Tuesday, May 31, 2011

MSCL AGM 14th June

The MSCL AGM Agenda is now out there and can be accessed via the MSCL website. Nothing very controversial, unless the Hastings travel issue counts. Remember any member can attend but it's only one vote per team in the League.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Dieppe team list

There are now round about a dozen people planning to go to Dieppe in September. The list on the notice board at the club can be used for anyone wanting to arrange room sharing. We look like having a good team again. (Details are on the News page).

Friday, May 27, 2011

Star quality

I've been away for a bit getting in touch with my feminine side, ie mostly dreaming and dawdling and wondering why I'm here, but you will all be relieved to know that the intense debate about stellar quality in chess has not passed me by. I offer the following deep thoughts:

Twinkle, twinkle, chess club star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above with grade so high,
When I play I wonder..... why?

Hope that explains everything.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Dieppe timings

We play Dieppe chess club on Sun 4th Sep. One idea is to go over on Sat 3rd to make a full weekend of it, stay both Sat and Sun and return on Mon eve.
Can someone confirm what date/time the Dieppe match is please?

Stella

It's all about quality, innit !?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Stellar

Wonder what cut off grade you have to have scaled to make it into the exclusive set 'star' category? I know it's probably well above 125 but I think we should be told.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Thanks, John. Could some one please put a list up on the notice board as I shan't be at the club 'til next week? Places in the team are limited as we need to keep some available for our star players to have any chance of winning.

Dieppe update

I've booked rooms for Sue, Andrew and Vicki and myself in Les Galets hotel.

Was told there are 2 rooms with two separate beds at 50eu (each price indicated is cost per room per night); a room for two people in a single bed at 50eu; room with 4 beds at 72eu; room with 5 beds at 77eu; and two rooms with 6 separate beds at 82eu. Imagine the late night blitzing and match analysis seconding in a room of 6. Any takers?

Following a conversation with Sue this evening, a list will be put on notice board at club. Anyone interested in going to Dieppe can sign up. There is a ferry leaving Newhaven at 1030am on Sat 3 Sep and a return ferry leaving Dieppe at 6pm ETA Newhaven 9pm local time on Mon 5 Sep.

Booking for Dieppe

Thanks for doing this, John. I rather liked the The Pebbles with it's twisty corridors and bumpy floors - better than big blocks of glass and concrete. Please count me in. I'll put a list up next week or would members please email or text me if they'd like to play (see also News page of website), letting me know what they've decided to do about accommodation.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Dieppe accommodation on Saturday 3rd Septembre

Hi all,
Just rang 'Les Galets' (The Pebbles) in Dieppe. This is the new name for what was formerly known as 'L'Hotel Tourist' where several Brighton chess club members have stayed in the past when doing chessic (sic) battle with the French.
The receptionist told me 'il y a de la place, pour l'instant': 'there are rooms available, for the moment'. 12 rooms have already been taken by other French chess players playing in the tournaments held in Dieppe that weekend.
She quoted the availability of 2 single rooms for 32euros.
Double bedrooms at 50 euros.
Family rooms are available, in which 4 people share for 70euros for the room.
She indicated that she may be able to offer discount rates if we book in as a group.
I asked for the hotel website and she gave me: www.hotel-lesgalets@orange.fr , however, this site is hard to find, you are far more likely to find info on the hotel from sites offering a range of accommodation in Dieppe. A little bit of research I did a couple of weeks ago gave reviews for 'Les Galets' ranging from 'clean and tidy, thank you very much, you get what you pay for' to 'it was dirty', so you takes your pick. People who have stayed at different places in Dieppe in the past can share their info and experience by blog for the benefit of others in the club to have enough info to make an informed choice. It might be worth people doing their own searching around for alternative accommodation in Dieppe and seeing what they come up with and sharing it.
As I indicated in an earlier blog, I would prefer to make a group booking in the minimum number of phone calls for those wanting help with booking. For those wanting this assistance, we may need to talk about how the deposit(s) are going to be paid.
Thought I would send this 'heads up' about booking sooner rather than later.
John

Monday, May 16, 2011

Tournament Contact Details

I have added the Holcombe Handicap and Ladder players to the list accessible via the Contact Details link at the bottom of the Tournaments page. New players who weren't on this list before will be sent the password via email (and anyone else who has forgotten it is welcome to ask me for a reminder).

