Tony Locke Rapidplay 2022

The club's internal rapidplay championship (Tony Locke Rapidplay) was held on Wednesday 17th August. The competition was won by Nathan Barnes with a score of 5/5 (his fourth consecutive win). Mae, Michael and Rezin Catabay tied for second with 3.5/5. Twelve players took part.

Note: some of the ratings shown in the crosstable are estimated ratings or are provisional ratings based on very few games so are not always accurate.

In round 1, the games went with rating with the exception of Rezin Catabay who won following his opponent's queen blunder. Rezin also won in round 2 to join Michael Catabay and Nathan Barnes on 2/2. The latter had a lucky escape against Mae Catabay who would have won if there had been a longer time control. Round 3 saw Rezin have a slight edge most of the time in his game against Nathan until the endgame was reached when things turned around. Felix was the unlucky player to get the upfloat to play against Michael. David York won his first rated game, playing against Ed Southgate (also in his first tournament). Max Conley and Mae Catabay's game was level throughout, though it took a while for the draw to play out. Rob Petrovai and James Martin won their games to move to 2/3.

Round 4 saw the two player's on a 100% score play each other. Following a pawn sacrifice, Michael chose the wrong way to try to hold onto the material advantage and his king got stuck in the centre. A position from the game is below, White to play and win (answer in the comments).

Wins for Rezin and James saw them join Michael on 3/4, one point behind Nathan and with a chance to finish the competition in a tie for the lead. Mae won her second match of the evening; Andrew English won his first game of the evening.

Round 5 saw a father-son match-up, the result was a draw so Rezin and Michael finished on 3.5/5. Mae won her game against Felix to match her brother and father's final score. Strong opening play saw Nathan struggle in his game against James, losing a pawn for no real compensation. Active rook play and a removal of the guard tactic saw the game turn and meant Nathan was able to maintain his 100% record.

Tony Locke Rapidplay

The club's internal rapidplay championship (Tony Locke Rapidplay) was held on Thursday 30th May. The competition was won by Nathan Barnes with a score of 5/5 (his third consecutive win). Felix, John, Phil and Craig tied for second with 3/5. Seven players took part.

In round 1 the three highest graded players Ian, Nathan and Felix all won. Round 2 saw Felix beat Ian to move to 2/2 and Phil picked up his first win of the evening against Colin. John successfully nullified Nathan's attack in a complex position but at a significant time cost which meant he could not hold onto the deserved draw in a completely level endgame.

This meant that round 3 would see the only two players to win both their first games would play each other. Nathan won a pawn in the middle game and agressive play won the game soon after. The finish to this game can be seen below. John was unlucky not to pick up a half point in round 2 and had the chance to pick up at least that in round 3 but an error in a won position meant a 2nd loss against a higher graded opponent. Phil won his 2nd game in a row to join the chasing pack on 2/3.

[Event "Tony Locke Rapidplay"] [Site "?"] [Date "2019.05.30"] [Round "3"] [White "Barnes, Nathan"] [Black "Schnell, Felix"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "150"] [BlackElo "142"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "4rrk1/7p/1q2pbp1/1p6/p2PQP2/P1P1NR2/1P5P/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "9"] {[#]} {White is a pawn up but with all the major pieces still in play the game isn't won yet.} 1. Ng4 Bh4 {OK, Bg7 was a bit more solid.} 2. Qe5 $5 {No better than the simpler Re2 but gives scope for Black to go wrong.} Rf5 $4 ({ The rook on e1 was safe} 2... Bxe1 3. Nh6#) (2... h5 $142 $1 {The only move that keeps Black in the game.} 3. Nf2 $16 {White still has the pawn advantage.} ) 3. Nh6+ Kf8 4. Nxf5 Bxe1 {Black allows the mate finish.} (4... gxf5 {The best move, according to the computer, but Black is still completely lost.} 5. Qh8+ Ke7 6. Qxh7+ Kd6 7. Qxh4) 5. Qg7# 1-0

Round 4 saw the top two seeds play. Clearly having a bad evening, Ian made several errors in the opening and lost quickly, though the resignation was perhaps slightly premature the position was lost. John was playing his 3rd higher-graded opponent in a row and this time converted his early advantage to pick up the result his play in the earlier rounds had deserved. Craig won his first game of the evening and, due to the small number of players, Phil had a bye to move into sole 2nd place with 3/4.

