welcome back to Paul MacDonald. As noted on main board it has been announced that Paul is now fit enough to resume this important post. I hope that Paul gets full support from all involved in junior chess.

It took years to write and woe betide anyone who does not get a copy.

Watch your grade rise and rise and rise...

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Results of NEJCA Keith Hoban events Albyn School, Aberdeen Sunday March 3rd 2013
Novice
1st Anoop Babu (St Josephs) 5/6
2nd Vusal Ramazanov (Ferryhill) 5/6
3rd Keith Murray (Laurencekirk) 5/6
(order sorted after play-offs)

Girls Prizes
1st Nandini Dutta (Broomhill PS) 4.5/6
2nd = Oishani Dutta (Broomhill PS) 4/6
2nd = Fiona Carnegie (Broomhill PS) 4/6

Medals
Ben Thomson (Banchory PS) 4/6
Josh Littlejohn (Kemnay PS) 3.5/6
Maurizio de Gennaro (Albyn) 3.5/6
Mitchell Adam (Portknockie) 3.5/6

Rising Stars (Junior)
1st Tom Constance (Lawhead) 5/6
2nd Tariq Pasha (Albyn School) 5/6
3rd Callum Smith (Banchory PS) 5/6
(order sorted after play off)

Keith Hoban Memorial Cup (Open)
1st Murad Abdulla (Harlaw) 5.5/6
2nd Declan Shafi (St Andrews) 4.5/6
3rd Vasif Ramazanov (Ferryhill PS) 4.5/6

Full results and photos at http://www.nejca.co.uk

Next NEJCA event Saturday 23rd March at Inverness

Gerald

The Lothians Congress will take place on 21st - 22nd September at the Wester Hailes Education Centre, 5 Murrayburn Drive, Edinburgh EH14 2SU.

Under 300:
1st Jordan Barr Greenwood 7/7
2nd Owen Sutherland Bishopton 5/7
3rd Steven Collington Crookfur 4.5/7

Medals 50% and above:
4.5/7 Ethan Palmer Eaglesham
Aimi Reid Paisley CC
4/7 Jeremiah Strauss St Peters Edinburgh

Qualifiers for CFK Final,
Jordan Barr, Steven Collington, Ethan Palmer, Aimi Reid

Under 600:
1st Jack Gibson Troon 8/9
2nd Thomas Taylor Prestwick 6/9
3rd Abhinav Datta St Cadocs Giffnock 5.5/9

Medals for 50% and above:
4.5/9 Aedan McGhie All Saints Airdrie
Robbie McKichan Prestwick
Qualifiers for CFK Final,
Jack Gibson, Thomas Taylor, Abhinav Datta, Aedan McGhie, Robbie McKichin

Under 1000:
1st Jack Stewart Greenwood 6/6
2nd Tom Laing Prestwick 5/6
3rd Sam harper Lanark 4/6

Medals 50% and above,
3.5/6 Caitlin Reid Paisley
3/6 Rachel Smith Alloway
Fraser Kennedy Hamilton
Qualifiers for CFK Final,
Tom Laing, Sam Harper, Caitlin Reid, Rachel Smith, Fraser Kennedy

Michael.

An arbiter is required for this year's Glenothes Congress (15th to 17th March) - might suit newcomer seeking experience - experience with new DGT Digital Clocks would be useful! Expenses paid - please apply asap!

A Swiss event with a bit of a twist... Armageddon Sunday!

Will hopefully bring some good, exciting and interesting chess...

Friday 29th – Sunday 31st March at Edinburgh Chess Club

The twenty-four top rated players that enter will be accepted to play in the Scottish Elite Armageddon Championships at Edinburgh Chess Club (1 Alva St Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, EH2 4PH). The strict entry deadline is Saturday the 23rd of March at 10pm. After which, a published list of participants will be publicised. The ratings will be based on CS published ratings or national equivalent.

Friday

Round One: 19:00 – 22:30

90 minutes for 34 moves plus 15 mins quickplay

Saturday

Round Two: 10:00 – 13:30
Round Three: 14:15 – 17:45

90 minutes for 34 moves plus 15 mins quickplay

Sunday

Round Four: 9:30 – 13:00

90 minutes for 34 moves plus 15 mins quickplay

After four Swiss rounds there will be a split in the field. The players that finish in the bottom 16 will continue to play in a Swiss for the final round.

Round Five (Consolation Cup for bottom 16): 13:45 – 17:15

The finale will involve the top 8 in Armageddon Sunday. The top 4 will compete for the Championship and 5th to 8th will fight it out for the Plate.

The top ranked player (based on the positions after four Swiss rounds) will play the 4th ranked in the Championship semi-final and 2nd will play 3rd. Similarly, 5th will play 8th and 6th, 7th in the Plate semi-final.

