English Chess Forum

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.

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 wrote: So far there are 73 entries in the 65+ including five GMs

Nigel Povah in as ninth seed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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

A remarkable game from round 2 -

[Event "27th World Senior Chess Championship 2017"] [Site "Acqui Terme"] [Date "2017.11.08"] [Round "2"] [Board "8"] [White "Buchal, Stephan"] [Black "Chapman, Terry P D"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A15"] [WhiteElo "2347"] [BlackElo "2196"] [PlyCount "0"] [EventDate "2017.11.07"] [EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "ITA"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg2 Bf5 5. b3 e6 6. O-O h6 7. Bb2 Nbd7 8. d3 Bc5 9. Nbd2 Qe7 10. a3 a5 11. b4 Bd6 12. cxd5 exd5 13. e4 dxe4 14. dxe4 Bg4 15. e5 Bxe5 16. Re1 Bxb2 17. Rxe7+ Kxe7 18. Rb1 Bxa3 19. bxa5 Rhb8 20. Qa4 Bc5 21. Nb3 Bd6 22. Nfd4 Nc5 23. Nxc5 Bxc5 24. Qc4 Bxd4 25. Qxd4 Be6 26. h3 Ke8 27. Qc3 Kf8 28. g4 Kg8 29. f4 Bd5 30. g5 hxg5 31. fxg5 Be4 32. Bxe4 Nxe4 33. Qe5 Nd2 34. Rf1 Nxf1 35. Kxf1 b5 36. h4 Re8 37. Qc3 Re6 38. Kf2 c5 39. h5 c4 40. Qd4 Rae8 41. Kf3 Rc8 42. Qd7 Rec6 43. a6 R6c7 44. Qd4 c3 45. h6 gxh6 46. gxh6 f6 47. Qd5+ Kf8 48. Qd6+ Kf7 49. h7 Kg7 50. h8=Q+ Kxh8 51. Qxf6+ Kg8 52. Qe6+ Kf8 53. a7 Ra8 54. Qd6+ Re7 55. Qh6+ Kg8 56. Qg5+ Kf8 57. Qh6+ 1/2-1/2

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

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qb5 4. Bxb5+ 1-0

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

An.....interesting.......theoretical novelty

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:47 pm

An.....interesting.......theoretical novelty

Yes, I think 4. Nb5 is much better!