SO WHO'S GOING TO SHEFFIELD? I AM!

[Adam Raoof]

It'd be interesting to know how many Indians made up the 2003 entry- from what I can recall at the very least there were very few English GMs playing, partly in protest, partly because it was a long way for them to go. The BCF/ECF finally reacted about five years too late to ban Indians from the British Championship- quite an obvious decision which players had been petioning for for years!

In the interests of accuracy, I don't think anyone ever banned Indians from participating in the British Championships. What was decided related to the eligibility of Commonwealth players, including Canadian, New Zealand, South African and Australian players. That wasn't an obvious decision to make.

[LozCooper]

Was there subsequently a reduction in the number of arbiters to reflect there being too many chiefs and not enough Indians?

[Stewart Reuben]

About 100 Indians played in the 2003 British Championships, quite a number in the British. This provided quite a large income (perhaps 10%) and it was part of the BCF objects to develop chess in the Commonwealth. I had warned the BCF Board in about 2001 that the situation had become impossible. People had not been petitioning in large numbers for years, although I was not in charge of the event after 1997.
When I obtained the Smith & Williamson sponsorship of the British Championships I went down an inferior route. All the money was put into prize money, none into start money. It made the sponsorship look very generous as the first prize was £10,000. The event was very strong both in 1997 and 1998. It would have been better to reserve £5000 for the British GMs. The Indians had become very strong and swamped the actual Championship. Another problem was the Junior Championships. They too were swamped by Indian children. It ws much more 'commercially' valuable for an Indin child to win a title than a British child. Especially if the Indian had not won an Indian title.
Edinburgh isn't far for the English GMs to travel. It isn't far to travel anywhere in Great Britain by comparison with most countries. Torquay, our most successful venue, is further for British players than Edinburgh.
Stewart Reuben

[LozCooper]

Torquay, our most successful venue, is further for British players than Edinburgh.
Stewart Reuben

Are you sure about that?? Even travelling from Stafford, Edinburgh is further away (264 miles compared to 200) and I think it's fair to say there are a fair number of chess players who live south from me

[Stewart Reuben]

I suspect some British players live in Scotland, though its hard to believe.
It amazes me how concerned British people are about small distances. Living in London, Torquay is about the same distance to Edinburgh by train. By plane Edinburgh is nearer. By car Torquay is nearer.
Is Stafford in England?
Stewart Reuben

[LozCooper]

I suspect some British players live in Scotland, though its hard to believe.
It amazes me how concerned British people are about small distances. Living in London, Torquay is about the same distance to Edinburgh by train. By plane Edinburgh is nearer. By car Torquay is nearer.
Is Stafford in England?
Stewart Reuben

I suspect cost is a major factor when planning travel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford

[Stewart Reuben]

Surely the major cost is accommodation? There is also travel, entry fee and food, although I have been told people eat even when at home. The accommodation in Edinbugh in 1985 was very cheap if you were prepared to stay with a family. I did suggest this for Sheffield, but as far as I know nothing was done about it.
I did look at Stafford as a possible venue for the British in about 1990.
Stewart

[LozCooper]

I did look at Stafford as a possible venue for the British in about 1990.
Stewart

My back garden is ideal for a small all-play-all blitz tournament (when it doesn't rain) but it may struggle to accommodate the British

[Stewart Reuben]

But you could also use the kitchen.
I could manage 20 players in my home.
Stewart

[harrylamb]

Living in London, Torquay is about the same distance to Edinburgh by train. By plane Edinburgh is nearer. By car Torquay is nearer.
Stewart Reuben

Are you sure about the train journey?? There at two trains this morning that take 2hr 46 min from London to Torquay. The fastest train from London to Edinburgh is 4hr 25 min.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

[harrylamb]

Torquay, our most successful venue, is further for British players than Edinburgh.
Stewart Reuben

Are you sure about that?? Even travelling from Stafford, Edinburgh is further away (264 miles compared to 200) and I think it's fair to say there are a fair number of chess players who live south from me

Living in London, Torquay is about the same distance to Edinburgh by train. By plane Edinburgh is nearer. By car Torquay is nearer.