Going into the final round, Nathan was in the lead with 4/4; Phil was in 2nd with 3/4 and there were then four players a point further back. Craig took advantage of a blunder by Ian to win a rook, John beat Colin to join Craig on 3/5. Phil found the right defensive moves in a complex position, but like John in round 2, used up too much time against Nathan who took advantage and had a definite edge in the middle game when Phil's flag fell.

Tony Locke Rapidplay 2018

The club's internal rapidplay championship (Tony Locke Rapidplay) was held on Wednesday 30th May. The competition was won by Nathan Barnes (with a score of 4.5/5, matching his score from the previous year). Dom Lee, with an unbeaten 4/5 was second. Matt, Felix and Pete tied for third with 3/5. Ten players took part.

In round 1 Matt and Felix were the first to finish. Nathan got a slight edge in a queen-less middlegame against Brian's Grob, it took a while to get there but once the position opened up his more active rooks finished the game quite quickly. Craig sprung the upset of the round - he won a couple of pawns against Mark and that was enough to convert a potentially tricky queen and pawn endgame. The last game to finish was between Dom and John which reached a knight and four pawns each endgame. The position looked drawn but Dom was down to his last few seconds and looked like losing on time. However, an illegal move from John meant Dom gained two minutes and a draw was agreed.

Round 2's main talking point was Pete beating the much higher-graded Felix. There were also wins for Nathan, Phil, Matt and Dom. The first two rounds had all been based on seeding with the top 5 seeded players (Matt, Nathan, Felix, Dom and Mark) playing against players from the other half but only two players - Matt and Nathan - had won both their games. This meant that round 3 would see the top two seeds play each other. A blunder in the early middle game saw Nathan lose a piece for no compensation; however, active play in a QRB5P v QR5P endgame along with an awkwardly-placed White king saw Nathan get a couple of pawns and then the bishop. Pete laid a successful opening trap against Craig; Felix recovered from his round 2 loss by beating John; Mark against Brian saw a rematch of the club championship quarter-final with the same result; Phil and Dom's game went to the wire with Dom having a very strong attack but only six seconds on the clock to Phil's 20 seconds, Phil tried to find a defence and lost on time.

Round 4 saw the two unbeaten players drawn against each other. A long game went to a fairly even knight and pawn endgame. Nathan had two minutes on the clock to Dom's one but offered a draw to preserve his tournament lead rather than risk going wrong. Matt resigned after blundering a piece against Felix; Pete beat Phil to win his third game in a row and bring himself into contention for first place; a hard-fought game resulted in a draw for Mark and John; Brian beat Craig meaning that everyone had at least a point.

Going into the final round, Nathan was in the lead with 3.5/4; Dom, Felix and Pete were half a point back. Mark and Matt's game resulted in a queen and pawn endgame where Matt always had an advantage, these endings can be tricky to win as both sides have to be wary of the other's queen. This was Mark's second queen and pawn endgame of the evening but Matt's extra pawn proved sufficient. Brian beat Phil when he managed to bring his rook down to the 7th rank after a fairly even struggle. John versus Craig saw John pick up his first win, to go with his two earlier draws. Dom and Pete went into an even endgame where Dom had a rook and five pawns against Pete's bishop, knight and four pawns. A risky knight incursion resulted in Dom being able to trap the knight and force an exchange of his rook for Pete's two pieces, the extra pawn was then decisive. Nathan forced a transposition from a Sicilian to a symmetrical English in his game against Felix, and the typical queenside pawn advances resulted in a clear edge. The finish to this game can be seen below.

[Event "Tony Locke Rapidplay"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.05.30"] [Round "5"] [White "Barnes, Nathan"] [Black "Schnell, Felix"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "157"] [BlackElo "155"] [Annotator "Barnes,Nathan"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "b1r2rk1/4np1p/1q1pp1p1/Rp6/1P1PP3/1QN1P1P1/6BP/R5K1 b - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "3"] [EventDate "2018.05.30"] [EventType "rapid"] {The pressure on the b5 pawn and the control over the a-file give White a definite, but not yet decisive, advantage.} 1... e5 $2 {Putting pressure on White's central pawns and trying to take advantage of the fact that Black's queen and White's king are on the same diagonal.} 2. Ra6 $1 {Forces the queen to move off the diagonal and means White will win material - the knight on e7 is loose, the pawns on b5 and d6 are both attacked and Black is tied down protecting the bishop on a8.} (2. dxe5 $4 {is clearly very bad} Qxe3+ 3. Kf1 Rxc3 $19) (2. d5 $4 {is just as bad}) (2. Rxb5 $2 Rxc3 3. Qxf7+ Kxf7 4. Rxb6 $17) (2. Nxb5 $2 Nc6 3. Bf1 Nxa5 4. bxa5 $15) 2... Qb8 $2 {[%csl Ra8][%cal Ra6a8,Ra1a8] and realising the error immediately Black resigned without waiting for White to move.} (2... Qb7 $142 3. Ra7 Qc6 4. Rxe7 Qxc3 5. Qxc3 Rxc3 6. d5 Rxe3 (6... Rc4 7. Rea7 Rcc8 8. Bf1 Rb8 9. Rd7 Rb6 $18 {Black is completely tied down and will eventually lose material.}) 7. Rea7 $18 {and Black has some, but not enough, compensation for the piece that is now lost.}) 1-0

