13-02-2012, 09:14 PM
I enjoyed this event very much. Thanks to Michael Hanley for organising it, Andy Howie and Donald Wilson for arbitering and to all who helped in the kitchen, providing coffee and sustenance at very reasonable prices.
I'm not a great fan of tournaments that have 3 rounds on a Saturday but I play them because I get there sometimes has to be a compromise due to venue costs and it can be the only way to fit in 5 rounds, keep entry fees low and still have reasonable prize money after the bills have been paid. I play because I enjoy it though and would, in all likeliehood play if there wasn't any prize money to be won and the only incentives were grading or grand prix points.
I like the venue as it has all the basics plus hot food and refreshments, at prices that don't break the bank. It's easy to park and parking is free.
The congress itself was quite a sociable event and it's good to see old friends and new.
Looking around during the weekend when I wasn't focused on the pieces on the board I was struck by the diversity in ages of thsoe taking part and across all of the sections. There's the likes of Daniel Thomas, Daniel Deary, Murad Abdulla, Kai Pannwitz and Lennart Koehn mixing it up in the top section with players who have been around the chess scene for longer than some of the kids have been on the planet.
The major section also had it's share of young guns looking to make their mark and take grading points of their elders and the minor section was probably a 50/50 split.
Overall, the old guard probably got the better of the young ones this time around, though not without a fight. It's nice to see a mixture of youth and experience picking up the prizes and good to see some of the newer tournament players, such as Thomas Jose and Mike Mitchell finishing at the top of their sections. Also fun, is watching the rivalry of father and son, playing in the same congress and trying to outscore and in Daniel and Phil Thomas case, outplay, each other.
Did Liam Richmond really want his dad to lose his last game, so that Liam could finish clear of him? You bet he did.
It was good to see a lot of the kids sporting their Scottish International apparrel. I'm sure this didn't just spontaneously happen, so well done to whoever thought of that one. I'm sure it generates team spirit, a sense of togetherness and lots of other benefits, as well as highlighting the number of juniors who are in the international reckoning and making their presence highly visible. It also marks them out to adults who, should they find themselves paired with one, have the option of treating them with respect over the chess board or locking them in a cupboard for a half hour or so at the start of the round. May I suggest they get surnames and initials if necessary, on the back of their tops, a la football style, in order that adults who do not know Alexander Bond from Darren Gillies can ensure they lock the correct opponent in the cupboard.
I'm not a great fan of tournaments that have 3 rounds on a Saturday but I play them because I get there sometimes has to be a compromise due to venue costs and it can be the only way to fit in 5 rounds, keep entry fees low and still have reasonable prize money after the bills have been paid. I play because I enjoy it though and would, in all likeliehood play if there wasn't any prize money to be won and the only incentives were grading or grand prix points.
I like the venue as it has all the basics plus hot food and refreshments, at prices that don't break the bank. It's easy to park and parking is free.
The congress itself was quite a sociable event and it's good to see old friends and new.
Looking around during the weekend when I wasn't focused on the pieces on the board I was struck by the diversity in ages of thsoe taking part and across all of the sections. There's the likes of Daniel Thomas, Daniel Deary, Murad Abdulla, Kai Pannwitz and Lennart Koehn mixing it up in the top section with players who have been around the chess scene for longer than some of the kids have been on the planet.
The major section also had it's share of young guns looking to make their mark and take grading points of their elders and the minor section was probably a 50/50 split.
Overall, the old guard probably got the better of the young ones this time around, though not without a fight. It's nice to see a mixture of youth and experience picking up the prizes and good to see some of the newer tournament players, such as Thomas Jose and Mike Mitchell finishing at the top of their sections. Also fun, is watching the rivalry of father and son, playing in the same congress and trying to outscore and in Daniel and Phil Thomas case, outplay, each other.
Did Liam Richmond really want his dad to lose his last game, so that Liam could finish clear of him? You bet he did.
It was good to see a lot of the kids sporting their Scottish International apparrel. I'm sure this didn't just spontaneously happen, so well done to whoever thought of that one. I'm sure it generates team spirit, a sense of togetherness and lots of other benefits, as well as highlighting the number of juniors who are in the international reckoning and making their presence highly visible. It also marks them out to adults who, should they find themselves paired with one, have the option of treating them with respect over the chess board or locking them in a cupboard for a half hour or so at the start of the round. May I suggest they get surnames and initials if necessary, on the back of their tops, a la football style, in order that adults who do not know Alexander Bond from Darren Gillies can ensure they lock the correct opponent in the cupboard.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.scotchesstour.co.uk">http://www.scotchesstour.co.uk</a><!-- m -->