Semi-Finals: 13:45 – 15:15

Third/Fourth Playoffs and Finals: 15:45 – 17:15

Prizegiving as soon as possible after games finish

Armageddon Matches

Players to secretly submit the lowest amount of time they would take to be Black and have draw-odds. That is a draw is equal to a win with Black. The player who submits the lowest amount of time will start with the Black pieces. White will start with 45 minutes and the Black player will start with the amount of time he/she submitted.

Tie-Breaks (for Swiss Standings)

1 – A win is worth more than two draws.
2 – Black wins beat White wins.
3 – The player that has played the least amount of moves in his/her previous wins, wins on tie break. Hopefully this will encourage players to try win in an exciting and quick manner.
4- In the event both players have the same number of moves, a five minute Armageddon match will take place.

Entry:
GM, IM - Free
FM - £10
CS Member - £30
Non CS Member - £32

Prizes:
Championship:
1st - £150
Runner up - £75
Third - £30

Plate:
1st - £50
Runner up - £30

Consolation Cup:
1st – Free Entry to SEAC 2014

Half-Point Byes:
Are permitted in any round as long as you alert the organiser before the tournament begins.

Grading:
All Swiss matches to be CS graded. The Armageddon matches will not be graded.

Participation:
If you are interested, please indicate your aspiration to play by emailing:

davidcoswald at hotmail dot com

The top rated 24 players will have their entry accepted, with the list being published by Sunday the 24th of March.

The second day of the league was held in Hamilton College on Thursday, the final league day in Thursday 21st March, after which the top 6 will qualify for an all play all final.
Scores after 8 matches are as follows ( 4 per day):
1st St Brides A Cambuslang 15 points
2nd St John the Baptist A Uddingston 13 points
3rd= Underbank A Lanark 11 points
St Brides C Cambuslang
St Brides B Cambuslang
St Marys A Hamilton
7th= Hamilton College A 10 points
St Marys B Hamilton
Fernhill A Rutherglen
St Brides A Bothwell
11th=St Brides F Cambuslang
St Josephs A Blantyre
St Vincents D East Kilbride
St Vincents C East Kilbride
St Brides B Bothwell
16th= Hamilton College B 8 points
Underbank B Lanark
St Anthonys A Rutherglen
Stepps A
St Brides D Cambuslang
St Josephs B Blantyre
St Vincents B East Kilbride
St Brides C Bothwell
St John the Baptist B Uddingston
25th= St Brides E Cambuslang 7 points
St Marys D Hamilton
Hamilton College C
Hamilton College D
29th= St John the Baptist C Uddingston 6 points
St Vincents A East Kilbride
Fernhill B Rutherglen
St Marys C Hamilton
St Marks A Hamilton
Hamilton College E
35th St Aloysius A Chapelhall 5 points
36th= St Blanes A Blantyre 4 points
St Vincents E East Kilbride
St Josephs C Blantyre
Fernhill C Rutherglen
Underbank C Lanark
41st St Aloysius B Chapelhall 2 points
42nd= Hamilton College F 0 points
Holy Cross A Croy
Holy Cross B Croy

I'll do the promotion / relegation bit later

Division 4 games

SJC V Wandering Dragons
Pentland Hills v Woodhill Warriors
Corstorphine V Irvine
CS BOS 2 v Dunfermline Knaves
Dundee City B V Mussleburgh

Scottish Girls Championships held Saturday 23rd Feb in Bothwell Bowling Club.

Scottish Primary 5 & Under Championship:
1st Yvonne Zhou Lenzie Moss PS 8.5/9
2nd Hannah Wallace Cumbernauld CC 7.5/9
3rd Maria Niewczas St Brides PS Cambuslang 6.5/9

Best P5 Sophie Bond Carluke PS 6/9
Best P4 Maura Paterson St Brides PS Cambuslang 5/9
Best P3 Rachel Lamb Bishopton PS 1.5/9
Best P1 Hannah Strauss St Peters Edinburgh 2/9

Scottish Primary Championships:
1st Lauren Bond Carluke PS 6/7
2nd Jennifer Lowe Keir Hardie PS Motherwell 5/7
3rd Rebecca Lamb Bishopton PS 5/7

Best P7 Erin Allen St Anthonys PS Rutherglen 3/7
Best P6 Hannah Ord Hamilton College 5/7

Scottish Secondary Championship:
1st Christina Espinosa Girvin 6/6
2nd Monica Espinosa Girvin 5/6
3rd Stuthi Hegde George Heriots 4/6

Best S1 Julia Ocytko James Gillespies 3/6
Best S2 Caitlin Reid Paisley CC 4/6
Best S4 & above Liza Bazsant Kilsyth Academy 4/6

Michael.