Tony Locke Rapidplay

The date for this year's Tony Locke Rapidplay will be Wednesday 30th May. Format will be a 5-round Swiss (possibly with alternative pairing system for first two rounds, depending on numbers). 15 minutes per player per game.

Club competitions round-up

The 2016/17 club championship was won by Svein Kjenner, the crucial game being his win against Nathan Barnes.

Ed Goodman won the Club Shield (for best performance by a player graded under 120).

The Grand Prix (best combined score in Club Championship/Shield, Tony Locke Rapidplay and NECL matches) was won by Nathan Barnes.

Nathan also won the Tony Locke Rapidplay. Cross-table for the rapidplay competition is shown below.

Tony Locke Rapidplay

The 2016/17 Tony Locke Rapidplay will be on Wednesday 31st May. Rules will be 15 minutes on the clock per player with each player having 5 games. Tournament will start at 19:30.

Club competitions

The winners of the club competitions for 2015/16 are:

• Club Championship: Nathan Barnes
• Tony Locke Rapidplay: Svein Kjenner & Matt Stemp (tie)
• Club Shield: Pete Smith
• Grand Prix: Norbert Voelker

The Club Shield was awarded to the best performance by a player graded under 120ECF in the Club Championship. The Grand Prix was won by the player with the highest combined score in the Club Championship, Tony Locke Rapidplay and NECL matches.

The Club Honours page has been updated to show the 2015/16 results and also now includes more historical results than previously.

The position at the top of the page is taken from the decisive game in the Club Championship (N Barnes - N Voelker). It shows the position after Black's 36th move. Nothing particularly special about the position, except that neither the White rook or bishop had moved at all in the first 36 moves. So, is the game still technically in the opening until White completes development?

Club competitions

The games listed below are the outstanding games from the 2015/16 Club Championship and 2015/16 Tony Locke Rapidplay. Final date for completion of these games is Wednesday 31st August. Incomplete games will be defaulted by one or both players at the discretion of the tournament secretary.

 

Club Championship

WHITE		BLACK
Pete Smith	V	Clive Bellinger
John Duff-Cole	V	Svein Kjenner
Ed Goodman	V	Mark Johnson
Svein Kjenner	V	Mark Johnson
John Duff-Cole	V	Ed Goodman
Clive Bellinger	V	Nathan Barnes
Pete Smith	V	Mark Johnson
Svein Kjenner	V	Ed Goodman
Phil Daley	V	John Duff-Cole

 

Tony Locke Rapidplay

Clive Bellinger	V	Matt Stemp
Phil Daley	V	Svein Kjenner
Nathan Barnes	V	Ed Goodman
Pete Smith	V	Dave Chatfield
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
Dave Chatfield	V	John Duff-Cole
Ed Goodman	V	Pete Smith

Tony Locke Rapidplay - Round 6

The draw for the final round of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has now been made. There are still a number of games from earlier rounds outstanding but the leaders at this stage are Matt Stemp, Brian Remmer, and Clive Bellinger, though there are a lot of players only half a point behind. For the purposes of making the draw games not played so far have been assumed to be draws, except where a player has played very few games in the competition - games against these players have been assumed to be default wins (these players have also, provisionally, not been put in the draw for round 6).

Draw for round 6:

Clive Bellinger (4.5)	V	Matt Stemp (4.5)
Norbert Voelker (4)	V	Brian Remmer (4.5)
Phil Daley (4)	V	Svein Kjenner (4)
Nathan Barnes (3)	V	Ed Goodman (2)
Pete Smith (2)	V	Dave Chatfield (2)
John Duff-Cole (0.5)	V	Martin Harris (1.5)

Currently the outstanding games are (if any of these matches have taken place, results have not been reported):

WHITE		BLACK
Clive Bellinger	V	Svein Kjenner
Martin Harris	V	Ed Goodman
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
Dave Chatfield	V	John Duff-Cole
Ed Goodman	V	Pete Smith

Tony Locke Rapidplay - Round 5

The 5th round of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has now been made. There are still a number of games from earlier rounds outstanding but the leaders at this stage are Matt Stemp, Svein Kjenner, and Clive Bellinger, though there are a lot of players only half a point behind. For the purposes of making the draw games not played so far have been assumed to be draws.

