Friday, December 21, 2018
Merry Christmas Everyone!!
We are open as usual throughout the holiday period but the bridge club isn't. This means a committee member will be opening and closing the building on Saturday for a 2:00 pm start as usual. This Saturday 21st will be Christmas jumpers and mince pie day. Robin set the trend on Thursday so do your worst! After Christmas it's as usual with committee opening again on 29th if necessary (i.e. if no bridge again). Anthony and Rob are usually the people covering this all year so it's special thanks to them that we remain open come what may (and a reason not to begin any match games too late on a Saturday. Please aim to start at 2:00 pm if you can. Thanks.)
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
New Members' Night: Thursday 13th December
If you’ve played some chess and want to take it further but aren’t sure how you’d get on at Sussex’s premier club - now’s your chance to find out!
On Thursday 13th December we're hosting a New Members’ Night from 7:00 to 11:00. You will get to see the club, ask questions, chat with members, play some friendly games and have the chance to join an analysis session with one of the county’s top players. This session with Luke Rutherford will run from 7:30 to 9:00 and visitors are encouraged to bring their score sheets for analysis (don’t worry about the game itself - it will just help Luke gauge where you’re at so you get the most out of it). There will also be free tea and mince pies and a bar downstairs.
£4 covers everything (except the bar). Spaces are limited - book via the query box at the bottom of the Joining page (see tab under Finding Us above).
This event is free to members but visitors will get game analysis and mince pie priority. However please bring your scoresheets as it's likely everyone will get a chance to have at least one game analysed. Plus we are hoping for a festive atmosphere and plenty of members to take on the visitors.
Any tournament games can still be played in the poker room but please avoid tonight if you can in case it gets crowded as there be will no comfortable overflow.
On Thursday 13th December we're hosting a New Members’ Night from 7:00 to 11:00. You will get to see the club, ask questions, chat with members, play some friendly games and have the chance to join an analysis session with one of the county’s top players. This session with Luke Rutherford will run from 7:30 to 9:00 and visitors are encouraged to bring their score sheets for analysis (don’t worry about the game itself - it will just help Luke gauge where you’re at so you get the most out of it). There will also be free tea and mince pies and a bar downstairs.
£4 covers everything (except the bar). Spaces are limited - book via the query box at the bottom of the Joining page (see tab under Finding Us above).
This event is free to members but visitors will get game analysis and mince pie priority. However please bring your scoresheets as it's likely everyone will get a chance to have at least one game analysed. Plus we are hoping for a festive atmosphere and plenty of members to take on the visitors.
Any tournament games can still be played in the poker room but please avoid tonight if you can in case it gets crowded as there be will no comfortable overflow.
Friday, October 26, 2018
Time controls in practice
I've updated the MSCL page of the website, see tab above under Juniors, with information on the new time controls in the League. Hopefully this will go some way to clarifying any confusion! (If you have any quibble or it's not clear let me know.) With the two 'home' matches played - 1st v 2nd and 3rd v 4th - we've managed to play the default time control on every board without a problem, in fact the games have tended to finish earlier than before. Every match has been conclusive and the captains haven't had the old mopping-up operation while we try and decide who - or if - anybody won!
The first team beat the second last night with Luke returning to play for the first team and Will and Michael Cain making their debuts in the expanded first division. A good match which was far from being a whitewash for the second team.
John Henshaw 1-0 Robin Jones
Luke Rutherford 1-0 Anna Charpidou
Geoff James ½-½ Michael Hamilton
Paul Batchelor 0-1 Will Wright
Paul Selby 1-0 Michael Cain
3½ - 1½
The first team beat the second last night with Luke returning to play for the first team and Will and Michael Cain making their debuts in the expanded first division. A good match which was far from being a whitewash for the second team.
