04-12-2012, 10:54 AM
A few little thoughts after the tournament.
The U16's were up against a very strong North of England side, probably some way ahead of the Scots on paper. However, the guys played some really good chess and could very easily have come out on top. There were a few premature draws and I think a few of the players were nervous about making a mistake. On the one hand this is obviously good that they are taking pride in playing for their country, but I think they would probably have got at least a point more if they had relaxed a bit and just played the pieces.
I think 5 of the team are eligible for next year, so we should be in with a good shout.
The U12's were flagged up as being an inexperienced group and I think they did really very well. It was noticeable that there were very very few quick games (unlike last year) and the players all seemed to be 'serious'. My impression is that if you looked into the Hall after an hour's play then most of the games would still be going and the Scots would be standing pretty well. That seems to a strong base to build on for future years.
I saw less of the U14's than the other two sides. It seems that Welsh had a very strong side and were some way ahead of the other teams. The Scots did very well to win the race for second place. However, looking at the results it is noticeable that the Scots really pulled in the points on the lower boards and struggled on the top boards. I think that is maybe something that it is worth thinking about going forward.
A very enjoyable event and I look forward to next year.
The U16's were up against a very strong North of England side, probably some way ahead of the Scots on paper. However, the guys played some really good chess and could very easily have come out on top. There were a few premature draws and I think a few of the players were nervous about making a mistake. On the one hand this is obviously good that they are taking pride in playing for their country, but I think they would probably have got at least a point more if they had relaxed a bit and just played the pieces.
I think 5 of the team are eligible for next year, so we should be in with a good shout.
The U12's were flagged up as being an inexperienced group and I think they did really very well. It was noticeable that there were very very few quick games (unlike last year) and the players all seemed to be 'serious'. My impression is that if you looked into the Hall after an hour's play then most of the games would still be going and the Scots would be standing pretty well. That seems to a strong base to build on for future years.
I saw less of the U14's than the other two sides. It seems that Welsh had a very strong side and were some way ahead of the other teams. The Scots did very well to win the race for second place. However, looking at the results it is noticeable that the Scots really pulled in the points on the lower boards and struggled on the top boards. I think that is maybe something that it is worth thinking about going forward.
A very enjoyable event and I look forward to next year.