A Tale of Two Hoppity's

I was allocated my FIDE Chess Player ID of 1803247 following the tournament in Tanygroes. I regard this FIDE ID as my first step towards achieving a good chess grade through enjoyable means.

I am now at home and reflecting on the Handicap Rapidplay tournament, along with the advice that I received from two good friends (who are also excellent chess players) prior to the tournament.

My Welsh FIDE Rated friend (rated that is if one of his opponents in a FIDE competition hadn't managed to score zero and mess it all up for everyone) suggested ideas and themes to avoid well studied openings, playing a particular chess App that is available for the iPad and future purchases of two books (in particular about strategies and things).

Whereas my German IM and Playmaten photographenfriend suggested reading a chess book after fifteen years absence, just in case the knight moves differently these days!

What was said in jest all too soon turned out to be true at the board.

I used ideas and themes to fill my opening void, and there I was in one of the rounds when to my surprise my opponent moved a Knight from g8 to f8, i.e. straight line and from one colour square to a same colour square. I stopped the clock and said "excuse me but I think that you have just made an illegal move". But being a gent, I also mentioned that it was ok to retake the move and to move any piece.

In another round my opponent stopped my clock and said something with the word "lose" in it. I was unsure what was said so I asked again several times. Each time the statement was repeated, but I was confused. Was my opponent trying to cast a spell, or had I really fallen foul of some obscure rule? So I called over the Arbiter. He questioned my opponent, who told the Arbiter that I had lost. I was worried that I had contravened some new rule whittled up during the last decade and a half of self induced chess exile. Further interrogation by the Arbiter concluded that my opponent was claiming that I had lost on time. "Don't be silly" said the Atbiter, looking at the clock carefully, "he still has two minutes left!".

I went on to deliver checkmate with a pawn, Rook and a Hoppity. So my reminiscence at the end of the day; is very much a tale of two hoppity's along with gratitude towards two friends.

And that would be that, if it wasn't for my honesty. You see folks I have to own up to my astonishing error in one of my won games. Striving to place a Rook on the 8th Rank I found that my arms had somehow shrunk and astonishing as it might seem, I let go of the Rook on the 7th. Where it was sat enprise and on the same rank as one of my opponents Rooks. Needless up say, he took it, and I was left thinking that I need to use the Rack the next time that I visit the gym.

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay ChessTournament Round 7

Now safely back home and on the laptop I am able to update my Round 6 and 7 games.  In the seventh round I yet again was given 5 minutes to my opponents 25 minutes in this inaugural Handicap Rapidplay tournament.  I was quite happy going into the last Round with 1.5 points as that was 1.5 points more than I expected.  An uneventful opening moved itself into a solid middle game whereupon I was able to swap off the major pieces and slowly move into a won Rook, Knight and Pawn endgame.  I had the added satisfaction of finishing the tournament with my first checkmate of the day.

John Florence 1309 v RBA 0-1

2.5 / 7 and a very happy tournament experience indeed.  The highlight must have been finding my Chess Mentor RG Taylor present and being able to reminisce with him and plan some ideas for the future.  One of these may be about obtaining a FIDE Chess ID Number and taking a holiday to play in one or two Swiss Tournaments on mainland Europe.  So seeing that meeting my old friend was the best part of the day for me, it is only fitting that I leave you with a chess photograph of the said friends:

RG Taylor, 12 May 2013

Newport Chess Club

Former National Master Graded 200 (English System)

Welsh Representative in the Commonwealth Championships held in India (albeit ill health prevented Bob from taking up the place when the Championships were held).  Photograph taken with a Canon 600D and f/1.8 Prime Lens handheld indoors without flash.

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay ChessTournament Round 6

I became a tad tired and packed away the iPad for post my Round 6 and Round 7 games.

My time just slipped by against my Round 6 Opponent Awne Osinga.  Five minutes simply isn't enough time when you are this much out pf practice.  I cant tell you where my time went, as I moved swiftly every move, and was astonished when I noticed that my flag had fallen.  I was equally astonished when my opponent noticed that it had gone some twenty moves later.  Hey ho, happy days, as I thoroughly enjoyed the game up until Osinga noticed the win.  It was a tight position, in which I had probably thrown away a few opportunities.

RBA v Awne Osinga 1468 0-1

1.5 / 6

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay ChessTournament Round 5

RBA Bennett, 12 May 2013

The problem with being addicted to caffeine is that while drinking your coffee the next round can start. White pieces and caffeine against a lower graded player made no difference as once more I lost. The opening and middle game was equal and then I managed to make it unequal. Unfortunately, not in my favour. Rook and minor pieces middle game became too complicated for yours truly who made an inaccurate King move and allowed my opponents white squared Bishop into too strong a position and my pieces fell one by one.