Are you sure about that?? There at two trains this morning that take 2hr 46 min from London to Torquay. The fastest train from London to Edinburgh is 4hr 25 min.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

[Stewart Reuben]

I suppose it takes longer from Richmond to Torquay than it does from Paddington to Torquay, although Richmond is nearer.
When it was in Edinburgh in 1985 I arranged for us to travel First cless in a private carriage to Edinburgh from King's Cross at Standard fare prices. And there was a British Championship which Stuart Conquest won netting £200. He remains the one and only British Rail Champion. Paul Buswell worked out that each move was about 70 yards long.
How about holding the event on a cruise ship going around Britain? We tried a ballloon in 2009, but that was unsuccessful. Open air bus in 2004 and tram 1988, but they are hacknied.
Stewart

[Alex McFarlane]

Don't rule out the possibility of a tournament on the ferry to/from Holland for next year's event. Still early days but the idea has been raised.

[Roger de Coverly]

With the number of entrants now at 80, it was worth doing some more copy and paste to generate possible first round pairings.

Without acceleration

1 ADAMS, Michael, 2715gm; v BRITTON, Richard L, 2203;
2 BOYD, John, 2200; v SHORT, Nigel, 2687gm;
3 HOWELL, David WL, 2625gm; v HOLLAND, James P, 2196;
4 O'TOOLE, George E, 2185; v JONES, Gawain, 2606gm;
5 PERT, Nicholas, 2555gm; v ARNOTT, Jonathan, 2183;
6 SIMONS, Martin J, 2179; v GORDON, Stephen, 2533gm;
7 HEBDEN, Mark, 2533gm; v WALTON,Alan J, 2172;
8 SREEVES, Clement, 2169; v WILLIAMS, Simon K, 2528gm;
9 CONQUEST, Stuart,2519gm; v SHAW, Peter HC, 2162;
10 JONES, Victor GL, 2153; v GORMALLY, Daniel, 2519gm;
11 WELLS, Peter, 2489gm; v DARGAN, Paul AG, 2151;
12 JENKS, C Bruce, 2146; v PERT, Richard,2459im;
13 HAWKINS, Jonathan, 2457im; v MACQUEEN,Calum, 2139;
14 BROWN, Martin, 2130; v PALLISER, Richard JD, 2454im;
15 ZHOU,Yang-Fan, 2444im; v JAUNOOBY, Ali, 2130;
16 ALMOND, Richard,2121; v HUNT, Adam, 2436im;
17 LEDGER, Andrew, 2435im; v JONES, William EG, 2121;
18 KEMP, Paul R, 2114; v HOUSKA,Jovanka, 2418im;
19 SUMMERSCALE, Aaron, 2415gm; v ATAKO, Chino C, 2110;
20 FRENCH, Angus, 2103; v ANSELL, Simon, 2410im;
21 RENDLE, Thomas, 2386im; v PLEASANTS, Allan J, 2092;
22 YURENOK, Maria S, 2090wf; v BUCKLEY, Graeme, 2380im;
23 BATES, Richard A,2373im; v COATES, David H, 2080;
24 DE COVERLY, Roger, 2080; v KOLBUS, Dietmar, 2335im;
25 EGGLESTON, David, 2318fm; v HARIA, Ravi, 2073;
26 WEAVING, Richard, 2070; v BEAUMONT,Christopher, 2313im;
27 WEBB, Laurence, 2306fm; v HEGARTY, Sarah N, 2065wf;
28 LENIER, Jude, 2065; v GRIFFITHS, Ryan-Rhys, 2301;
29 CONSTANTINOU, Peter, 2292fm; v MELLOR, Stephen D, 2048;
30 RABBITTE, Liam F, 2034; v RUDD, Jack, 2278im;
31 LALIC, Susan, 2277im; v YAP, Abel J, 2029;
32 KRZYZANOWSKI, Patryk, 1996; v LEDGER, Dave, 2277fm;
33 CHAPMAN, Terence PD, 2242; v WATERFIELD, John W, 1992;
34 LALIC, Peter D, 1978; v MASON, Don, 2237;
35 ROSS,Chris N, 2234; v BOULTON, William JK, 1971;
36 PHILLIPS, Owen S, 1967; v BIRTWISTLE, Nigel, 2214;
37 ADAIR, James, 2212; v MAGEE, Ronan,1953;
38 FOO, William J, 1893; v KHANDELWAL,Ankush, 2211;
39 HARVEY, Marcus R, 2206; v DINES, Sheila, 1889;
40 FARRALL, David J, 1869; v NELSON, Jonathan P, 2204;


