Bridge Club gives us new Match Room upstairs!

As the Blue Room downstairs is being used for bridge on Thursdays for the foreseeable future, the 'poker room' has now been dismantled and set up for chess (or bridge). As the Blue Room was never officially part of our agreement with the Bridge Club this is a fantastic addition to our space upstairs. The 'poker room' is the room to the right of the kitchen, although I think we should now designate it the Match Room as it is perfect for league matches: a perfect size and completely self-contained and quiet.

Also, an important reminder, if you are picked to play for the league please aim to get there by 7:15 if you possibly can. The whole team is responsible for setting up and clearing up, not just the captain. Remember we are already short of captains, so please try and do at least one or the other if you want to see us continue to play in the league. Thanks.

FIDE Article 12: The conduct of the players

12.3 b. Without the permission of the arbiter a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off. If any such device produces a sound, the player shall lose the game. The opponent shall win. However, if the opponent cannot win the game by any series of legal moves, his score shall be a draw. ( E.I.01A. Laws of Chess)

This is always coming up - how many realise this is actually written into the laws of chess? Anyway, here it is for any future situations! Feel confident if you need to ask your opponent to turn it off. This is my understanding - without an arbiter actually present. Strictly speaking you could claim the game on the spot but, well, what do others think? The same situation might arise in an internal tournament game and not everyone knows the rule.

Mobile Phones and Chess

Question: Last night i was playing in a match against Eastbourne 2, my opponent during the game picked up his mobile phone are started typing a short text message, each time he pressed a key, there was an annoying peep which was irritating. He used his phone twice during the game to write 2 messages. Does anyone know what the rules are during a match and the use of mobile phones? is this behaviour allowed? Please Advise?

Many Thanks Michael

p.s. in the end i won my game.

Club Championship on Tournaments page

I have put the Club Championship knockout chart on the website in spite of the lack of any clarifying lines and brackets. I think it's fairly clear and means people can arrange their matches with time to spare, or play again if it's a draw. I'll update it once we have some winners. The whole thing depends on participants all sticking to the time schedule which is, apparently, both the virtue and the downfall of the knockout. I have followed a strict format so that the higher graded players emerge from each round to face each other, rather than meeting early on. Please prioritise this competition above the others to meet round deadlines.

Club Championship launched

The Club Championship knockout chart is now up at the club. Publishing it online is tricky without losing the formatting but I'll do something when I have more time. The preliminary round needs to be played before Christmas - this involves Charles v Marcus, Kevin v Jan, Andrew S. v Bob, Ian v Adrian and Callum v Sue. Please use the usual time controls, or adapt for 30 seconds per move added instead of QPF if you're using a digital clock, and toss for colours. People in the first round proper can go ahead as well if they're not dependent on a result from the prelim. - this 'first' round, which brings in everyone else, to be played by the end of January. Round deadlines must be strictly adhered to or knockouts will not depend on the results of games!

Grading Lists

A new development is that chess grades will now be published twice a year. At the end of February and the end of July.
All games played before 31st December can be entered for the spring grading list.
New players without a grade may wish to play nine games ( at the club or elsewhere ) and already graded players, to play more games so that an updated grade can be achieved by the spring.
This applies, both to long play and rapid play games..

Club Championship 2011-12

I have twenty-one entrants for the Club Championship Knockout Competition - see the list on the CC Tournament page on the website. This is a terrific response so thanks everyone for going for it - undaunted by the breadth of the competition. If I've missed anyone please let me know as soon as poss..

Brighton&Hove 5 v Brighton&Hove 4

Well done the 4th Team,in achieving a strong performance. Our first arranged afternoon match with the MSCL.
Thanks especially to Ian George for his effort although several games seemed to be close.
Good luck to both sides for the rest of the season.
5th Team 4th Team
Robert C Davies 0 Arthur De Silver 1
Ian George 0.5 Anthony Stanton 0.5
Robert Counsell 0 Martin Roe 1
Susan Chadwick 0 Grant Minshull 1
Andrew Caswill 0 John Smuts 1

Easy-peasy blogging for all

Welcome to the blog, Adrian!
Very glad to hear you found it easier than expected :-) 

After giving several 'tutorials' recently I'm getting the hang of the stumbling blocks with both the blog and the private online player list. This feedback has been very useful and I've further expanded on the clarifications given at the bottom of the website Tournaments page (see tab above or go to the website if you are viewing this as a blog only).

