tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post2815505696516416931..comments2023-12-28T02:11:22.501+00:00Comments on The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog: It's that time againTom Chivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-77995067209567639402009-07-28T10:58:33.405+01:002009-07-28T10:58:33.405+01:00Really I let of a bit of steam on the ECForum beca...Really I let of a bit of steam on the ECForum because of the accumulated affect of unfair press treatment in general.<br /> Just to bore you with a few examples:<br /> I think that the last time the Daily Telegraph published a game of mine in which I scored more than Zero was in 2001(against Julian Hodgson).That newspaper even surpassed itself in last years British Ch,when it published my rapidplay loss against Stuart,and my round 4 loss...TWICE!<br /> Of course it ignored my last round win against Gawain,although it published my much poorer game(a loss) from the same opening(the 'stem' game)against Ivanchuk a year earlier.<br /> Somehow CHESS magazine managed an editirial about the 2008 British Ch without even mentioning my name,an achievement matched by the Guardian in its reports on the Championship.<br /> An then there was the Times.This paper,over the course of a week,published 13 of the 15 decisive games from the 2009 Southend GM tournament.Which 2 games did it omit? Correct - my 2 wins,including the one against Neil McDonald which was voted 2nd best game of the event.<br /> AS a follow up,the paper then published my first loss in a team event in 45 games.<br /> Ok,really none of this matters at all,except that perhaps the accumulated effect of it all can have some kind of subconscious effect on the thinking of eg national team selectors.<br /> I have to say though Jonathan that the beauty of a forum such as this,unlike with newspaper columns,is that there is a right of reply.<br /> The result is that we have been able to have a healthy exchange of reasonable opinions,and can now shake hands and move on.<br /><br /> And now I have the small matter of trying to salvage this tournament from the wreckage of my round one disaster...<br /><br />Cheers<br />KeithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-26007346417928583792009-07-28T09:06:49.405+01:002009-07-28T09:06:49.405+01:00"I neither made nor offered any quick draws w...<i>"I neither made nor offered any quick draws with anybody,and won a good game in the last round while draws were being agreed all around me."</i><br /><br />Hi Keith,<br /><br />certainly not taking quick draws would be a factor I'd add into the mix were I to write the article again.<br /><br /><i>I suspect though that,were it practical to do so,then most professional chessplayers would prefer such a title to be decided by playing a serious match of standard play games.<br />In this case there would then be no doubt whatsoever about who the 'deserved' winner was</i><br /><br />Agreed.<br /><br /><br />Just one more quick point viz a recent comment on the EC Forum.<br /><br />I wasn't so much as saying you deserved to lose the play-off as Conquest deserved to win it.<br /><br />I'm not sure anybody deserves to lose a rapid chess play-off.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-21149064129538326272009-07-28T02:34:50.633+01:002009-07-28T02:34:50.633+01:00Hi Jonathan B,
There is of course no doubt that ...Hi Jonathan B,<br /> There is of course no doubt that your criteria for determining which of us was more ''deserving'' is by no means unreasonable.<br /> Others might put more weight on,for example,the fact that I didn't have any close shaves from lost positions.<br /> These things are of course subjective,which I guess is what you are saying.<br /> What I would ask though is that you take a look at this matter from my perspective:<br /> In 2001 I took a quick draw on top board with Black against Gallagher,giving Joe the title and settling for second place.<br /> I received a lot of stick in the media for this,with Nigel Short even making up a story about my mother travelling to Scarborough specially to watch me play for the title.<br /> Somewhat hypocritically,in the light of some of the quick draws he has made,he called me 'spineless' etc without bothering to ask me for an explanation.<br /> For the next 6 year I had no real desire to play for the title,so didn't enter the tournament.<br /> Finally though in 2008 I decided to enter and fight tooth and nail to win.<br /> I neither made nor offered any quick draws with anybody,and won a good game in the last round while draws were being agreed all around me.<br /> Therefore,from my perspective,I(along with Stuart of course),was the deserving winner of the tournament.<br /> Stuart was the deserving winner of the British title because he beat me according to the rules-ie by beating me at rapid chess.At least,from my point of view,we shared the prize money,were joint first in the tournament and shared the English title.<br /> I suspect though that,were it practical to do so,then most professional chessplayers would prefer such a title to be decided by playing a serious match of standard play games.<br /> In this case there would then be no doubt whatsoever about who the 'deserved' winner was.<br /> Stuart told me that our lifetime score is something like 6:6 at standard play,with very few draws,so this would have been a great match!<br /> Regards,Keith<br /> ps If either Stuart or myself are to win this year then it will have to be via the ''Swiss Gambit'' approach,because we both lost in round 1!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-84701013188290287122009-07-27T16:59:32.693+01:002009-07-27T16:59:32.693+01:00Steve Ledger is also in the Major Open. And Chris ...Steve Ledger is also in the Major Open. And Chris Jones in the 5 day mornings week 1 (but he has just had an appalling start).Martin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17616856982265044441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-55555810772544155502009-07-27T16:57:03.821+01:002009-07-27T16:57:03.821+01:00Angus is in the major too.Angus is in the major too.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-771804338343279972009-07-27T16:54:21.225+01:002009-07-27T16:54:21.225+01:00Well, being the subject of a lame-ass 'looks a...Well, being the subject of a lame-ass 'looks a bit like Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer' gag is far and away not the worst thing that happened to Jack Rudd today.Jonathan Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00293162543015231439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-25598483135692545312009-07-27T14:12:27.825+01:002009-07-27T14:12:27.825+01:00Btw, it's nice to see two S&B players comp...Btw, it's nice to see two S&B players competing ---- James McDonnell & Michael White.Tom Chivershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-19096263837934059432009-07-27T14:09:28.866+01:002009-07-27T14:09:28.866+01:00The U16 games are up on the live bit atm. On top b...The U16 games are up on the live bit atm. On top board Victor Jones won a nice game, but missed a mate in 1 on move 35. I had an excruciating draw with him in a Richmond Rapidplay last year ---- as black from the diagram previously featured <a href="http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2008/09/richmond-rapidplay-report.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. <br /><br />Richard Weaving won very crisply a few boards down.Tom Chivershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.com