While there were only 6 rounds originally planned, the tournament controller reserves the right to add a 7th round if there is no clear winner after 6 rounds.

Draw for round 5:

Clive Bellinger	V	Svein Kjenner
Matt Stemp	V	Felix Schnell
Mark Johnson	V	Norbert Voelker
Brian Remmer	V	Nathan Barnes
Denzel Gonzales	V	Phil Daley
Dave Chatfield	V	John Duff-Cole
Ed Goodman	V	Pete Smith
Martin Harris		BYE

Currently the outstanding games are (if any of these matches have taken place, results have not been reported):

WHITE		BLACK
Phil Daley	V	Felix Schnell
Felix Schnell	V	Mark Johnson
Martin Harris	V	Ed Goodman
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
Mark Johnson	V	Brian Remmer
Felix Schnell	V	Clive Bellinger
Nathan Barnes	V	Denzel Gonzales
Phil Daley	V	Mark Johnson

Tony Locke Rapidplay - Round 4

The 4th round of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has now been made. There are still a number of games from earlier rounds outstanding but two players so far - Matt Stemp and Svein Kjenner - have won all three of their matches. For the purposes of making the draw games not played so far have been assumed to be draws. Three players have been removed from the draw for round 4 as they have not played in the 1st three rounds.

Draw for round 4:

WHITE		BLACK
Svein Kjenner	V	Matt Stemp
Felix Schnell	V	Clive Bellinger
Nathan Barnes	V	Denzel Gonzales
Norbert Voelker	V	Dave Chatfield
Phil Daley	V	Mark Johnson
Brian Remmer	V	John Duff-Cole
Pete Smith	V	Martin Harris
Ed Goodman		BYE

Currently the outstanding games are (if any of these matches have taken place, results have not been reported):

WHITE		BLACK
Clive Bellinger	V	Denzel Gonzales
Phil Daley	V	Felix Schnell
Felix Schnell	V	Mark Johnson
Martin Harris	V	Ed Goodman
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
Mark Johnson	V	Brian Remmer

The answer to the question in the previous post cannot be shown in a viewer. Black played 1...Rxd3+!, White replied 2.Rxb4 removing the knight guarding Black's rook, but it is an illegal move as the king is still in check. Black, playing quickly, failed to notice and captured White's rook. White then took the rook on d3 and had an easily won pawn endgame. If the illegal move had been noticed Black had a simple win and would have had enough time on the clock to finish the game.

Tony Locke Rapidplay

A number of matches have already been completed in the Tony Locke Rapidplay - the remaining matches from rounds 1 to 3 should now take place on the 11th November. If you are unable to make that date then you are responsible for organising an alternative date with your opponent(s). All matches from the first three rounds need to be completed before December 18th, on this date the 4th round draw will be made and the results of any incomplete matches will be decided by default wins/losses as decided by the tournament secretary (largely based on who turns up on the 11th).

Currently the outstanding games are:

WHITE		BLACK
Matt Stemp	V	Martin Harris
Simon Denney	V	Mike Wagstaff
Clive Bellinger	V	Denzel Gonzales
Pete Smith	V	Nathan Barnes
Felix Schnell	V	Dave Chatfield
Dave Chatfield	V	Leon Parker
Phil Daley	V	Felix Schnell
Felix Schnell	V	Mark Johnson
Leon Parker	V	Phil Daley
Martin Harris	V	Ed Goodman
Martin Harris	V	Norbert Voelker
Nathan Barnes	V	Svein Kjenner
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
Mike Wagstaff	V	Clive Bellinger
Denzel Gonzales	V	Simon Denney
Denzel Gonzales	V	Mike Wagstaff
Clive Bellinger	V	Simon Denney
Mark Johnson	V	Brian Remmer

Updated draw for Tony Locke Rapidplay

A few changes have been made to the draw for the competition - with Brian Remmer added to the list for three games and one game removed (Mark Johnson - Phil Daley) to accommodate the extra player. Still no dates for the matches , in the meantime players should complete the games at any convenient time.

