I know I'm showing a bit of ignorance here but here goes.
Query 1 When offering a draw to an opponent must it be that you make a move offer a draw and then press the clock and must it be in that order.

Query 2 Also if you write write down a move and play another move must you play the move you originally wrote down unless you change your scoresheet prior to playing the move?

With query 1 I have a personal interest I didnt know the rule and I lost a drawn ending because I got upset at my opponent becoming irritable at my lack of procedural knowledge. Dont get me wrong after the game my opponent and I were on good speaking terms but he was being put off by me offering a draw in his time Fair dues, my fault but then in a tournament I became aware of an adult putting off a young junior when she offered a draw in his time. I was personally upset because in my opinion it was blatent gamesmanship as the junior had a hugely advantagous position .

As of tonight, and subject to late withdrawals, we have now passed our previous best level of entries. Pretty darn good considering the various economic problems around. And we can still take more - we'll take late entries (no late fee) http://www.dundee-congress.co.uk/onlineForm.htm or phone/text Jim Anderson 07703 735350.

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Results of NEJCA event Mastrick, Aberdeen Saturday October 6th 2012
P5& Under
1st Rafal Wilowski (Banchory PS) 5.5/6
2nd Leonard Holmes (Laurencekirk PS) 5/6
3rd Nathan Roulson (Albyn School) 4.5/6
Girls Prize Oishani Dutta (Broomhill PS) 2.5/6

P6 & 7
1st= Thomas Stidolph (Banchory PS) 5.5/6
1st = Andrei Gheorghe (St Josephs) 5.5/6
3rd= Callum Smith (Banchory PS) 4/6
3rd= Atharva Dabholkar (Robert Gordons) 4/6
Girls Prize Nandini Dutta (Broomhill PS) 2.5/6

Open
1st Nicholas Straw (Banchory Academy) 5/6
2nd Leston D'Costa (Aberdeen Grammar) 5/6
3rd Duncan Depasquale (Albyn School) 4.5/6

Full results and photos at http://www.nejca.co.uk
Next NEJCA event Saturday 10th November at Portknockie

Gerald

The following has been emailed to every entrant for whom I have an address:

This should be the final update before the congress and I hope that this will help you to enjoy the weekend.

A request to you: if, having entered, you can’t now play please let us know by Thursday so we can remove you from the draw – or some poor soul will sit waiting for someone who isn’t coming. Your consideration would be appreciated. Not least by the poor soul.

Unfortunate news – Chess Suppliers will be unable to come after all, so no bookstall.

Car drivers: On arrival, please park in the upper car park if possible (LHS after the barriers). Additional parking can be found at Dobbies, MacDonalds and Travel Inn.

Facilities: A weekend facilities pass is available for £10 from reception (ask for the chess event guest pass) and lasts from your arrival until Sunday evening. Thank you to everyone who replied to my email regarding this. Facilities include indoor & outdoor (heated) pools, sauna/jacuzzi/steam room, tennis & badminton, fully equipped fitness suite. The pass is also available to non-playing partners, family, etc. If you intend playing tennis or badminton please check with reception early for available court times – they can get busy.

Food:
A breakfast option of a sausage or bacon roll (£3.90), egg on toast (£3.75) or granola with yoghurt and fresh fruit (£3.50). This will be served to order from the bar. Tea & coffee will be available at the playing area. In order to help planning could I ask you also to let me know if you are likely to order any of this – don’t bother replying if you won’t. Thank you.
A lunch menu of a choice of 2 hot mains and sides for £5.50 but other options are available from the venue's standard menu. Service can sometimes be a little slow, particularly at busy times. Lunchtime for example. Please be aware that the venue will not allow food purchased elsewhere to be eaten here. It’s also perhaps worth knowing that our hire fees are suppressed in anticipation of food and drink sales so eating here keeps our costs down.

Coaching: During Saturday lunchtime a coaching session by Graham Mooney for the younger juniors is planned (approx 1:15 to 2:15-ish). Graham can’t be here on Sunday so if anyone wants to offer their time to repeat the exercise or similar please let me know. A note for the junior players - perhaps via parents? - if you are interested in this and you have a game worthy of group analysis (not necessarily from this event) please bring the scoresheet, though if there is a high demand we might not be able to look at every game. Any donated game will, with your agreement, be included in the set of games for the congress.

WiFi: Free use within the venue. Ask reception for username and password

Weather: It could be worth keeping an eye on the weather forecast. On warm/sunny days the playing area can get rather warm and there is no air conditioning other than opening balcony doors, so light clothing could be more comfortable.

And finally for anyone desperate to know who they will be playing Saturday morning and Sunday morning, the 2nd and 4th round draws will be posted to our website Friday night and Saturday evening.

Keith Rose

The late Walter Munn was a prolific organiser of tournaments at Giffnock Chess Club, a ten-minute walk from my home in the 1970s, and helped to instill in me the passion to still play chess some 40 years later.

On a tuesday night I could play in the Giffnock Club Championship ( 7 rounds) . On thursday nights I could play in the Renfrewshire County (5 rounds - february to march) and the Renfrewshire Open (10 rounds - april to june)

There seems to be a demand for FIDE rated tournaments in Edinburgh. The big clubs could organise this amongst themselves e.g. make the Edinburgh Club championship FIDE rated or organise a FIDE-rated Edinburgh Individual Championship - 10 round swiss - april to june - midweek evening - with a different club hosting each year.

This could then lead to new junior players coming through and a stronger Olympiad team in the future.

Please do not think that I am upset by this. I am at home listening to "pure psychedelic rock" and am chilled. Nevertheless, I have been thinking for some time that there is something wrong with the two minute rule. I can play a game - reduce my opponent to passivity and then try this, that and the other - knowing he can do nothing. But there is a fly in the (I cannot continue with such a hakneyed saying). Anyway - we are nowhere near an ending but we are beyond the middle: he plays slowly and is left with 1 and a half minutes and claims a draw. My position is such that my next idea was to retreat my King only to move him forward again to a better position - but the arbiter knows nothing so I play superficial attacking moves instead. I name no names and blame no one - I just think that thare must be a better rule (maybe Fischer time control!). Don't worry I am still chilled by the beautiful flower-power music.
Don Heron
"Good sense is of all things in the world the most equally distributed, for everybody thinks himself so abundantly provided with it, that even those most difficult to please in all other matters do not commonly desire more of it than they alreafy possess." Descartes as translated by Elizabeth S. Haldane and G. R. T. Ross
(my favourite philosopher along with Plato, Jesus and Tolstoi)
PS I don't know if I was better or worse I just wanted to play the position but was not allowed to.

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I met him on tuesday in Bristol League where I am playing for Clifton

Afternoon all,

I have been looking at a way to upload all the chess photos I have so we have them in an archive.

Not done a full count yet but I would guestimate I have about 16,000 pics from the last 7 years.

Can I ask a few people to see if they can access this and view the pics

https://picasaweb.google.com/11130863514...directlink

Corrected the link!

Cheers

One of the advantages of being here this week is I have seen at close quarters how the no draw rule works.

I can state categorically that it doesn't work at all. All the players do is contrive a way to get a 3 fold repetition!

A black and grey anorak with a fleece lining was found on the stage at the end of the Lothian's Congress on Sunday. There is no branding on it, but the inside label is marked "Schoolwear" Age 13 - 14. If the owner contacts me I'll try to arrange it's safe return.