We will be broadcasting 8 games from the Lothians Congress this weekend.

I'll put links up when available

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you fair warning. If you are playing in the Minor section of the Lothians congress this weekend please bring your A game. I have made a solemn promise to myself to purchase an aquarium and some tropical fish should I score 5 out of 5 and I really, really want a 60l aquarium complete with cabinet. Obviously, I also want a small bridge to put in the said aquarium for the fish to meander over and back again.

For those who may be unfortunate enough to face me, you have one more day and two more nights to brush up your skills and work on your game. I will be showing no mercy to adults or juniors, men or women and fully intend to sweep all before me in pursuit of this goal. Take my recent results at face value at your peril.

I do not expect any easy games, in fact I demand you play to the best of your capabilities. That way, when I am sitting admiring my new underwater extravaganza it will be that much more satisfying. Once you have been beaten do not be disheartened, I shall be buying 5 fish for my new aquarium and will name them after my 5 vanquished opponents. From the entrants list, so far, the fish may be called Mark, Camas, David Mc, Mike and Mahir. I reckon I'll need to invest in at least one mini-shark if that's how it turns out.

For those who would like a fish named after them, play well and play to win. Should you do well you may get to face me in a last round showdown, if you are lucky and before the last round if you're not.

Ha ha ha ha ha (please read the last in a manic, deranged kind of way, for full effect).

The swiss manager program and chess results.com website/server seem to be much utilised resources by tournaments abroad.

At first glance the arbiters seem to benefit by having a computer program generate the draw, which apart from anything else removes the possibility of accusations of favouritism or whatever the opposite of favouritism is. Gotitinformeism?

Tournaments also appear to benefit by having results available online extremely quickly which may generate interest during the event.

Would the 199 Euros a full version costs be money well spent if the resource was available to every suitable event?

There may be other programs/facilities out there that do a similar job and it may be that this sort of application has major drawbacks or hidden costs but I’m not aware of them.

Were it suitable and of benefit to arbiters and organisers alike, I would suggest that Chess Scotland could make the purchase and make it widely available to Scottish tournaments.

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3 boards tonight!

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=3499">http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=3499</a><!-- m -->

I love this checkmate. Managed it in a 2+1s blitz game today

[pgn][Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2011.09.27"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Wellfan"]
[Black ""]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 d5 2. e4 c6 3. e5 f6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Nc3 Na6 6. Bd3 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 e6 8.
O-O Bc5 9. Be3 Nb4 10. Qd1 Bxd4 11. Bxd4 Nh6 12. a3 fxe5 13. Bxe5 Nxc2 14.
Qxc2 Nf5 15. Qd2 O-O 16. Bf4 Qb6 17. Be5 Rad8 18. Qg5 Qxb2 19. Nxd5 Qxe5
20. Nxe5 cxd5 21. Rab1 b6 22. Rbc1 Rc8 23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. h3 b5 25. Re1 Nd4
26. Qe7 a5 27. Qf7+ Kh8 28. Kh2 b4 29. axb4 axb4 30. Rd1 Nf5 31. Qxe6 Rf8
32. Nf7+ Kg8 33. Nh6+ Kh8 34. Qg8+ Rxg8 35. Nf7#
1-0[/pgn]

I see Edinburgh CC got off to a good - if losing (2-4)- start today with one win and two draws against considerably higher graded opposition. Good on them!

Edinburgh Chess Club are participating in this year's Edinburgh Doors Open Day. The club will be open from 10am to 3pm both today and tomorrow (24th/25th September). If you fancy a few friendly games of chess this weekend, or would like to have look around and learn more about the history of the club - now in its 190th year - just come along to 1 Alva Street, EH2 4PH.

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I am not going to be at the computer so this is an unattended test

If any of you chaps are in the vicinity, I have played at the West Wales congress over the last few years and it's been very enjoyable. Nice friendly tournament and a comfortable venue.

Here are details if interested:
West Wales
44th
Week-end Congress
At:
The Glamorgan Arms Function Suite, Pontlliw, Swansea, SA4 9DY
The venue is a function / conference centre associated with, but well detached from, a large restaurant / public house.
FRIDAY – SUNDAY
14th Oct – 16th Oct 2011

OPEN, MAJOR & MINOR SECTIONS
All players in the Open and Major Events must be registered with the Welsh Chess Union or their respective national body.

Schedule of Rounds
Round 1 – Friday 14th October 6.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
Round 2 – Saturday 15th October 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
Round 3 – Saturday 15th October 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Round 4 – Sunday 16th October 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
Round 5 – Sunday 16th October 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

Please send your entries to Les Philpin
59 Cecil Road
Gowerton
SWANSEA
SA4 3DF
Tel: 01792 418711
Mob: 07970 840247
E mail <!-- e --><a href="mailto:newsilure@hotmail.com">newsilure@hotmail.com</a><!-- e -->

Prizes and Entry Fees
OPEN Entry fee £22
Prizes 1st £200; 2nd £75; 3rd £50
Grading prize of £20 will be awarded at under 2000

MAJOR ( Under 1850 ) Entry fee £20
Prizes 1st £150; 2nd £70; 3rd £35
Grading prize of £20 will be awarded at under 1650

MINOR ( Under 1500 ) Entry fee adults £18 and juniors £16
Prizes 1st £120; 2nd £60; 3rd £30
Grading prize of £20 will be awarded at under 1300

CONGRESS RULES
Rates of play 42 moves in 1 3/4 hours. After 42 moves both clocks to be
moved back 15 minutes and the games completed in the
time remaining.
Directions to the Glamorgan Arms & Contact details

Leave the M4 at Junction 47 and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit to Penllergaer / Pontlliw, continue to the next mini-roundabout and take the 3rd exit (A48) to Pontlliw - beware of speed cameras on this road! Go through Pontlliw past the first set of traffic lights into the open countryside and we are located on the right side of the road. The venue is no more than 3 miles from the motorway and has ample parking at the venue,