WHITE		BLACK
Matt Stemp	V	Martin Harris
Ed Goodman	V	Norbert Voelker
Simon Denney	V	Mike Wagstaff
Clive Bellinger	V	Denzel Gonzales
Pete Smith	V	Nathan Barnes
Svein Kjenner	V	John Duff-Cole
Felix Schnell	V	Dave Chatfield
Brian Remmer	V	Phil Daley
Dave Chatfield	V	Leon Parker
Phil Daley	V	Felix Schnell
Felix Schnell	V	Mark Johnson
Leon Parker	V	Mark Johnson
Leon Parker	V	Phil Daley
Dave Chatfield	V	Brian Remmer
Norbert Voelker	V	Matt Stemp
Martin Harris	V	Ed Goodman
Matt Stemp	V	Ed Goodman
Martin Harris	V	Norbert Voelker
Nathan Barnes	V	Svein Kjenner
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
John Duff-Cole	V	Nathan Barnes
Svein Kjenner	V	Pete Smith
Mike Wagstaff	V	Clive Bellinger
Denzel Gonzales	V	Simon Denney
Denzel Gonzales	V	Mike Wagstaff
Clive Bellinger	V	Simon Denney
Mark Johnson	V	Brian Remmer

Tony Locke Rapidplay: draw for rounds 1 to 3

The club's rapidplay competition will be a 6-round event with an adapted Swiss format (the first three rounds are based on seedings, the last 3 rounds will be Swiss). The draw for the first three rounds is shown below - though some changes may be made to some pairings if new club members elect to take part. No dates have been set for these matches until the dates for all league matches have been confirmed, so for now the matches can be completed at any time the two players agree on (and dates will be set, later this month, for the matches that have not been completed).

WHITE		BLACK
Matt Stemp	V	Martin Harris
Ed Goodman	V	Norbert Voelker
Simon Denney	V	Mike Wagstaff
Clive Bellinger	V	Denzel Gonzales
Pete Smith	V	Nathan Barnes
Svein Kjenner	V	John Duff-Cole
Felix Schnell	V	Dave Chatfield
Mark Johnson	V	Phil Daley
Dave Chatfield	V	Leon Parker
Phil Daley	V	Felix Schnell
Felix Schnell	V	Mark Johnson
Leon Parker	V	Mark Johnson
Leon Parker	V	Phil Daley
Dave Chatfield	BYE
Norbert Voelker	V	Matt Stemp
Martin Harris	V	Ed Goodman
Matt Stemp	V	Ed Goodman
Martin Harris	V	Norbert Voelker
Nathan Barnes	V	Svein Kjenner
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
John Duff-Cole	V	Nathan Barnes
Svein Kjenner	V	Pete Smith
Mike Wagstaff	V	Clive Bellinger
Denzel Gonzales	V	Simon Denney
Denzel Gonzales	V	Mike Wagstaff
Clive Bellinger	V	Simon Denney

Tony Locke Rapidplay - round 7 draw

The draw for round seven (the last round) of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has been made (first named player has white):

Clive Bellinger (4.5)	v	Nathan Barnes (6)
Svein Kjenner (4.5)	v	Mark Johnson (4)
Ed Goodman (4)	v	Martin Harris (4)
Alex Welge (3.5)	v	John Duff-Cole (2.5)
Luke Tatchell (3)	v	Phil Daley (2)
Matt Stemp (2.5)	v	Pete Smith (2.5)
Simon Denney (1)	v	Dave Chatfield (2.5)
John King (1.5)	v	Denzel Gonzales (1)

Where previous round games have not been played both players have been given half a point for the purpose of making the 7th round draw - when the games have been played both player's scores will be updated. These half-points are shown in player scores above - so some scores could potentially go down as matches from previous rounds are played. The number after the player's name indicates their current (provisional) score. Matt, Simon and Denzel joined the competition at the round 4 stage.

The following games from earlier rounds still need to be played:

Pete Smith	v	John Duff-Cole
John King	v	Simon Denney
Denzel Gonzales	v	Phil Daley
Luke Tatchell	v	Pete Smith
Martin Harris	v	Alex Welge
Luke Tatchell	v	Dave Chatfield
John Duff-Cole	v	Matt Stemp
Pete Smith	v	John King
Luke Tatchell	v	Pete Smith

 

Results on the top boards in round 6 saw wins for Svein Kjenner and Clive Bellinger in the chasing pack, but a win for Nathan Barnes means that he now can't be caught and has won the competition.

There is still a battle for the podium places with Clive and Svein currently occupying 2nd and 3rd - Martin Harris, Mark Johnson and Ed Goodman are also in contention.