and then with

1 ADAMS, Michael, 2715gm; v RENDLE, Thomas, 2386im;
2 BUCKLEY, Graeme, 2380im; v SHORT, Nigel, 2687gm;
3 HOWELL, David WL, 2625gm; v BATES, Richard A,2373im;
4 KOLBUS, Dietmar, 2335im; v JONES, Gawain, 2606gm;
5 PERT, Nicholas, 2555gm; v EGGLESTON, David, 2318fm;
6 BEAUMONT,Christopher, 2313im; v GORDON, Stephen, 2533gm;
7 HEBDEN, Mark, 2533gm; v WEBB, Laurence, 2306fm;
8 GRIFFITHS, Ryan-Rhys, 2301; v WILLIAMS, Simon K, 2528gm;
9 CONQUEST, Stuart,2519gm; v CONSTANTINOU, Peter, 2292fm;
10 RUDD, Jack, 2278im; v GORMALLY, Daniel, 2519gm;
11 WELLS, Peter, 2489gm; v LALIC, Susan, 2277im;
12 LEDGER, Dave, 2277fm; v PERT, Richard,2459im;
13 HAWKINS, Jonathan, 2457im; v CHAPMAN, Terence PD, 2242;
14 MASON, Don, 2237; v PALLISER, Richard JD, 2454im;
15 ZHOU,Yang-Fan, 2444im; v ROSS,Chris N, 2234;
16 BIRTWISTLE, Nigel, 2214; v HUNT, Adam, 2436im;
17 LEDGER, Andrew, 2435im; v ADAIR, James, 2212;
18 KHANDELWAL,Ankush, 2211; v HOUSKA,Jovanka, 2418im;
19 SUMMERSCALE, Aaron, 2415gm; v HARVEY, Marcus R, 2206;
20 NELSON, Jonathan P, 2204; v ANSELL, Simon, 2410im;
21 BRITTON, Richard L, 2203; v PLEASANTS, Allan J, 2092;
22 YURENOK, Maria S, 2090wf; v BOYD, John, 2200;
23 HOLLAND, James P, 2196; v COATES, David H, 2080;
24 DE COVERLY, Roger, 2080; v O'TOOLE, George E, 2185;
25 ARNOTT, Jonathan, 2183; v HARIA, Ravi, 2073;
26 WEAVING, Richard, 2070; v SIMONS, Martin J, 2179;
27 WALTON,Alan J, 2172; v HEGARTY, Sarah N, 2065wf;
28 LENIER, Jude, 2065; v SREEVES, Clement, 2169;
29 SHAW, Peter HC, 2162; v MELLOR, Stephen D, 2048;
30 RABBITTE, Liam F, 2034; v JONES, Victor GL, 2153;
31 DARGAN, Paul AG, 2151; v YAP, Abel J, 2029;
32 KRZYZANOWSKI, Patryk, 1996; v JENKS, C Bruce, 2146;
33 MACQUEEN,Calum, 2139; v WATERFIELD, John W, 1992;
34 LALIC, Peter D, 1978; v BROWN, Martin, 2130;
35 JAUNOOBY, Ali, 2130; v BOULTON, William JK, 1971;
36 PHILLIPS, Owen S, 1967; v ALMOND, Richard,2121;
37 JONES, William EG, 2121; v MAGEE, Ronan,1953;
38 FOO, William J, 1893; v KEMP, Paul R, 2114;
39 ATAKO, Chino C, 2110; v DINES, Sheila, 1889;
40 FARRALL, David J, 1869; v FRENCH, Angus, 2103;

[Adam Raoof]

CJ de Mooi will be doing an interview about the British Championships at 10.45pm tonight on Talk Sport.