The 3rd Bearsden Christmas Lightning (Open) Tournament

(Held on Tuesday, December 19th , 2006)

Trevor Davies

Results of the 5-round “Swiss” were as follows:

First: Jacob Aagaard 5/5 (£25), Second: Richard Wiltshire 4/5 (£15)

Grading prizes (£10):

Under 1700 - John Dempsey 4/5 (Glasgow Montrose)

Under 1300 - Clement Sreeves (Dalmuir) & Jason Lai (both 3/5)

Numbers were only the same as last year (26), following a flurry of last-minute withdrawals, which meant that there was even more mulled wine per head than usual. This might not be unconnected with the unusual style of play seen later on some boards and also possibly even contributed to the arbiter's confusion when confronted with evidence of a “late move”. Half of the competitors came from outside the Club: a strong contingent from the Glasgow Montrose and Dalmuir clubs, and some from much further afield.

Juniors Clement Sreeves and Jason Lai well-deserved their grading prizes, while John Dempsey also had a very good tournament, only coming unstuck against the undefeated Jacob Aagaard. Several players commented that they would have relished the prospect of playing Jacob, but it appears that he is no easier to beat at lightning chess than in normal chess. Richard Wiltshire's determination brought him success here again: all those present will long remember how he managed to salvage a draw in Round 1 in a hopeless position! The sportsmanship shown by all players, without which an event like this can not succeed, was commendable.

We sorely missed Douglas MacGregor's control of the results/pairing, due to business commitments. [New Year's resolution: Never run a Lightning Tournament single-handedly! ] . December 2007? Maybe – if my headache eases by then.



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