Tony Locke Rapidplay - round 6 draw

The draw for round six (of seven) of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has been made (first named player has white):

Nathan Barnes (5)	v	Mark Johnson (4)
Clive Bellinger (3.5)	v	Ed Goodman (4)
Phil Daley (2)	v	Svein Kjenner (3.5)
Martin Harris (3.5)	v	Alex Welge (3)
Luke Tatchell (2.5)	v	Dave Chatfield (2)
John Duff-Cole (2)	v	Matt Stemp (2)
Pete Smith (2)	v	John King (1)
Denzel Gonzales (0.5)	v	Simon Denney (0.5)

Where previous round games have not been played both players have been given half a point for the purpose of making the 4th round draw - when the games have been played both player's scores will be updated. These half-points are shown in player scores above - so some scores could potentially go down as matches from previous rounds are played. The number after the player's name indicates their current (provisional) score. Matt, Simon and Denzel joined the competition at the round 4 stage.

Due to moving away from the area, four players have withdrawn from the competition (Mohammud, Shazia, Nadia, Zahra) - this means that a number of players have been given wins by default which have increased their scores.

The following games from earlier rounds still need to be played:

Pete Smith	v	John Duff-Cole
John King	v	Simon Denney
Denzel Gonzales	v	Phil Daley
Luke Tatchell	v	Pete Smith

 

Results on the top boards in round 5 saw Nathan Barnes beat Svein Kjenner and a draw in the match between Mark Johnson and Clive Bellinger. With two matches to go Nathan Barnes has a one point lead and a win in round 6 is likely to be enough to win the competition. However, there are still a number of other players who can win the competition if results go their way in the last two rounds - Mark Johnson, Ed Goodman, Clive Bellinger, Svein Kjenner and Martin Harris.

Tony Locke Rapidplay - Round 5 Draw

The draw for round five (of seven) of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has been made (first named player has white):

Nathan Barnes (4, 0)	v	Svein Kjenner (3.5, 1)
Mark Johnson (3, 1)	v	Clive Bellinger (2.5, 2)
Zahra Jaufarally (2.5, 2)	v	Martin Harris (2.5, 0)
Nadia Jaufarally (2.5, 2)	v	Ed Goodman (2, 2)
Mohammud Jaufarally (2, 0)	v	Alex Welge (2, 2)
Pete Smith (1.5, 1)	v	John Duff-Cole (1.5, 0)
Dave Chatfield (1.5, 0)	v	Phil Daley (1.5, 1)
Shazia Jaufarally (1, 2)	v	Luke Tatchell (1.5, 1)
Matt Stemp (0.5, 1)	v	Denzel Gonzales (0.5, 1)
John King (0.5, 0)	v	Simon Denney (0.5, 1)

Where previous round games have not been played both players have been given half a point for the purpose of making the 4th round draw - when the games have been played both player's scores will be updated. These half-points are shown in player scores above - so some scores could potentially go down as matches from previous rounds are played. The first number after the player's name indicates their current (provisional) score, the second number indicates the number of games from earlier rounds not yet completed. Matt, Simon and Denzel joined the competition at the round 4 stage.

With a number of games from earlier rounds not played yet the exact state is not totally clear. However, the top two matches involve four unbeaten players and with only two rounds to go the results of these will have a big impact on the final standings. Nathan is the only player on 100% who has played all their games, though Svein is on 100% from his three completed games. Mark and Clive have both drawn one game meaning a decisive result will move the winner of this match into contention for first place. Zahra and Nadia are currently the leading juniors having both won and drawn, both have two matches not yet completed.

The following games from earlier rounds still need to be played:

Simon Denney	v	Matt Stemp
Denzel Gonzales	v	Phil Daley
Alex Welge	v	Nadia Jaufarally
Nadia Jaufarally	v	Clive Bellinger
Luke Tatchell	v	Pete Smith
Svein Kjenner	v	Clive Bellinger
Ed Goodman	v	Zahra Jaufarally
Zahra Jaufarally	v	Mark Johnson
Nadia Jaufarally	v	John King
Shazia Jaufarally	v	Alex Welge
Shazia Jaufarally	v	Ed Goodman

December summary

The current top ten players in the club grand prix are:

		Points
1st	Nathan Barnes	9.5
2nd	Mohammud Jaufarally	6
3rd	Svein Kjenner	4.5
4th	Mike Wagstaff	4
5th	Aleksander Orava	3.5
6th	Clive Bellinger	3
7th	Martin Harris	3
8th	Ed Goodman	3
9th	Matt Stemp	2
10th=	Ian Gooding	2
	Mark Johnson	2

Games played in the club championship, Tony Locke rapidplay and the NECL league/knockout count for points in the grand prix. Where points are equal percentage score is used as a tie-breaker.

