Stewarton Bonnet Guild Chess Allegro 2009

And the Ayrshire Junior Championships

June 14, 2009

Organised by Stewarton Chess Club in Association with

the Stewarton Bonnet Guild and the Ayrshire Chess Association

The Stewarton Bonnet Guild Allegro was held on Sunday 14 th June 2009 in the Stewarton Annick Youth Centre, Stewarton. Reduced numbers due to the credit crunch meant that a total of 90 people came along to play on the day and we are grateful to them all for attending. We played host to the Ayrshire Junior Championships as part of our tournament and over thirty players went home with prizes.

Players came from as far apart as Inverness, Dumfries, Perth, Kelso, Musselburgh, Grangemouth with nearly forty players from Ayrshire clubs. Several families entered with parents and children playing in the various sections of the event.

The Open section finished with a tie between the two International Masters – Stephen Mannion and Roddy McKay - Stephen winning the trophy on tie-break. This makes the fourth time that Stephen has won the event – the first being back in 1994 and again in 2003 and 2004. Roddy won the event for the first time last year and we hope to see them both back at the event in the future. In third place was Christopher MacDonald of Dollar who is also a previous winner having won the trophy in 2007.

Stewarton Chess Club would like to thank the Bonnet Guild for their assistance in setting up and running the tournament again this year. We would also like to thank McCluskey Browne for donating the medals awarded during the prizegiving. We are also grateful to the caretaker staff at the Youth Centre for their work in setting up the hall after the frantic clear up of the ceilidh which was held the previous evening.

Thanks to our controllers who coped with all the queries and problems that happen during an event of this size and we are grateful for all their hard work. Alan Steel of our own Stewarton Chess Club, John McNicoll of Kilmarnock Chess Club and Stephen Taylor of Greenwood Chess Club.

The canteen staff again provided an excellent service through the day and our thanks go to Carolyn McNicoll, Marilyn and Victoria Grigor and Agnes Hamilton as well as David Montgomery for their excellent work in keeping the players and families supplied with food and drinks throughout the day. Our special thanks go to the parents who supplied home baking – among them Mrs Thomson, Mrs McKinlay, and Mrs Francis as well as Marilyn, Carolyn and Victoria who provided some delicious cakes and treats.

We would also like to thank Peter and Anne Woods of Chess Suppliers who supplied all the equipment and ran the bookstall and shop during the event.

Open

First on tiebreak Stephen R Mannion IM, Paisley

Second on tiebreak Roddy McKay IM Cathcart

Third Chris MacDonald, Hamilton / Dollar

Best Ayrshire player Kenny Malkin, Kilmarnock and John Calder, Troon

Grading prize David McConnell, Hamilton

*****

Major

First Douglas Will, Grangemouth

Second (on tiebreak) Stephen Smith, Stirling

Third (on tiebreak) Rory Chan, Bishopbriggs

Grading prizes (U1650) Robin Moore and Arthur McCurley both Greenwood

Grading prize (U1550) Robert Loughran, Irvine

Best Ayrshire player Jim Armour, Kilmarnock

*****

Minor

First (on tiebreak) Shivan Murdochy, James Gillespies Edinburgh

Second (on tiebreak) David Gillespie, Ardrossan,

Third equal Jim Cunningham Ardrossan, Sam Gregory, Edinburgh

Grading prizes Daniel Thomas Giffnock and James Keegan Ardrossan

Best Ayrshire player Alice Lampard, Troon and John Shankland Irvine

*****

UNDER-14

First Sam Gibson Troon

Second (on tiebreak) Sam Cassie Giffnock

Third (on tiebreak) Matthew McCabe Bridge of Weir

Best Ayrshire player Alexander Thorpe Greenwood

Best Stewarton player Elliot Grigor Stewarton Chess Club

Sam Gibson also wins the Ayrshire Chess Association Under 14 Championship.

*****

UNDER-12

First (tiebreak) Brogan Pathi Kirkhill Primary

Second (tiebreak) Rebekah Jack Troon

Third equal Greg Burnett and Rowan Pathi both Kirkhill Primary

Best Ayrshire player Jack Gibson Troon

Best Stewarton player Kyle McKinlay Stewarton Chess Club

Rebekah Jack wins both the Ayrshire Primary Championship and Ayrshire Primary Girls Championship.

*****

Family prizes were won by the Lampard family from Troon (Alice and Stuart - daughter/father), the Gibsons of Troon (Jack, Sam and Sandy – brothers/father), and the Pathi family from Giffnock/Kirkshill Primary (Brogan, Rowan, Fintan and Vivek – brothers/father)

Prepared by John Montgomery, Secretary, Stewarton Chess Club,

4 Barbeth Place, Girdle Toll, Irvine KA11 1QL, Telephone 01294-221486