Ladder Tournament ( Rapid Play )

This tournament will start on Thursday 19th May and end about the middle of October. i.e When the new tournament lists are posted.
a) All games are rapid play and players decide on a time for each clock from 15 to 59 minutes.
b) At the moment seven players have entered and they have been arranged in reverse alphabetical order.
1) Neil Tasker 2) Anthony Stanton 3) Andrew Shoulders 4) Mustapha Othman
5) Charles Holcombe 6) Rob Counsell 7) Andrew Caswill
c) New players may join at anytime by writing their name on a white card placed on the ladder.The next player will be number 8.
d) If 7 players are in the tournament one may challenge a player 4 places above them.
If 8 : : : 4 : :
If 11 : : : 6 : :
i.e Divide total number of players by 2 and round up to nearest whole number.
e) Players choose for choice of colour and then alternate if future games are played.
f) If a lower player wins then just swop the two cards over.
g) Please enter the results on the score sheet. Competition ; Ladder and enter time agreed at start for each individual clock.
h) A person playing at least nine games will achieve a rapid play grade in 2012.
Good luck.

Exchange between Dieppe and Brighton Chess Club

This is a proposal I have received via email from a mother in Dieppe:

I had your address by Olivier Delabarre from the Dieppe chess club : "l'Echiquier Dieppois".
My son, Yoan Waucampt, is 15 years old now and he plays chess in this club. He is going to visit Brighton next August in order to improve his English and his chess performance. He has the intention of practising chess in your club. Is it possible? If yes, I would like to propose you an exchange. I have a big house in Dieppe down town and I can receive a teenager here, for example, in the period of Dieppe International Championship (the end of August 2011). Do you know a family that could receive Yoan in Brighton from August 16th to 26th?
Hoping to hearing from you soon, thanks for your attention,
Sincerely,
Dionisia Waucampt


I can pass on the email address if anyone is interested.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

NB The Gatwick event is free!
Well, it is for most people - only males have to pay.

e2e4 Gatwick 17th-19th June

Unfortunately one of my friend's has inconsiderately decided to get married on the 18th of June so I have had to withdraw from this event, but I thought I'd post a reminder to the rest of you.  Those that entered/kibitzed the recent Brighton event will know that it was well organized in pleasant surroundings so I no reason to assume this one will be any different.

http://www.e2e4.org.uk/gatwick/jun2011/index.htm

Regards, Kevin.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Charts updated

Drrrrr....... two weeks without the internet and it was a loose connection at the end of the road the Virgin Media man finally put right in two ticks on Thursday. Yesterday Blogger was off. However, things are now working again and I have updated all the tournament charts. There are still quite a few games to play before the end of July so check out whom you still need to play via the Tournaments page. The player Contact Details link is there as well - let me know if you need the password reminder. We have some very interesting results from quite a few new and ungraded members. Remember as well, if this is your first year, you need to play at least nine graded games before the end of May to get an ECF grade for next season.

I have a lot more things to post but they'll have to come separately as I catch up with everything - two weeks is a long time in chess!!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Present difficulties

Things are very slow at the moment as I haven't had the Internet for over a week. It feels like being blinded and then being allowed to see bits of things very slowly through a keyhole (thank heaven for my iPhone). Now they tell me that waiting for permission to dig may be causing the continual deferments (!) - it's a 'general outage' not a personal one - and that I may get it back next Tuesday. So apologies if things seem to be grinding to a halt somewhat or I'm slow in responding to things - all will be well, I hope.

Another glorious evening .....

at BHCC. Not total glory as I made an honouroble draw with Arthur, but it is soooo nice in the new venue :-)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Holcombe Handicap

Fourteen people have entered the above knockout competition.
All details of this competition will be displayed on the club notice-board from Saturday 7th May.
Each game is a maximum of 3 hours and the lowest graded player is white.
Neil Tasker140, and Peter Benson 137, have been omitted from the first round.
To enable the tournament to run smoothly the first round must be completed by Saturday 4th June. If a game is NOT played by this date, the higher graded player can write their name on the chart and move to the next round.
Players without a grade have been placed in one of three categories, 50, 100, 120.
The time handicap ( depending on grade difference ) will be shown on the chart against each game.
Details are shown below so that players can start to arrange their games.
The prize money generously given by Charles Holcombe is £75 for the winner and £25 for the runner up. Charles is hoping to win his money back !!
In alphabetical order: 1) A Caswill v R. Counsell. 2) B. Davies v D. Hards 3) A. Hickling v C. Holcombe 4) O. Joyce-Coughlan v K. Moberly 5) M. Othman v C. Rabey 6) A. Shoulders v J T Sythoff.

MSL end of season matches

Don't want to cramp the captains' style but I thought I'd point out that the 4th and 5th teams both appear to have a home game on Thursday 12th May, so I guess we should make use of the ground floor room for one of them if that is possible?
Nice article Brian, thanks. I'm a bit worried about my match with Arthur tomorrow now ..... ;-)