World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

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Tim Harding
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World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Jul 11, 2017 12:33 pm

So it's back to Acqui Terme for the 2017 Senior Individual Championships. After loud complaints about various aspects of the 2015 organisation, some improvements have been promised. We shall see.

http://www.scaccomattissimo.eu/seniores2017/

Entries close 30 September.
So far 39 entries in the 50+ including IM Stephen Mannion (SCO) and FM Terry Chapman.
57 so far in the 65+ including IM Nigel Povah, myself, and from Scotland: Douglas Mckerracher, Alastair Dawson, and Jim Webster.
Hardly any female entries yet.

I doubt if the entry levels will be as high as last year when Czech seniors strongly supported the event whereas Italian seniors in 2015 and Greek seniors in 2014 did not (except for some high-rated players in each case). Last year there were 470 players in the four tournaments. There was a total of 312 in 2015 while in 2014 (the first year of two age groups) there were about 170 players in total.
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Tim Harding » Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:41 am

The list of entries has been updated this week.
http://www.chess-results.com/tnr282187. ... turdet=YES
So far there are 73 entries in the 65+ including five GMs: Sveshnikov, Jansa, Vogt, Okhotnik and Tarjan, but I would expect some more to enter (especially previous champions Vaisser and Kristensen plus Vasiukov and his pals).

No GMs have entered the 50+ yet but some probably will. Only 46 entries so far but the 65+ entry has always been larger since the age group split in 2014. Very few female entries as yet. One or two low-rated women have, like last year, wisely preferred to enter the Open groups rather than the women's championships.
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Roger de Coverly
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:59 am

Tim Harding wrote: So far there are 73 entries in the 65+ including five GMs
Nigel Povah in as ninth seed.

Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Tim Harding » Sat Jul 22, 2017 12:57 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:Nigel Povah in as ninth seed.
He was mentioned in my previous post as one of the earliest entries. At this stage seeding numbers are not meaningful because entries remain open to 30 September and the final field could be double the size. Many regular entrants are not in yet.
Sveshnikov may remain top seed but I expect to see quite a few more entries in the 2200-2350 range and a lot more below 2000.

The 50+ entries so far are completely misleading because that event is usually a bit stronger than the 65+, as one would expect.
Keith Arkell, for one, is usually a contender.
Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:22 pm

I had ignored this one, but I now see that games are not played at the crack of dawn and there is much mention of wine tasting. So far, so good.

I know reports from last time there weren't great, can someone remind me of the reasons not to go?

My own views on the region are poisoned by the 2006 Olympiad in Turin, where we were accommodated in something resembling a prison camp and the food provided, which you just assume in Italy will be fine, was revolting.
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Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Tim Harding » Sat Jul 22, 2017 5:17 pm

NickFaulks wrote:I had ignored this one, but I now see that games are not played at the crack of dawn and there is much mention of wine tasting. So far, so good.

I know reports from last time there weren't great, can someone remind me of the reasons not to go?

My own views on the region are poisoned by the 2006 Olympiad in Turin, where we were accommodated in something resembling a prison camp and the food provided, which you just assume in Italy will be fine, was revolting.
There is a wide choice of hotels (more than in 2015) so that won't be an issue unless perhaps you choose one of the cheapest ones. The earlier you enter the better your chance of getting the one you prefer.

Thanks to a lot of complaining about 2015 we have been promised some improvements this year, e.g. you don't have to book full board if you prefer to find your own restaurants. Players who are flying to Milan Malpensa and brought to the town by the organisers' bus (it's also possible to go train from Milan Central via Alessandria) will, we are promised, be brought to their hotels this time and be able to register there instead of (as in 2015) being dumped with their bags to register at the venue.

Acqui Terme is a pleasant market town in a valley at the centre of a wine-growing region in Piedmont (NW of Genoa). It has a modern conference centre, so unlike last year's seniors, all games can be accommodated in the same hall.
There was a problem with toilets last time but if they allow access to the ones upstairs (which people weren't told about in 2015) and replenish the paper towels when they run out, there is hope for improvement.
Hopefully they will also have improved on some other issues, like the need to provide transport from hotels in the town centre for the less physically able competitors.
Anyway I have decided to go this time as I don't want to miss out on what I hope will be an annual event for a good many years more.
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:00 am

The lists of entries have been updated again at
http://www.chess-results.com/tnr282187. ... turdet=YES

There are now 101 entries in the Open 65+. Defending champion Vaisser has now entered.
Tony Stebbings, who did so well last year, is the highest rated English entrant. Unless I've missed a name, Nigel Povah is the only other one, plus a few Scots.
There are 69 entries in the 50+.

UK entries are down on the last two years, probably caused by sterling's catastrophic nosedive?

Entries close on 30 September.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Sep 04, 2017 4:03 pm

There are now 110 entries for the Open 65+ and 72 for the Open 50+ at Acqui Terme. Plus a small number of entries for the Womens' Championships.

No Keith Arkell yet.

http://www.chess-results.com/tnr282186. ... YES&wi=821

The Norwegian Chess Federation has at last confirmed that the 2018 EU Senior Individual Championships will be held from 3-18 August in the town of Drammen, about 25 minutes from Oslo. Full information and registration will be open on 1 January. Minimal info here:

http://www.eschess2018.com/information/
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:39 am

The deadline for entering has been extended to 6 October.

http://www.scaccomattissimo.eu/seniores2017/

There are now 166 entries for the 65+, slightly up on 2015 at the same venue but well down on last year.
James Tarjan, conqueror of Kramnik, is sixth seed,

There are currently 99 entries for the 50+ Open, with GM Granda Zuniga as top seed.

There are now 25 entries for the women's 50+ and 14 for the Women's 65+. This is an increase which should be just sufficient to avoid shortening the women's events to 9 rounds as has sometimes happened.

As usual a few lower-rated women took the sensible decision to enter the Opens.
Tim Harding
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Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Ken Norman
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Ken Norman » Fri Nov 10, 2017 12:35 pm

A surprising result in yesterdays Womens over 65 Championship with Nona losing to Khmiadashvili.

Reg Clucas
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Reg Clucas » Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:13 pm

A remarkable game from round 2 -


LawrenceCooper
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by LawrenceCooper » Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:14 pm

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2017-wo ... _Alexander

Antonio, Rogelio Jr (PHI) - Reprintsev, Alexander (UKR)
1-0
World Senior Chess Championship 50+ 2017 round 04

Last edited by Carl Hibbard on Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Added pgn to show its full glory

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Michael Farthing
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Michael Farthing » Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:39 pm

That is quite an achievement! Was it an accidental letting go of the queen perhaps?

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:47 pm

An.....interesting.......theoretical novelty :lol:
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Reg Clucas
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Re: World Senior Championships, Nov. 2017 Acqui Terme

Post by Reg Clucas » Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:50 pm

Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:47 pm
An.....interesting.......theoretical novelty :lol:
Yes, I think 4. Nb5 is much better!

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