British Championship Congress 2022

Details of upcoming UK events, please provide working links if possible.
Joseph Conlon
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Joseph Conlon » Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:44 pm

John Upham wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 3:49 pm
I can't recall when the U18 and U21 events went from stand-alone to being morphed into the main Championship event (can you?).
I know that around 2000, the position was that the U18 title was awarded via the Major Open, and the U21 via the main championships.

When they both moved to the main championship I don't know.

(So if someone had repeated Mickey Adams' feat of winning the British at 17, they still would not have been U18 champion).

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:50 pm

Looks like 2005 was the first one (with Stephen Gordon winning both the U-21 and U-18 titles).

Richard Bates
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Richard Bates » Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:55 pm

Leonard Barden wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:44 pm
Richard Bates wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:21 pm

I don't know - but several years ago the ECF changed the historic ability of people to win multiple titles so that they could only win titles specifically within their own age bands, and indeed where there were specific tournaments only enter the tournaments for their age group (historically it was normal for strong juniors to "act up" several age groups, at least in one of the two weeks of the British). I think this was part of the reforms to junior selection at the time which were using the British as dedicated and mandatory selection tournaments.

Hence in the case of U18/U21 in the British, an U18 was not eligible to be U21 champion. This year the entry form only lists U21 in the prize lists - i would speculate that this means that there is no U18 monetary prize (maybe there is still a trophy - if there are any eligible U18 entrants)

The above cannot be accurate. To take a single example (there are others) Akshaya Kalaiyalahan won the girls U18 four years out of five in 2013-18, and for the last two of those years she also won the U21.

For 2022, there are at least three British championship players born in 2004 or 2005 and so eligible for the missing U18 title which the ECF seems to have quietly put in the rubbish bin.

Forgive my sharp response. The British U18s of 1947-48 were my first national tournaments,'
and my opponents who proved stronger than me included Gordon Crown and Jonathan Penrose.
OK so i think what happened was that the rule (cannot win both) was in place until 2016, but then must have been changed back (in relation to U18/U21 anyway) in 2017. Hence Akshaya winning multiple U18 titles between 2013-2016 but not the U21 (in most years there being no winner) and then winning both subsequently. (If there were cash prizes (either pre or post 2016) then these might have been separated from the trophies). In 2016 the winner of the U21 title (Katherine Shepherd) scored fewer points that the winners of the U18 (Akshaya and Zoe Varney).

The mystery of this year having now been resolved as having a completely different explanation.

As Joe says, historically the U18 was a standalone tournament (I think running over 11 rounds concurrently with the British Championship). Overtime it became unviable as it didn't attract the numbers to sustain it as its own tournament (and the competitors clearly weren't close to the strongest players) so it was initially incorporated into the Major Open, and then subsequently into the British proper when the qualification requirements were diluted such that all realistic contenders for the title (and in sufficient numbers) could realistically expect to not be excluded.

WIth the tightening of the requirements the competition has naturally reduced to a small number again.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:15 pm

There appear to be no U-18 girls in the main event, so that title will presumably be awarded within the Major Open.

Richard Bates
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Richard Bates » Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:16 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:15 pm
There appear to be no U-18 girls in the main event, so that title will presumably be awarded within the Major Open.
Or not at all.

Simon Rogers
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Simon Rogers » Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:28 pm

Mick Norris wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 8:53 am
Good luck Justin, and Keith too

I will be interested to see how Brandon Clarke gets on
Also good luck to Jack Rudd.
Jack is currently on one and a half out of 2. He has the white pieces against Brandon Clarke tomorrow.
Charlie Storey is also playing.

