2nd Bristol Rapidplay

Thanks to Graham Mill-Wilson for sending me this report. The title to this post links to the Bristol Chess website.

This was a small but cosmopolitan tournament, which took place on Saturday 5th June. In the Open section (14 players), there was an American, a Venezuelan, a Dutchman and a Welshman! The American (IM James Sherwin of Bath chess club) didn’t even bother to turn up for the first round (actually, he got the times wrong), but he won it anyway, with 5 wins from the five he did play. The half point bye he was given for the first round turned out to be irrelevant! Second equal on 4 points were Arturo Wong (the Venezuelan, who plays for Chard and Ilminster) and Paul Helbig from Bath. The grading prize (under 175) was shared by James Jackson (Bath Univ.), Peter Jaszkiwskyj (Kettering) and Steve Piper (no club).

In the Major section (Under 165 - 10 players), the outright winner on 5/6 was Hui Zhu of Bristol University, with John Knee from Malvern in second place on 4½. The grading prize (under 138) was shared by Hugh Price of Cardiff and Chris Lamming of Bath University. Look at all those university players! (Thinks…the exams must be over).

The Minor section was not quite an all-play-all, but it was a most-play-most, with 8players. Simon Griffin from Cheltenham, the only player in the section who didn’t get a bye, won with 5/6. Second place and the grading prize (under 110) were shared by James Barnett (Salisbury), Peter Saunders (the league’s treasurer!), Matthew Trigg (Solihull) and Tom Thorpe, a junior who plays for Pete’s Potentials, the Pete in question being the aforementioned treasurer. They all scored 4 points.

Pete’s potentials is a team of juniors coached by Mr Saunders at the junior club he runs in Bristol, who put up a decent show in their first league season. Tom is their star player. His grade of 85 is rubbish, as I know to my cost!

We don’t usually send our rapidplay results for grading, but following comments on the ECF forum, I called for a show of hands, the result of which was inconclusive. However, I decided to send them in for grading anyway. The treasurer was not pleased, but then he rarely is.