<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25429658">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25429658</a><!-- m -->

Quote:Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams said the new series featured "a surprising list of chess devotees from all walks of life".

Quote:...former homeless alcoholic, John Healy, who believes that the world of chess is harsher than life on the street, complete the line-up

Ronald Biggs, the Great Train Robber, died today.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.kingpinchess.net/2013/08/the-chess-player-and-the-train-robber-3/">http://www.kingpinchess.net/2013/08/the ... -robber-3/</a><!-- m -->


What do chessplayers do on their day off at the world team Olympiad? Why, go and visit Ronnie Biggs in Rio of course. That was the itinerary for IM David Levy, the 1968 and 1975 Scottish Champion, when he visited the Great Train Robber in Brazil while playing for Scotland at the 1978 Olympiad in Buenos Aires in neighbouring Argentina.

Levy recounts his association with Biggs in The Biggs Defence on ionoxford-tube.com. Levy had some success in the chess publishing business but wanted something more lucrative. An autobiography of, “someone really famous” who may not be able to deal with a large publishing house would be the ideal candidate. Levy’s rejected two potential subjects, Princess Margaret and the Shah of Iran, as too wealthy to be receptive to the idea. Ronnie Biggs was still wanted by the British police and may be easier to contact. Levy sent letters to Biggs to set up a meeting. Although he had not yet received a reply he visited Rio in April 1978 en route from a chess event in South Africa to another business venture in the US.

Levy found Biggs an affable companion and keen on the book. Later that year Levy spent three weeks in Rio after the Olympiad interview-ing Biggs. The Biggs tapes were transcribed by Margaret Fitzjames, a friend from Glasgow, who found the subject more interesting than previous work she had done on Levy’s chess books.

Just as the book was about to be published Biggs was kidnapped by John Miller, a former Scots Guardsman, in March 1981 and taken to Barbados to arrange extradition. Levy assisted in getting a team of New York lawyers who found the key legal loop-hole there was no extradition treaty in force at that time between Barbados and the UK. Levy arranged a private plane with which he accompanied Biggs back to Brazil, a boat deemed too risky since it could have been intercepted by the Royal Navy.

The first game which appears in a search for Levy in the Chessbase.com Mega database is this miniature from the British Championships in Bath 1963. The robbery took place on August 8 while this tournament was underway. Peter Jamieson, an Olympiad teammate of Levy in Argentina, is still active and played top board for Scotland in the European Seniors (Over 60) team tournament in Austria in April.
British Championship Under 18, Bath, August 6, 1963. White: Peter Jamieson, Black: David Levy, 1 d4 c5 2 d5 Nf6 3 Nc3 e6 4 e4 exd5 5 exd5 d6 6 Nf3 g6 7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 0–0 Bg7 9 Re1+ Kf8 10 Bf4 Ne8 11 Qe2 a6 12 Qxe8+!! Bxe8 13 Bxd6+ Kg8 14 Rxe8+ Qxe8 15 Bxe8 Bf6 Black resigns in a hopeless position before 16 Ne4! 1–0.

First published: SOS Aug 16, 2009

The following I received only last night from the Czech Republic.
Details will be on website - not had time to check but they were in previous years.

Last time I looked into travel options the best route seemed to be to fly to Prague then travel on by train.



**************************************************************************************************************
Perhaps you can send us the E-mail adresses of important youth chess centres of your country ?
Vielleicht Sie können uns senden einige Kontaktadressen an andere Jugendschachzentren ?

Dear chess friends,

the city of  Frýdek-Místek is one of the most important chess centres in Czech Republic (CR) and Beskydská šachová škola (Beskydien Chess School) is the best in CR from the point of view of results in youth competitions.
            As enclosure I send to you the information and invitation for your chess players to our 35th Tournament of young talents in term 17th – 21st April of 2014. The foreign groups can arrange the longer staying in our country.

            In addition to it we give the special offer for groups, which will come to us for the first time. We accomodate for free one coach per 4 playing kids or two coaches per 8 playing kids (in tournaments under 9, 12 and 15) during the time of Tournaments.

            In the tournament´s history the youth national team from England, from Belorussia the players from chess schools SCS Minsk and MDDM Minsk have regularly taken part. And in recent years the players from chess school Perovo in Moscow and many others have participated too.

The next information you can find on website <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.chessfm.cz">http://www.chessfm.cz</a><!-- m -->.

On behalf of the organizational team
Karel Kubala


Sehr geehrte Schachfreunde,

            Die Stadt Frýdek-Místek ist eine der bedeutendsten Schachzentren in der Tschechischen Republik und Beskydská šachová škola (die Beskidener Schachschule), aus der Sicht der Ergebnisse in jugentlichen Wettbewerben, ist  die beste  in der Tschechischen Republik.
            Als Anlage sende ich Ihnen die Einladung zu unserem 35.Turnier der Schachstalente im Termin vom 17. – 21. 4. 2014. Die ausländischen Gruppen können sich auch einen verlängerten Aufenthalt bei uns vereinbaren.