David Gilbert
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by David Gilbert » Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:04 am

The Sun has set over the first week of the Championships - and what a week it’s been, with the best chess weather ever, ever, ever. Home now - an extended five hour drive caused by an accident on the M4 near Bristol. I hope everyone was all right. While stuck in traffic I spotted Malcolm Pein waving at me from his helicopter - well a gesture of sorts! I came away in good spirits having won both Sunday games - the second a thrilling win to overturn a lost position. Those pesky juniors were filling most of the top boards in the Soanes & Yates. There seem to be new ones every year! But in the massively popular Atkins I was delighted to see a London Public Service League player Gary Senior (Pimlico) take joint first. I can’t thank the Arbiters enough and the people manning the Office in the bowels of the building. Everything has gone like clockwork - all week they’ve been calmly efficient. Once a game finishes there’s an Arbiter by your side ready to collect the signed scoresheets. The catering staff are doing a grand job inside the Riviera, but if you’re looking for a change try the cafe at Torre Abbey - via the door in the wall in Chestnut Avenue. Even take the Abbey tour and seek out the bee hive if you’ve a spare morning or afternoon! Top marks for restaurants go to Bistro Pierre on the sea front and the Harbour Light in Paignton - try the mussels.

One last thing - the bookstall is incredible. Jim must have bought most of the Chess & Bridge shop with him. Complimentary copies of Chess magazine were going like hot cakes. I bought 300 Most Important Chess Exercises by Thomas Engqvist - that should keep me occupied until 2023. Where will that be? An announcement expected shortly .....

David Sedgwick
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by David Sedgwick » Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:13 am

David Gilbert wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:04 am
I can’t thank the Arbiters enough ...
Thank you. I am sure that they will appreciate that more than some of the other comments made on this Forum in the last couple of days.

David Gilbert
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by David Gilbert » Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:30 am

I might mention thar the Arbiters and Organisers got an extended round of applause before Friday morning’s games. They are much appreciated and we should be thankful to them.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:02 am

Richard Bates wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:20 am
There can be no penalty because there is no crime in having a mobile phone on your person prior to the commencement of the round.
Isn't the obvious follow up to check that the phone is placed on the table beside the board, or in the box or bag if one is provided? The check would have particular value if the player made frequent absences from the board.

Richard Bates
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Richard Bates » Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:39 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:02 am
Richard Bates wrote:
Sun Aug 14, 2022 11:20 am
There can be no penalty because there is no crime in having a mobile phone on your person prior to the commencement of the round.
Isn't the obvious follow up to check that the phone is placed on the table beside the board, or in the box or bag if one is provided? The check would have particular value if the player made frequent absences from the board.
I wasn’t suggesting that a pregame scan detection of a phone wouldn’t go a reasonable way towards discouraging/preventing cheating using said phone during the subsequent game. But the whole purpose of isolated random scans is usually to discourage cheating by everyone in the knowledge that they never know when they could get caught out. But it’s not a deterrent if the worst that can happen is that you get prevented from cheating for one game and are free to carry on regardless before (and maybe subsequently).

What happened in the specific game in question - who knows? I’m sure that is a question that will need answering if and when the whole issue is thoroughly reviewed.

Anyway, enough said about this on this thread I think.

Alex McFarlane
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Alex McFarlane » Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:44 am

Richard Bates statement about the legality of phones in the venue is dubious.
The arbiter may permit phones into the tournament hall but these should be switched off and stored as required. Therefore the pre-game scan could lead to a person being disqualified for having a 'live' phone in their pocket. I accept that most would receive only a warning for not obeying this. But the full penalty is available. I would certainly consider punishing a repeat offender.

I have certainly warned players who switch their phones off as they walk into the room (and those who switch them on before leaving) that they could have been defaulted for doing so.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:54 am

Alex McFarlane wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:44 am
I have certainly warned players who switch their phones off as they walk into the room (and those who switch them on before leaving) that they could have been defaulted for doing so.
There was an announcement that phones should not be switched back on after completion of the game until players had left the room. That would be frustating to those who follow the increasingly popular practice of taking a picture/scan of the scoresheet. That would still be possible, but they would only get the lower quality of the carbon.
Last edited by Roger de Coverly on Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

Brendan O'Gorman
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Brendan O'Gorman » Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:58 am

Some pics from the first two days of the British Championship proper and the Major Open https://brendanogorman.smugmug.com/Ches ... -Open-2022

NickFaulks
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by NickFaulks » Mon Aug 15, 2022 9:03 am

Alex McFarlane wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:44 am
I have certainly warned players who switch their phones off as they walk into the room (and those who switch them on before leaving) that they could have been defaulted for doing so.
The trouble is that I have on occasion used your pre-round announcements as a last ditch defence against accidentally having a turned on phone.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

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