UCN-1999-2

1999/2000 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

• Ulster Intermediate/Junior 4/5 December 1999
• Ulster Senior 27/30 December 1999
• Ulster Open 5/6 February 2000
• City of Belfast 1/2 April 2000
• Belfast Civic Festival 20/21 May 2000

KNOCK-OUT CUP

The competition is to have a new format this season. Instead of being played during the week at individual clubrooms throughout the season, it will now be played at the weekend on only two separate dates at a central venue. First round losers will have the chance to play in a subsidiary competition.

Originally it had been planned to hold the first two rounds of this competition before Christmas and the final two rounds in the New Year. However the UCU Committee have been unable to find a suitable date and venue pre-Christmas, and so the first two rounds will now be held, subject to confirmation, on Sunday 20^th February 2000 at the QUB Staff Common Room. The final two rounds will probably be held shortly after Easter. Look out for more details in future issues of Ulster Chess News.

CORRESPONDENCE

Richard McMaster writes in with an interesting idea:

Tied games would be decided by rapid play – 2 games, and if still tied then by blitz – white 4 minutes and black 5 minutes.
It could be broadened for say the Irish Matchplay Championship.
It would certainly have my support."

Ulster Chess News would be interested in your opinions on what could be an exciting addition to our calendar.

CIVIL SERVICE SUMMER CHESS TOURNAMENT

As usual this "go as you please" tournament was held throughout the summer months with the final round on Wednesday 22^nd September. To be eligible for a prize you had to play at least 10 games and to play in at least 2 of the last 3 weeks. Prizes were decided on the basis of players’ percentage scores. Alex Beckett was again the Controller of the event, this year assisted by Sam Moore of the host club.

1. First place went to Steve Scannell ( 2193 ) with 76.4% ( 13½/17 ).
2. Second place went to David Collins ( 1424 ) with 68.7% ( 11/16 ).

Grading prizes were won by:

• Band A (1650 – 1899) Sam Moore ( 1776 ) 64.7% ( 11/17 ).
• Band B (1400 – 1649) Alex Beckett ( 1551 ) 55.2% ( 10½/19 ).
• Band C (1000 - 1399) Ian Woodfield ( 1262 ) 59% ( 6½/11 ).

NEWTOWNARDS CHESS CLUB

After a nomadic existence last year Newtownards CC have new premises at Clandeboye Golf Club, Tower Road, Conlig. The club plays its home league matches on Monday nights.

BANGOR CHESS CLUB 20^TH ANNUAL CHESS CONGRESS

SPONSORED BY COOPER TECHNOLOGY - 23^RD OCTOBER 1999

This event, held at Bangor Grammar School, was a 6 round Swiss Rapidplay (30 minutes for each player) with 2 sections. The event was controlled by Neil Green, assisted by Bangor members Richard Proctor, Martin Rogers and Tony Beckett.

SENIOR: 16 COMPETITORS

1^ST STEVE SCANNELL 5½/6
2^ND= GARETH ANNESLEY, MICHAEL HOLMES AND RICHARD MCMASTER 4½
(GARETH ANNESLEY RECEIVED THE GRADING PRIZE)
5^TH= JOHN STRAWBRIDGE, PAUL MCLOUGHLIN AND RAY DEVENNEY 3½
8^TH= NEIL FISHER, TONY PARKER AND STEVE MCCANN 3

JUNIOR: 19 COMPETITORS

1^ST= DAVID COLLINS, LOUIS HOLMES AND SEAN LINTON 5/6
4^TH= NEIL COOPER, IAN WOODFIELD AND JONATHAN WOODFIELD 4
7^TH SAM LYNN 3½
8^TH= MARK SEIDMAN, ED MORGAN AND KENNY MCCARTAN 3

PRIZE MONEY SHARED; TROPHY TO SEAN LINTON ON TIE-BREAK

GRADING PRIZES TO IAN WOODFIELD AND NICOLA HOOD

Report and annotated games from Steve Scannell:

I was fortunate enough to win the Senior Section for the third successive year with five wins and a draw. However there were a couple of tense moments; a fourth round dramatic time scramble with John Strawbridge and a tough final round draw with Gareth Annesley. My thanks on behalf of all the competitors to Cooper Technology for kindly sponsoring the event, to the members of Bangor Chess Club for all their hard work and to Bangor Grammar School for hosting the event for the last three years. Also congratulations to Alan Burns of CIYMS who has attended the Congress every year. Way to go, Alan!

Going into a rapidplay tourney like this I always ask myself "What does it take to do well." I always feel that more emphasis is placed on your instincts since lengthy analysis is out of the question. Quick opening play is essential combined with good endgame knowledge which enables you to switch on to auto-pilot with seconds to spare. Also the intangibles like space, pressure and the initiative tend to make themselves felt in quicker time controls. I also feel a more classical style of play with direct occupation of the centre is maybe more suitable under such conditions. For me, it takes more time to find that subtle positional move in a hypermodern opening than in say a Queen’s Gambit.

Enough theory, here are two of my games from the event.

• Newman,M - Scannell,S
  
• Annesley,G - Scannell,S

Original Report as a PDF