SO WHO'S GOING TO SHEFFIELD? I AM!

[Paul Cooksey]

CJ finally on now

[Paul Cooksey]

10 minutes or so, covered CJs name, quizzing and interest in snooker too.

Most of the usual populist questions - how many people play, how do I become a GM, who was the best of all time, Kasparov and the machine. CJ and came across well and Sabrina and Jovanka should thank him for mentioning the strength of women's chess

[Richard Bates]

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

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;

Another couple of entries (to 82) now pushing me up to Short Don't fancy that one, nor the likely alternative of Adams with black

Definitely an opportunity to add to an embarrassing history of looking silly on a demo board. How many more entries do i need to be seeded in the first round draw (I'm 23rd). Is it 89, 90, 91 or 92 players?

[Alex Holowczak]

Definitely an opportunity to add to an embarrassing history of looking silly on a demo board. How many more entries do i need to be seeded in the first round draw (I'm 23rd). Is it 89, 90, 91 or 92 players?

The bad news is that they usually have about 24 live boards. If that's true this year, you won't escape them whether seeded or not...

[Richard Bates]

Definitely an opportunity to add to an embarrassing history of looking silly on a demo board. How many more entries do i need to be seeded in the first round draw (I'm 23rd). Is it 89, 90, 91 or 92 players?

The bad news is that they usually have about 24 live boards. If that's true this year, you won't escape them whether seeded or not...

I said demo board, not live board.

[Carl Hibbard]

The bad news is that they usually have about 24 live boards. If that's true this year, you won't escape them whether seeded or not...

Only one IT person in the familiar body of Dave Clayton this year so not a chance on showing that number sorry

[Sean Hewitt]

The bad news is that they usually have about 24 live boards. If that's true this year, you won't escape them whether seeded or not...

Only one IT person in the familiar body of Dave Clayton this year so not a chance on showing that number sorry

I shall be helping DC to set up

[Alex Holowczak]

Definitely an opportunity to add to an embarrassing history of looking silly on a demo board. How many more entries do i need to be seeded in the first round draw (I'm 23rd). Is it 89, 90, 91 or 92 players?

The bad news is that they usually have about 24 live boards. If that's true this year, you won't escape them whether seeded or not...

I said demo board, not live board.

I assumed you meant a board that was transmitted to the wider world. Fair enough.

[Stewart Reuben]

Richard.
Don't despair. At the Aaronson Open in 1980 I played Vlastimil Hort in round 2. At that time he was one of the top players in the world. They were slowly setting up the demonstration board. I said, 'You'd better get a move on, before the game is over and I lose'. I drew. In the next round I drew with a 150 player, thus averaging out my results.

Stewart Reuben

[Thomas Rendle]

Is the tournament definitely being accelerated? Has a final decision been made or will we have to await the pairings on Sunday to know what the system will be?

I would think with most of the entries in by now an informed decision could be made.

[Alex McFarlane]

As has been the practice for as long as I can remember the Championship will be accelerated for three rounds. Being an odd numbered year the highest rated will have white in round 1.

[IM Jack Rudd]

The last British with a non-accelerated first round was Swansea 2006, in which the top board pairing was Addison v Rowson.

[E Michael White]

The players could appeal the decision to use acceleration.

[Thomas Rendle]

As has been the practice for as long as I can remember the Championship will be accelerated for three rounds. Being an odd numbered year the highest rated will have white in round 1.

Any particular reason? I am constantly being told that it 'helps norms' but I have to say I don't see why. In general I think most of the players I speak to would rather it was unaccelerated.

[Alex Holowczak]

As has been the practice for as long as I can remember the Championship will be accelerated for three rounds. Being an odd numbered year the highest rated will have white in round 1.

Any particular reason? I am constantly being told that it 'helps norms' but I have to say I don't see why. In general I think most of the players I speak to would rather it was unaccelerated.

Given that there are 32 GMs, IMs and FMs in total who have entered so far, out of a field of 82 (about 40%), and you need to play 6 titled players of various descriptions in 11 rounds (about 54%), it does seem particularly strange. If a norm-seeker has any aspiration of a norm, he's going to need to perform at such a level where he's going to get the titled opposition he needs, just because there are so many of them in the field. So I don't think title norms can be used as an argument in favour of acceleration this year.