Games have only been played in two of the seeding groups for the club championship. In group 1, Mohammud and Nathan have both won a game and the match between them will determine who comes first and second in that group. Brian Remmer has a draw and a win from his two games in group 4 - meaning, due to tie-breaks, he will finish in 1st place. 2nd place in group 4 will depend on the result of the match between Dave Chatfield and Shazia Jaufarally. In the Tony Locke Rapidplay there are a number of players who have not played all their first three games yet so the current standings are not clear. Nathan, Svein and Clive have all played more than one game and are currently unbeaten.

In NECL Division 2, Colchester A are in 1st place having won three matches and drawn one. Colchester B are in 6th place but have only played two games (a win and a loss). In Division 3, Colchester D are in 1st place after winning three matches and losing one; Colchester C are in 7th place with one win and one loss. In the NECL Plate, Colchester have reached the semi-final where they will play Baddow B.

 

The draw for round four of the Tony Locke Rapidplay has been made (first named player has white):

Nathan Barnes (3)	v	Alex Welge (2)
Svein Kjenner (2.5)	v	Mohammud Jaufarally (2)
Nadia Jaufarally (1.5)	v	Clive Bellinger (2)
Martin Harris (1.5)	v	John King (1.5)
John Duff-Cole (1.5)	v	Mark Johnson (1.5)
Shazia Jaufarally (1.5)	v	Ed Goodman (1.5)
Zahra Jaufarally (1.5)	v	Dave Chatfield (1)
Luke Tatchell (1)	v	Pete Smith (1)
Denzel Gonzales (0)	v	Phil Daley (0.5)
Simon Denney (0)	v	Matt Stemp (0)

Where previous round games have not been played both players have been given half a point for the purpose of making the 4th round draw - when the games have been played both player's scores will be updated. These half-points are shown in player scores above - so some scores could potentially go down as matches from previous rounds are played. Three players have been added to the draw this round - they are shown as having a score of 0.

The following games from earlier rounds still need to be played:

Mark Johnson	v	Shazia Jaufarally
Alex Welge	v	Nadia Jaufarally
John King	v	Zahra Jaufarally
Phil Daley	v	Shazia Jaufarally
Svein Kjenner	v	Clive Bellinger
Ed Goodman	v	Zahra Jaufarally
Zahra Jaufarally	v	Mark Johnson
Nadia Jaufarally	v	John King
Shazia Jaufarally	v	Alex Welge

November summary

The current top ten players in the club grand prix are:

		Points
1st	Nathan Barnes	7.5
2nd	Mohammud Jaufarally	5
3rd	Svein Kjenner	4.5
4th=	Clive Bellinger	3
	Mike Wagstaff	3
6th	Ed Goodman	3
7th	Martin Harris	3
8th	Aleksander Orava	2.5
9th	Mark Johnson	2
10th	Ian Gooding	2

Games played in the club championship, Tony Locke rapidplay and the NECL league/knockout count for points in the grand prix. Where points are equal percentage score and then number of games played are used as tie-breakers. This month the top two have swapped places and Svein is the month's big gainer - moving up to 3rd.

Only one game has been played in the seeding round of the club championship (a draw between Dave Chatfield and Brian Remmer). In the Tony Locke Rapidplay Nathan Barnes is the only player on 3/3 - though Svein Kjenner is on 2/2 and there are a number of players who have won their first game but not yet played their second and third games yet.

In the NECL, two players have 100% records in league matches and have played more than one game - Nathan Barnes (3 games for the A team, 1 game for the B team) and Mohammud Jaufarally (2 games for the D team, 1 game for the C team). Two players are on 2.5 out of 3 - Aleksander Orava (2 games for the A team, 1 game for the B team) and Svein Kjenner (2 games for the A team, 1 game for the B team).

It is still early in the NECL season with some teams having only played one or two matches so far. In Division 2, Colchester A are in 1st place having won their first three matches and drawn their fourth. Colchester B are in 5th place having only played two games (losing to the A team and beating Dunmow). In Division 3, Colchester D are in 1st place after winning their first three matches; Colchester C are in 5th place winning one match and losing one (to the D team).

