

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:U160 Lancashire v Yorkshire
Interesting; without wishing to exacerbate Neil's yearly gripes, the NCCU qualifying matches saw Cumbria beat Yorks who beat Lancs, so you could argue the strongest NCCU team hasn't reached the all NCCU final

Still, should be an interesting final
Any postings on here represent my personal views

David Sedgwick
Posts: 5249
Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:56 pm
Location: Croydon
Contact:

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by David Sedgwick » Mon Jun 12, 2017 11:36 am

MartinCarpenter wrote:No problem. It seems like Kent defaulted(!) their semi Vs Lancs, so a Roses clash for the final.

Maybe some story behind it but it doesn't precisely encourage regarding the competitions ongoing health.
Neil Graham wrote:I thought Richard Bates told us on the preceding page that I would think the chances of Lancashire beating Kent (who appear to be trying this year) are virtually non-existent.. They obviously didn't have a strong and stable team.
Richard Bates wrote:Apparently it clashed with a Richard Haddrell memorial which obviously had a significant impact.
Neil Graham wrote:The date of the ECF semi-finals have been known for months in fact years (since 2016) - embarrassingly it looks as if SCCU participation in the finals might be limited to four teams, two of which will contest the U120 final.
This just goes to show how much Richard Haddrell is being missed, at club, county and Union level. He would undoubtedly have spotted the clash and avoided it, had he been around to do so.

I would have entered the memorial tournament had it been on a more suitable date. As it was, I was committed to playing for Surrey U180 against Devon U180.

Not that my presence did Surrey much good.

LawrenceCooper
Posts: 7167
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:13 am

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by LawrenceCooper » Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:54 pm

David Sedgwick wrote:
Richard Bates wrote:Apparently it clashed with a Richard Haddrell memorial which obviously had a significant impact.
Neil Graham wrote:The date of the ECF semi-finals have been known for months in fact years (since 2016) - embarrassingly it looks as if SCCU participation in the finals might be limited to four teams, two of which will contest the U120 final.
This just goes to show how much Richard Haddrell is being missed, at club, county and Union level. He would undoubtedly have spotted the clash and avoided it, had he been around to do so.
I suspect the chances of a memorial being held if he was still with us were minimal though :shock:

User avatar
Christopher Kreuzer
Posts: 8781
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:34 am
Location: London

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:10 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:I suspect the chances of a memorial being held if he was still with us were minimal though :shock:
Maybe the chess world should start to do testimonials, rather than memorials? (Or rather, do both, one would be planned, the other if events overtake or precede planning.)

Nick Grey
Posts: 1838
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:16 am

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Nick Grey » Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:48 pm

What is not clear is whether there was any attempt to arrange the semi-final on a different weekend?

I lost the argument on the weekend specified at last years U160 prelim which clashed with Great Yarmouth. We were up against Norfolk.
Switched to following weekend but got very late confirmation because the opposition were not on e-mail. Clashed with 4NCL final weekend.

As for our loss against Devon U180s I played my best game of the season. I was suitably prepared with 2 of the 3 weeks before off work & trying to put on a bit of weight (by an afternoon cream tea). There were a few if only moments in a number of post mortems I was looking at.

Now that Surrey have not got a final I may try & find another tournament - to get my monies worth of ECF membership for the first two months of next January's grading list.

If you are worried about the National Stages we should not be. Clearly the ECF consider & agree final stage entries even if not qualified at the Union Stage to assist in having a minimal number of byes. I should imagine that Middlesex U180s will be favourites v Devon if only for the easier journeys.

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Neil Graham » Thu Jun 15, 2017 4:53 pm

Nick Grey wrote:What is not clear is whether there was any attempt to arrange the semi-final on a different weekend?

I lost the argument on the weekend specified at last years U160 prelim which clashed with Great Yarmouth. We were up against Norfolk.
Switched to following weekend but got very late confirmation because the opposition were not on e-mail. Clashed with 4NCL final weekend.

As for our loss against Devon U180s I played my best game of the season. I was suitably prepared with 2 of the 3 weeks before off work & trying to put on a bit of weight (by an afternoon cream tea). There were a few if only moments in a number of post mortems I was looking at.

Now that Surrey have not got a final I may try & find another tournament - to get my monies worth of ECF membership for the first two months of next January's grading list.

If you are worried about the National Stages we should not be. Clearly the ECF consider & agree final stage entries even if not qualified at the Union Stage to assist in having a minimal number of byes. I should imagine that Middlesex U180s will be favourites v Devon if only for the easier journeys.
Where there are insufficient entries (ie less than 8) in a competition the ECF may invite extra entries. Surrey will be fined £100 for defaulting and in addition have to pay any expenses incurred by Lancashire.

User avatar
Christopher Kreuzer
Posts: 8781
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:34 am
Location: London

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Jun 15, 2017 4:56 pm

Neil Graham wrote: Where there are insufficient entries (ie less than eight) in a competition the ECF may invite extra entries. Surrey will be fined £100 for defaulting and in addition have to pay any expenses incurred by Lancashire.
Kent, not Surrey.

Nick Grey
Posts: 1838
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:16 am

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Nick Grey » Thu Jun 15, 2017 6:41 pm

Can you imagine the piffy remarks that Richard Haddrell would have made on his SCCU website?
Anyway I cannot see Lancashire even getting close to Yorkshire

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Neil Graham » Thu Jun 15, 2017 6:57 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Neil Graham wrote: Where there are insufficient entries (ie less than eight) in a competition the ECF may invite extra entries. Surrey will be fined £100 for defaulting and in addition have to pay any expenses incurred by Lancashire.
Kent, not Surrey.
Oops apologies for that!

MartinCarpenter
Posts: 3041
Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 10:58 am

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by MartinCarpenter » Thu Jun 15, 2017 8:55 pm

I'd be careful about assuming Yorkshire will win too easily. Lancs have a fair few people who could in theory show up over that 1/4 final team, and hardly short of motivation! Horner and McPhilips say played the NCCU local match in 2016. Some other possibles, esp with GM not fielding a team. Could be a very strong clash.

We'll see :)

Mick Norris
Posts: 10310
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Semi-Final Draw

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:26 am

MartinCarpenter wrote:I'd be careful about assuming Yorkshire will win too easily. Lancs have a fair few people who could in theory show up over that 1/4 final team, and hardly short of motivation! Horner and McPhilips say played the NCCU local match in 2016. Some other possibles, esp with GM not fielding a team. Could be a very strong clash.

We'll see :)

I saw Jeff the other week in Morrisons; he hasn't actually played any chess over the board for a year or so now, so unlikely

As was discussed before on this forum, Joseph being born after 1974 isn't obviously actually qualified to play for Lancs
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Post Reply