            Außerdem haben wir ein spezielles Angebot für die Gruppen, die zu uns zum erstenmal kommen. Wir übernehmen alle Kosten für die Übernachtung für eine Persone (Betreuer) mit 4 spielenden Kindern oder für zwei Betreuer mit 8 spielenden Kindern (in Turnieren bis 9, 12 und 15 Jahren) während der Zeit der Turnieren.

            Seit vielen Jahren nehmen die Jugendrepräsentation aus England, die Schachschulen SCS Minsk und MDDM Minsk aus Weißrussland, in den letzten Jahren die Schachschule Perovo aus Moskau und viele andere an unseren Schachturnieren teil.

Die ausführlichen Informationen können Sie auf unseren Webseiten <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.chessfm.cz">http://www.chessfm.cz</a><!-- m --> finden.


Im Namen der Organisatoren
Karel Kubala

Gender equality!

By George Neave (Age 50 years 4 weeks)!

(How did that happen...where do I go to collect my bus pass?)

Chloe Howl wins a chess tournament:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brFKqr0BZcE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brFKqr0BZcE</a><!-- m -->

Good luck to Ali Roy in the World Youth 2013 - First Round tomorrow at 15.00 local time or 11.00 in UK.

I have often highlighted some of the good things from the world of swimming but here is a bad 'un.

In chess we have the 'Zero-Tolerance' rule so that if you arrive 1 second late after the round starts you are defaulted, well this weekend I discovered that in swimming there is a 'negative tolerance' rule. Swimming in the short course national champs at the Commie pool my son, after waiting three hours poolside, went up to muster for his race 15 mins before the start and was told he was five minutes late for the muster and so was disqualified. Another swimmer disqualified for the same reason had come all the way from Dumfries for that single race!

Frustrating!

I'm writing this a frustrated CS member. There seems to be a lot slipping through the cracks and it's leading to an increasing sense of frustration in some members. Actions promised aren't being done, emails are being ignored and questions on the forum are not being answered. I have received a couple of emails today from people who are in this boat and I have sent emails that have been ignored by 3 directors over the past few months.

I'm not writing this to have a go at anyone. Everyone has lot of other commitments, family, work and other things. The members appreciate and understand that. Most of us are in the same situation. There's no shame in saying that you're too busy at the moment. The Directors need to appreciate that there are people out there willing to lend a hand if they are asked. You don't need to do everything yourselves. If you don't then you will find these people just walking away from Chess Scotland and you will end up losing assets unnecessarily.

I would suggest the following:

- all emails are acknowledged within 4 days with a timescale of when a detailed reply will be given
- questions raised to directors on the forum are answered within a week
- minutes of meetings are issued within 2-3 weeks so that everyone is aware of their action points
- delegate! Form sub-committees if you are too busy to do something. You don't need to be on them. Just have them report through to you. Even just ask someone else to form it if you are too busy yourselves.

Please remember that everything improves through communication.

We are about to go into 2014 which will be a big year for chess in Scotland with the hosting of the Commonwealth and Glorney tournaments. If we get the simple stuff right and get everybody on-side and not frustrate and annoy them then we can move into the new year as a team and with a renewed sense of enthusiasm.

Or, to give it the correct title, Dundee & Angus Allegro. The second running will take place on Sunday June 15th 2014 at David Lloyd Leisure Monifieth - same as the Congress.

All the details will be announced in the early months of next year. The event website will carry updates as and when - http://dundee-allegro.co.uk.

The age limits for senior chess used to be 60 for males and 50 for females.
This has all changed in 2014. The new age limits are 50 and 65 for both sexes.
Players may wish to consider the following two events :

1. European Senior Championship - Oporto, Portugal, 8/3/14-18/3/14
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.fpx.pt/escc2014/">http://www.fpx.pt/escc2014/</a><!-- m -->

2. European Senior Team Championship - Sibenik , Croatia 31/3/14-10/4/14

I shall put a selection notice up when website available

----- Original Message -----
From: ETSC Sibenik 2014
To: Alan Borwell
Cc: Andy Muir ; Craig Pritchett
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 3:17 PM
Subject: Re: Regulations

Dear Mr Borwell,
Dear Mr Pritchett,


I am sorry for the delayed reply. Namely, we were waiting for the official ECU decision about the right of participation of players and teams in this tournament. Let me present to you this decision:


In the European Senior Team Championship are persons who shall have reached the age of 50 years by December 31st 2014.

Each team will be composed of four or five players (as usual) who shall have reached the age of 50 years by December 31st 2014 , but out of whom at least one or two (respectively) shall have reached the age of 65 years by December 31st 2014.


The official championship’s regulations will be published on Tuesday, 17 December. The dates and other details will of course stay the same.


Best regards,


Dinko Buric
Tournament Manager