This week the B team beat Dunmow (3.5-0.5). Svein Kjenner won a pawn in the opening and was always in control on board 4 to continue his good start in his first NECL season. Mike Wagstaff also won a pawn early on and held onto his advantage throughout. Nathan Barnes probably should have lost but instead maintained his 100% record in the league - winning a queen and pawn endgame after surviving middlegame pressure. Aleksander Orava agreed a draw, after a fairly quiet Sicilian opening, when the team win was in the bag after the wins on boards 3 and 4.

Date: Nov-2014
NECL Division 2
Brd	Col	DUNMOW	Result		COLCHESTER B	Col
1	w	Derek Jones (128)	½	½	Aleksander Orava (e155)	b
2	b	John Bradley (120)	0	1	Nathan Barnes (146)	w
3	w	Bill Atwood (111)	0	1	Mike Wagstaff (147)	b
4	b	John Fletcher (e100)	0	1	Svein Kjenner (e139)	w
		(avg=114)	0.5	3.5	(avg=146)

 

There are only two matches in December - Colchester D play CRGS in Division 3 and Colchester A play Wethersfield for the second time this season (in the 2nd round of the plate competition).

The position below is taken from the game Barnes, N - Burrows, J (Bury St Edmunds Chess Congress). White has an extra piece but Black has two additional pawns. Should White play 34.Qd8+ to force the exchange of queens? Answer in the comments.

October summary - including two more NECL wins

The current top ten players in the club grand prix are:

		Points
1st	Mohammud Jaufarally	5
2nd	Nathan Barnes	4.5
3rd	Martin Harris	2.5
4th=	Clive Bellinger	2
	Aleksander Orava	2
6th	Ed Goodman	2
7th	Ian Gooding	1.5
8th	Mike Wagstaff	1.5
9th=	Dave Chatfield	1
	Svein Kjenner	1
	Mark Johnson	1

Games played in the club championship, Tony Locke rapidplay and the NECL league/knockout count for points in the grand prix. Where points are equal percentage score and number of games played are used as tie-breakers. The top two in the grand prix are due to play each other in both the club championship and the Tony Locke rapidplay - giving the chance for either one of them to extend their lead at the top or to allow the chasing pack to catch-up.

No games have been played in the club championship yet. In the Tony Locke Rapidplay Mohammud Jaufarally is the only player on 2/2 - thought there are a number of players who have won their first game but not yet played their second game.

In the NECL, three players have 100% records in league matches and have played more than one game - Nathan Barnes (3 games for the A team), Mohammud Jaufarally (2 games for the D team, 1 game for the C team) and Aleksander Orava (2 games for the A team).

It is very early in the NECL season with some teams not even having played their first match yet. In Division 2, Colchester A are in 1st place having won their first three matches. Colchester B have only played one game (losing to the A team). In Division 3, Colchester D are in 1st place after winning their first two matches; Colchester C are in 2nd place winning one match and losing one (to the D team).

This week the A team beat Wethersfield (3.5-0.5). Matt Stemp got his first win for the team on board 2. Aleksander Orava and Nathan Barnes won matches with stronger endgame play - Aleksander's better king activity being enough to win in a pawn and same-colour bishop endgame and Nathan's better rook activity enabling him to win a pawn and rook endgame despite being a pawn down. Ian forced a three-fold repetition with time running out.

Date: Oct-2014
NECL Division 2
Brd	Col	COLCHESTER A	Result		WETHERSFIELD	Col
1	b	Ian Gooding (185)	½	½	Stefaan Van Poucke (148)	w
2	w	Matt Stemp (e165)	1	0	Bill Norman (131)	b
3	b	Aleksander Orava (e155)	1	0	Steven Marshall (115)	w
4	w	Nathan Barnes (146)	1	0	Sid McDonald (79)	b
		(avg=162)	3.5	0.5	(avg=118)

The D team won their second match of the season. Simon Denney made his debut for the club - playing on board 1. Birthday-boy John Duff-Cole drew his match against a higher-graded opponent. Mohammud Jaufarally continued his 100% record so far this season with a win on board 4 and Ed Goodman was the star - winning the decisive point with a well-played game on board 3.

Date: Oct-2014
NECL Division 3
Brd	Col	MALDON C	Result		COLCHESTER D	Col
1	b	Doug Mothershaw (114)	1	0	Simon Denney (115)	w
2	w	Frank Sealey (99)	½	½	John Duff-Cole (90)	b
3	b	Toby Pugh (75)	0	1	Ed Goodman (71)	w
4	w	William Pugh (70)	0	1	Mohammud Jaufarally (e70)	b
		(avg=89)	1.5	2.5	(avg=86)

 

Next week the D team have an away match against Chelmsford C.