John Henshaw 1-0 Robin Jones
Luke Rutherford 1-0 Anna Charpidou
Geoff James ½-½ Michael Hamilton
Paul Batchelor 0-1 Will Wright
Paul Selby 1-0 Michael Cain
3½ - 1½
Friday, October 19, 2018
3rd vs 4th team
MSCL kicked off last night with the third team taking on the fourth team. Last year the lower ranked team won, but the 3rd team won this time round, although it was close at 3-2.
The average ratings were 148 vs 133, and well done to Max and Dona for their wins.
Next Thursday it's 1 vs 2.
| B & H 3 | B & H 4 | ||||
| 1 | 161 | Michael H. | 1-0 | Will | 141 |
| 2 | 152 | Olli W. | 1-0 | Paul | 138 |
| 3 | 147 | Chris | 0-1 | Max | 137 |
| 4 | 144 | Terry | 0-1 | Dona | 131 |
| 5 | 138 | Michael C. | 1-0 | Sue | 117 |
| 148 | 3-2 | 133 |
The average ratings were 148 vs 133, and well done to Max and Dona for their wins.
Next Thursday it's 1 vs 2.
Monday, October 15, 2018
Knickers in a twist at the Mid-Sussex League
With the season about to kick off I'd just like to expand on the options under the new time controls the MSCL voted in at the AGM in June, which Jan talks about below. The AGM was a shambles of proposals and counter-proposals with, it turned out, only a minority having given much thought to the very real problem of concluding the game in the time available. There was a kind of obsessive panic over detail which made a completed scoresheet a higher priority than playing the game. How could a three-fold repetition possibly be proved? .. etc.. etc.. And yet the league has had G/80 +10 in its rules since 2015 without problem. And so, finally, a very small majority voted in favour of the scoresheet over common sense.
The result is we have G/65 +30: game in 65 minutes plus 30 seconds a move, with notation to the end - the bitter end, however long the game. So, late one dark and stormy night in Hastings or East Grinstead, with all the team dependent on one car to get them home, one game continues...... never mind three hours.... the game could go on to four, and on..... The common sense at the AGM suggested that the venue might have a night-patrolling caretaker jangling his keys round the ears of the players and insisting they go home to bed. OK, said the AGM, still digging its heels in over G/80 +10, we'll make an exception for that - but only that. So the host club - not the players trying to get home - can rule that the circumstances of their venue can allow for the game to stop at 60 moves, a decision which has to be made at the off as presumably the conditions of the venue will be unlikely to change during the course of the game.
For further clarification see Matthew Britnell's notes on the MSCL website. Note that the league may require evidence of the need to vacate the premises. The common sense in the room - only short of a majority by a whisker - was exasperated that the league still wasn't going all out for a completed game, that adjudication was still on the cards and that captains will still have a non-result to consult their computers about when they get home. The only difference is - less often.
So, G/65 +30 is the default, will result in a completed game, and we should assume at this stage that it has merit. Most games will finish within reasonable time. However, and only if the venue time is limited, there is 60/65 +30 (60 moves in 65 minutes plus 30 seconds a move). This is the short session default time control. Beyond that there are two further options for players who both agree: one is 42/90 (the old 42-move game) and the other is the new G/80 +10. There is one more option for no digital clocks: 30/60 f35 (30 moves in an hour with 35 minutes to finish). Whatever the time control - and there are five possible ones - it will from now on go onto the match card so the league can monitor the situation for next year. We also need to get nifty with clocks and leave time to make adjustments if we want any options to be realistic. Then there's the problem of one match with multiple time controls....
Well, I hope that's cleared things up before we start!! Good luck everyone and enjoy the season. Next year we might all get G/80 +10 and go home with a result. And anyway, aren't nearly all repetitions either fully intentional or blatantly obvious? and we're only talking when there's less than 5 minutes on the clock.....
