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).

Brighton and Hove Chess Club Summer Tournament in progress

1st Weekend Hastings Chess Tournament

Dear Chess Players,

This link will provide you with the details of a new venture by the Hastings Club to provide regular weekend chess tournaments for local players (and anyone else of course), provided there is interest from chess players in the region.

The ambiance of our renowned chess club, using chess sets for the most part with over a hundred years of history (still in good condition!), the relative ease of access to the club and reasonable cost of entry may be something that local chess players will be able to take advantage of. We do hope that players from all over Sussex, and elsewhere, will be able to have an enjoyable weekend of chess at our club on a fairly regular basis.

With my best wishes,

Jeremy H

Weekend activities

There're still plenty of internal club tournament games left to play but, if you fancy going further afield, there's a

Time Handicap Tournament at Hastings this weekend

and an Easter Long Play Congress at Coulsden next weekend.

Brighton players win at Bexhill

Six of us had a really fun time in Bexhill at the weekend - the results of three winners can be seen here. The event, at 39, was one entrant short of break-even, but more will follow - perhaps with hot dinners - and is worth supporting if we want local tournaments to happen post-e2e4. Congrats to Mustapha, Simon and Seb who - apart from the 13 year old girl who won it - took the top spots.

Bexhill chess last call

Well it's never the last call actually but just a reminder about the five round tournament coming up this weekend.
Three sections U2200, U1900 and U120 ECF.
Juniors can play for £20 and there is £5 off for local club members.
Thirty entries so far so a decent attendance will ensure some worthwhile and fun chess.
Entries at
http://www.sussexweekendchess.blogspot.co.uk/p/latest-entries.html

Ne le manquez pas!
Jeremy Hudson

Places to go in February

Two local tournaments coming up this month:

7th Portsmouth Congress  20th - 22nd February

Bexhill Weekend Chess Tournament  28th February - 1st March

and, for new members, you only need five results now to get an ECF grade in August - either of these would do.

Weekend trips

If you're looking for weekend excursions there is a standard play tournament at Bexhill this Saturday and Sunday and the Weald Congress at Worth Abbey (near Crawley) the following weekend.

1st Bexhill Rapidplay Congress, Saturday 17th May

Kill two birds with one stone!
Play chess and support the restoration of a beautiful neo-Gothic church in Bexhill. 
See the details at http://sussexrapidchess.blogspot.co.uk for a day out playing chess by the seaside!
Jeremy Hudson

Bexhill-on-Sea

First Bexhill Weekend Congress 22nd - 23rd March. Close to Bexhill railway station.

e2e4 Gatwick Congress

Seven of us went to the e2e4 Gatwick Congress at the weekend. The five in the U140 mostly played each other - when they weren't battling against the joint British Champion under 8s, plus one or two others. Rob did the best coming joint 3rd on 3½ - having played two of his colleagues and avoided the under 8s altogether. Mustapha came joint 4th in the U170 on the same score with Robin only half a point behind. A great tournament with great company, only the bar food pricey and abysmal.

Please note:

The club will be closed on Thursday 15th and Saturday 17th August.    

However there is the e2e4 Gatwick International Congress on then, running from Wednesday 14th to Sunday 18th August.

Gatwick W/E

Two outstanding results in the e2e4 Gatwick congress over the weekend with Mustapha coming third in the U2000 and Terry dropping only half a point to come joint first in the U1750 - in spite of being 33 grading points below the limit. An amazing result! Callum and Robin also played in the U2000 and Michael Cain and Grant in the U1750. For all those who missed it there's another one 7th-9th June.

Vintage year at 88th Hastings International

A good year for the club at Hastings as nearly everyone who went won something or came close.

Ezra Kirk didn't win the Masters but his only losses were to titled players. He drew with GM Mark Hebden and local IM Thomas Rendle to finish on 5/10 - 35th=/88. Phew!

Paul Batchelor shared 3rd prize in the New Year Afternoon A on 3½/5 and just missed coming joint first by half a point on the same score in the Weekend Major.

Duncan Badham won the Weekend Minor on 4½/5 and Michael Cain was only half a point behind the two joint seconds on 3½/5.

Anthony Stanton won the New Year Afternoon C on 4½/5 (the ½ being a bye).

Sue Chadwick came second in the Christmas D on 4/5.

Scroll down on this link to see all the final results.

Christmas Chess

As the Christmas holiday dates dodge the all important Thursdays and Saturdays we are open all over Christmas.

On Thursday 20th Sylvia has proposed we go for a slight festivity and Julian has granted us use of the oven. Sylvia and I will be bringing in festive things to heat and share so bring a little something if you like. Otherwise just turn up - reindeer headgear etc. optional but bells on them probably a step too far.

After that it's Hastings again with opportunities to play at all levels from 28th December to 6th January, or just go for the entertainment with cheerily brilliant Chris Ward in the commentary room. You can't lose!

Successes past and present

To untangle the picture quiz and clues (see below):

1. Geoff
2. 1961 Geoff, 1965 and 1966 Brian
3. Brian
4. Brian
5. Geoff
6. Geoff
7. Geoff
8. Brian Young c.1939 - 1985. But you have to have been around the Brighton chess scene a very long time for this one as he emigrated to Australia in 1963.

Bringing us up to date - a very good e2e4 at the weekend with the inevitable ups and downs of fortune. Amongst he lucky ones were Dona on 4 and Rob and Terry, both on 3, who all won prizes - see e2e4 results - congratulations to them and to others who played their socks off without a mention, particularly Ezra in the Open and Mustapha and Oli in the Major who also finished on 3.

Progress and opportunity

Congrats to the sixth team in their match against Haywards Heath 2 (average grade 135) and also to the fifth team who pulled off a similar feat against Worthing 3 last Monday (average grade 142). With 2-3 scores they didn't quite win but these results prove we can surprise the best of the third division. I hope we can continue as far as possible to field our strongest teams early in the season, giving our promoted teams the best chance of staying up and the sixth team a good run for its money.

Meanwhile e2e4 Brighton is filling up with 90 entrants so far. Two weeks to go if you still want to join the dozen or so members already signed up. This is always a very well run event and, well, why not? Eat your sandwiches on the seafront and it's as cheap as it gets!

Listening to live commentary of British Championships, I swear I can hear Callum suggesting moves to Andrew Martin in the commentary room :-)) Callum is going great guns on 4.0/6.0 in the Under-12s, well done Callum!!

e2e4 report

This Chessbase report of e2e4 events, written by Steve Giddins, features the last Brighton event. If I'm not mistaken the first Brighton picture features Andrew Shoulders and (I think) Charles Holcolmbe (seated,facing away).

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7945

Happy Easter!

Congratulations to Andrew Shoulders on winning the U60 grading prize on 2.5/5 in the U120 section of the Coulsdon Easter Congress (£35).

Brighton and Gibraltar Internationals

If you can afford the time, don't forget the e2e4 Brighton International coming up in a couple of weeks. There are still places in the Major, ie everything U165.

If you can't manage that then enjoy the Gibraltar Chess Festival where the online coverage is very good indeed, probably because Simon Williams is the main anchor man. He has a fast, chatty pace and always a humorous edge, as well as a lightning grasp of the position. Looks like Brian Izzard's already there.