RBA v Julie van Komenade 1781 0-1

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay ChessTournament Round 4

The problem with being graded higher than most of the field, is that you always get the up float to the higher group if there is an odd number of players with the next highest score, but you never get the down float to the lower group. So there was me after three rounds and running third from last out of 24 players and expecting to be on board eleven, to find myself on board nine against a competent player.

The Kings pawn game started well for me and I was able to squeeze out if the opening and into the middle game with equality. My Bishops done a good job of controlling a few diagonals and with a central Knight I was able to go the exchange up for a Knight and pawn to Rook. With the added bonus of winning back the pawn quickly and being able to force the Queen and Bishops off the board. This let me into a won double Rook against Rook and Knight ending which cancelled down even better to a Rook v Knight ending. I kept my head in Round four, and even though I was stuffed after the lovely SUNDAY lunch in Tanygroes, I still managed to gobble up a few Kings side pawns and cancel out my Rook for his Knight to leave a won King and Pawn endgame.

Phew, thank you Colin, I needed that.

Colin Denham 1672 v RBA 0-1

1.5 / 4

The other news brought to me at lunch, is that my travelling companion James Cook managed a draw in Round 3 when his opponent failed to prosecute checkmate with a double Bishop and King v King endgame. So I suppose that the learning outcome after this Round and the Round 3 news; is that endgame knowledge is extremely important.

James Cook, 12 May 2013

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay Chess Tournament Round 3

My third game was an excellent example of the what the lack of opening preparation can do to you at club and tournament level.

Against 1. d4 I went for a Kings side fianchetto and sort of muddled my way along for the next thirty or so moves until my position collapsed as one of his hoppity's gained too many squares around my King. So it has to be back to the drawing board for me to ready myself for a proper tournament later this year or next. I need to prep some good opening material for both colours as well as gaining match fitness.

Tony Haigh 1959 v RBA 1-0

0.5 / 3

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay Chess Tournament Round 2

At least in this game I had the white pieces and 10 minutes compared to that of 20 for my opponent. 'Dim ots' as they say in Welsh; I still lost.

RBA v Howard Leah 1606 0-1

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. bc4

and a return to my childhood and the piano opening that was bashed out day after day especially at school and during my early club days. I had the better play in this game and when my opponent went pawn hunting with his Queen on my queenside, I went King hunting on the Kingside.

Unfortunately I cane close, but alas I did not break through and his pawn superiority won the one sided double and then single Rook ending. The highlight of this round being my discussions with two players about the strong Swiss tournaments in Gibraltar and Bulgaria and the ease with which a few of them enter these events annually. So the inspiration from my friend Adam a few days ago has now been fuelled by learning of the first hand experiences of others. Meanwhile I need to sharpen my play and learn what the top players are using these days. Gosh fifteen years is a long time, but with two rounds gone, I'm good to say that it's all very enjoyable and it does indeed stretch the mind.

0.5 / 2

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay Chess Tournament Round 1

Well the tournament organisers used my last published grade of 1875 which was a tad disappointing as I was hoping for a 200 to 300 drop for a handicap tournament when I haven't played for a decade and a half. Hey ho as wifey would say, and a disgruntled Roger sat down with 5 minutes on the clock and unfortunately the black pieces, compared to the 25 minutes allocated to my opponent Roland Spencer 1471

With the better game and only 10 seconds left on my clock I offered a draw that was duly and correctly accepted. Roland praised me as not being rusty so that sought of proves the comment made by my youngest, "playing chess is like riding a bike". Yeah ok, but it doesn't half hurt when you fall off.

0.5/1

Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay Chess Tournament

Here I am at the "Jan Sendall and Paul Clark inaugural Memorial Handicap Rapidplay Chess Tournament" held in Tanygroes Ceredigion on the 12 May 2013 and lo and behold I bump into my Chess Mentor RG Taylor of Newport Chess Club fame and the Welsh Representative in the Commonwealth Chess Championships held in India (albeit Bob ended up not playing on that occasion due to ask minute serious ill health). Bob was astonished to see my name on the list of competitors as he knew that I had not played chess for 15 years and I was astonished to see Bob as I had not seen him for a little longer than that.

My plan for today's competition was 0/7 providing that I enjoyed myself, and by meeting Bob the enjoyment criteria has already been met!