The result is we have G/65 +30: game in 65 minutes plus 30 seconds a move, with notation to the end - the bitter end, however long the game. So, late one dark and stormy night in Hastings or East Grinstead, with all the team dependent on one car to get them home, one game continues...... never mind three hours.... the game could go on to four, and on..... The common sense at the AGM suggested that the venue might have a night-patrolling caretaker jangling his keys round the ears of the players and insisting they go home to bed. OK, said the AGM, still digging its heels in over G/80 +10, we'll make an exception for that - but only that. So the host club - not the players trying to get home - can rule that the circumstances of their venue can allow for the game to stop at 60 moves, a decision which has to be made at the off as presumably the conditions of the venue will be unlikely to change during the course of the game.
For further clarification see Matthew Britnell's notes on the MSCL website. Note that the league may require evidence of the need to vacate the premises. The common sense in the room - only short of a majority by a whisker - was exasperated that the league still wasn't going all out for a completed game, that adjudication was still on the cards and that captains will still have a non-result to consult their computers about when they get home. The only difference is - less often.
So, G/65 +30 is the default, will result in a completed game, and we should assume at this stage that it has merit. Most games will finish within reasonable time. However, and only if the venue time is limited, there is 60/65 +30 (60 moves in 65 minutes plus 30 seconds a move). This is the short session default time control. Beyond that there are two further options for players who both agree: one is 42/90 (the old 42-move game) and the other is the new G/80 +10. There is one more option for no digital clocks: 30/60 f35 (30 moves in an hour with 35 minutes to finish). Whatever the time control - and there are five possible ones - it will from now on go onto the match card so the league can monitor the situation for next year. We also need to get nifty with clocks and leave time to make adjustments if we want any options to be realistic. Then there's the problem of one match with multiple time controls....
Well, I hope that's cleared things up before we start!! Good luck everyone and enjoy the season. Next year we might all get G/80 +10 and go home with a result. And anyway, aren't nearly all repetitions either fully intentional or blatantly obvious? and we're only talking when there's less than 5 minutes on the clock.....
Monday, September 24, 2018
League changes this season
Hello all,
In an effort to provide more information, attract new members, share experiences, perhaps entertain and, who knows, even to learn more about the game, I will update the blog more regularly while Anthony Giles will be posting on Facebook. I like writing so if there's a game you'd like to share or anything else which may be of interest, I'd be happy to help putting it up here.
The MSCL (Mid-Sussex Chess League) kicks off in October, with the 3rd team taking on the 4th team on the 18th and the 1st team taking on the 2nd on 25th. This season there are 3 divisions instead of 4 because the number of teams has fallen from 34 to 33 (despite Brighton now adding a fifth team), meaning that each team will play 10 matches instead of 7 or 8.
A change in the time control is the other main change, with 65mins + 30secs increment now being the default, instead of the previous 80mins + 10secs. 14 of the 26 MSCL AGM delegates voted for this in order to increase the number of completed match games. It also means that players are obliged to keep score throughout, helping to avoid disputes and validate draw claims (repeated positions).
The disadvantage is that games can go on for longer and therefore clubs can impose a 60 move limit to avoid late finishes. Alternative time controls are possible if both players agree and note also that the time control now has to be added onto match scoresheets, which are downloadable from MSCL site download here
MSCL provides the following table to indicate game length times:
All the best for the new season!
In an effort to provide more information, attract new members, share experiences, perhaps entertain and, who knows, even to learn more about the game, I will update the blog more regularly while Anthony Giles will be posting on Facebook. I like writing so if there's a game you'd like to share or anything else which may be of interest, I'd be happy to help putting it up here.
The MSCL (Mid-Sussex Chess League) kicks off in October, with the 3rd team taking on the 4th team on the 18th and the 1st team taking on the 2nd on 25th. This season there are 3 divisions instead of 4 because the number of teams has fallen from 34 to 33 (despite Brighton now adding a fifth team), meaning that each team will play 10 matches instead of 7 or 8.
