British Championship Congress 2022

[Matt Mackenzie]

I remember Bellin telling me that 2...e6 is the best response to the c3 Sicilian.

Well, that may be. You do however have to have a 'feel' for the French, which I for one do not have.

So the best move is not always the best advice.

And quite a lot of c3 Sicilian exponents (including Sveshnikov himself) are also very happy playing the Advance French.

[Geoff Chandler]

If the same thing happens today (or tomorrow) would you accept?

You have your answer already…..

And I predicted 1. e4 2.Nc3 - I expect my seconds fee cheque for 20p in the post soon. that's 10p a move.)

11. Bc1 was possibly draw accepted and pieces getting reset,

I'm looking at Jack's game, the computer does not like his position but there are tricks shots in there.

Edit: and the evaluation (for what it's worth) has now just levelled out.

[JustinHorton]

It was my offer!

[Geoff Chandler]

And Jack just sprung one of the traps!

Edit Jack's opponent resigned.

[Mick Norris]

It was my offer!

Hope you are happy to get off nul points and good luck tomorrow

[Mick Norris]

And Jack just sprung one of the traps!

Edit Jack's opponent resigned.

Well done Jack, let's hope for more wins to follow

[JustinHorton]

It was my offer!

Hope you are happy to get off nul points and good luck tomorrow

Ta. Mike has quite a wide repertoire (notwithstanding the discussion above regarding 1 Nc3, which he does indeed prefer quite often) so my preparation mostly consisted of the idea "offer a draw on move ten".

And now I am off to the football.

[Geoff Chandler]

Subliminal advertising is taking place in the live transmissions. (see the next CHESS where I mention more of this)
I only watched half of Jack's game,(he was +4 down at one stage but I had that feeling this was far from over )
Now I feel an uncontrollable urge to go out and buy two books on the endgame and a DVD on the French.

These computer evals...huh! They know as much about real OTB chess as I do about rope dancing. (Thanks David)

[IM Jack Rudd]

My former Yeovil team-mate also had a fun game today. https://lichess.org/broadcast/chessable ... 2/ddDD3V9D

[Geoff Chandler]

All I can say it was not a set up, I also mentioned the lad who fell into an opening trap and Robert snagging is Queen v Danny.

The lad who fell into the opening trap has a video out already;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kmiUC5sxw0

And someone (three guesses) has left a joke comment after Justin's game.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2355465

[Brendan O'Gorman]

I've added to my photos of the first week of the British Championships and identified (almost) all of the section winners: https://brendanogorman.smugmug.com/Ches ... ships-2022

[Mick Norris]

round 5 pairings

1 9 IM Pert Richard G 2411 3½ 3½ IM Clarke Brandon G I 2474 4
2 10 GM Arkell Keith C 2409 3½ 3½ IM Kirk Ezra 2442 6
3 1 GM Pert Nicholas 2537 3 3½ FM Grieve Harry 2390 16
4 3 GM Emms John M 2474 3 3 IM Lane Gary W 2328 20
5 5 GM Gormally Daniel W 2466 3 3 FM Claridge-Hansen William 2345 18
6 15 FM Willow Jonah B 2393 3 3 IM Wadsworth Matthew J 2418 8

Jack has white v Stephen Dishman
Justin has white v Calum Salmons

Unusual to see a French player, not a name I remember having seen

[David Sedgwick]

I agree the probability is less, but it nevertheless always struck me as quite easy to cheat at an elite event if you were so inclined eg even the London 2013 Candidates. Have a friend who could be looking at a computer outside the playing room. Give some signal at a crucial moment that the cameras would pick up (eg scratch your leg) that you wonder what the computer says, friend looks it up. Then goes into playing auditorium, and eg for Knight move scratches nose, rook ear and so on.

I was one of the arbiters at the London Candidates Tournament 2013.

It never does to be complacent, but I believe that our Fair Play measures would have precluded what you suggest. The concept was already known from several years earlier.

[Roger de Coverly]

The concept was already known from several years earlier.

If you include Blueberry yogurts, decades earlier.

[JustinHorton]

And now I am off to the football

Good game but this was possibly the highlight