This blog now has twenty-five signed-up authors and there are thirty-three people with access to the player list, although I can't tell how many of these have actually accessed the list. Ideally this blog is an open forum for debate which can inform the committee when decisions need to be taken. According to the stats it has been read by people in France, Spain, Czech Republic, Guernsey, Malta, Philippines, United States, Panama and Australia.

hello

hi everybody,thanks sue for the tutorial about blogging,its not as hard as it looks.had a tough game against rob which he was victorious,i'll beat you one day mate.looking for more opponents in the e/c.....adi

Bang! Bang! ....... or how to make a GM cry

You're an FM two whole bishops down against a GM, is it time to resign? Apparently not! Why not just chuck in the queen and rook you've got left as well? Check out this perfect swindle played against Simon Williams on top board in the e2e4 Gatwick International this morning. I think the illustrated approach to notation has a great future as well!!

First results published

The club tournaments are now underway and results to date entered on the online charts. More people have entered the Club Championship and the list can be seen on the CC page. I can take more names tomorrow when B&H 5 are at home to B&H 4. It will be interesting to see what people think of playing league matches on a Saturday - is this the way to go?

Club Championship 2011-12

Please let me know by next Monday 31st if you would like to join in the Club Championship Knockout Competition (see email if you are a member with an email address). So far we have Kevin, Neil, Adrian, Geoff J., Charles, Sue, Paul B., Brian I. and Bob - a good spread across grades and an opportunity to play someone you might not meet in the other tournaments. The first round to be played before Christmas and the semi-final and final to be played with both colours.

Anyone for Hastings?

I have received the following email from Paul Buswell of Hastings:

Hastings & St. Leonards would be interested in friendly matches for our less strong players who might otherwise find it hard to get matches.

I am thinking of players in grade range 90 down to 20. 

Perhaps a standard time match or maybe even rapid play Scheveningen?    Graded, I suggest, but needn't be if you demur.

If interested please let me know.   Unfortunately we would probably have to suggest you come to us (open 7 days a week afternoon and evening) as we have no drivers in that group of players and our other drivers are already hard pressed to fulfil evening league fixtures.   (We are two minutes walk from Hastings station if that helps)

Paul Buswell

If anyone in this group is interested you might like to try and get a group together. I can let you have Paul's email address. Of course they could always get the train to Hove! Perhaps someone who might be missing out on league matches this year might like to liaise with Hastings to organise something? (Their club house is like a museum of chess and worth a look as well.)

PS Advance group Southern bookings can apparently be had for around £6.

Worthing 1 v Brighton & Hove 1 [17/10/11]

Well done everybody Monday evening. Hope this leads to bigger things.

Brighton 3rd Team vs 2nd Team

Congratulations to the second team beating the third team 4-1 last night.

Kevin Gee did save a little face for the Third Team scoring the only point beating Duncan Badham

(136) Michael Cain (c) vs (175) Paul Batchelor 0-1
(126) Arthur de Silver vs (156) Paul Selby 0-1
(127) Martin Roe vs (147) Brian Izzard (c) 0-1
(117) Kevin Gee vs (139) Duncan Badham 1-0
(114) Bob Davies vs (132) Peter Benson 0-1.

Good Luck for the rest of the season.

Note for technophobes

For anyone who may still be having difficulties with blogs and google documents I have just added a clarification to the bottom of the Tournaments page. If anyone is still fogged then please contact me directly. It all works like a dream once you get the hang of it!

Player needed for the Sussex U140s

Keith Osborne, captain of the Sussex Under 140 team, is still a player short for this Saturday if anyone would like to play. There are sixteen to a team (hopefully) playing Kent in Dartford. His number is 01323 492 158.

PK Match Saturday?

Would anyone like to play me in the Plummer Knight on Saturday?  If so, please get in touch. Kevin.

Fixture perfect

The Fixtures page has now been amended to take account of the five League matches which have been moved to a Saturday and all the Eastbourne 3 matches which have been deleted. All ready to go next Monday!