A change in the time control is the other main change, with 65mins + 30secs increment now being the default, instead of the previous 80mins + 10secs. 14 of the 26 MSCL AGM delegates voted for this in order to increase the number of completed match games. It also means that players are obliged to keep score throughout, helping to avoid disputes and validate draw claims (repeated positions).
The disadvantage is that games can go on for longer and therefore clubs can impose a 60 move limit to avoid late finishes. Alternative time controls are possible if both players agree and note also that the time control now has to be added onto match scoresheets, which are downloadable from MSCL site download here
MSCL provides the following table to indicate game length times:
All the best for the new season!
Home win against Dieppe
Our twelfth match against Dieppe resulted in another home win for Brighton against some stiff opposition, especially at the top where Steve Newman faced IM Kamran Shirazi for a closely fought game. Afterwards in-depth analysis, refreshments and chat were enjoyed as we renewed our acquaintance with L'Echiquier Dieppois.
The annual fixtures began in 2007 when we travelled to Dieppe. The 'score' now stands at Brighton 6 Dieppe 5 with one draw. A big thank you to all those who took part to keep this tradition going and ensure we had an opponent for every one of our French visitors, including Anthony who acted as reserve and was invaluable as help.
The annual fixtures began in 2007 when we travelled to Dieppe. The 'score' now stands at Brighton 6 Dieppe 5 with one draw. A big thank you to all those who took part to keep this tradition going and ensure we had an opponent for every one of our French visitors, including Anthony who acted as reserve and was invaluable as help.
DIEPPE elo BRIGHTON elo ECF ½-½ ½-½
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Club closed Saturday 22nd September
Please note on Saturday 22nd we are hosting the annual match against Dieppe. This means the club will be full and silent all afternoon and non-members should stay away. If members want to drop in and spectate they can but there'll be no casual play.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Welcome to the new season: 2018/19
The Junior Club restarts on Thursday 20th September - please see Juniors tab above for details.
The Senior Club AGM is tonight at 8:00 pm. Subscriptions are due and new members are welcome.
The Senior Club AGM is tonight at 8:00 pm. Subscriptions are due and new members are welcome.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Weald Congress
Don't forget the Weald Congress next weekend if you feel all this sun and football is getting too much - although there's a nice barbecue and football between rounds (the running around kind).
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| Brighton and Hove Chess Club Summer Tournament in progress |
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Library
Please could you borrow no more than one book at a time. The loan period has now been extended to 6 weeks.
I have contacted some members concerning overdue books - please could you look them out and bring them back (and write the date in the loans book). Sadly, the club has lost many books over the years. I suspect that members forget they have borrowed them and then leave the club, move away etc.
Donations are welcome. Please leave books on the top shelf in the library.
Anthony
I have contacted some members concerning overdue books - please could you look them out and bring them back (and write the date in the loans book). Sadly, the club has lost many books over the years. I suspect that members forget they have borrowed them and then leave the club, move away etc.
Donations are welcome. Please leave books on the top shelf in the library.
Anthony
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Junior Club
The Junior Club won't be running over the Easter holidays but will start up again on Thursday 19th April from 6:00 - 7:00 pm as usual. We are still open for new junior members - just come along at 5:45 to register and pay the £10 summer joining fee. Coaching is £3 per session in addition.
Friday, March 30, 2018
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Dave Springgay
The funeral of former club member, Dave Springgay, is being held at Worthing Crematorium on Wednesday 7th March at 9 a.m. Players of my generation will remember how in the early 1960s Dave was the best player in Sussex. He won the club championship in 1953 at the age of 16 and his first county championship in 1958 when he was 21. Altogether he won the club championship four times and the county championship three times. In 1961 he played in the British Championship at Aberystwyth and came tenth equal. He gave up chess at a relatively young age, but has continued to live in Brighton.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Charles Holcombe
Charles Holcombe, who was the club secretary for many years, passed away recently. His funeral is on Friday 26th January. Geoff has the details for all those interested in attending.
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