Afternoon School Chess Tournament, 20th March 2013
The third ECF Afternoon School Chess Tournament comprised a total of 20 teams with 4 players in each team. The tournament was run as a single large Swiss tournament, with clocks being used on the top three matches.
As well as Wilson’s, the host school, teams from Ewell Castle, Emanuel School, Glyn School and Dulwich College took part. Whilst Wilson’s, Emanuel and Dulwich College regularly play inter-school chess, Ewell Castle and Glyn have only recently started (though in the case of Glyn, this is restarting). It was particularly positive, therefore, that Glyn could enter three teams.
After dropping a point in the first round, Dulwich College A quickly built up a dominant position and comfortably won the event, dropping only 1½ points.
Of the 80 players, just four won all their games: Rohan Bansal and Dooley O’Khann (Dulwich College), Tharshan Kuhendiran and Kirishoth Sivalogarajah (Wilson’s School)
| Place | Name | Score |
| 1 | Dulwich College A | 14.5 |
| 2 | Wilson’s 11 | 11 |
| 3-6 | Wilson’s 8B | 10 |
| Wilson’s 10 | 10 | |
| Emanuel A | 10 | |
| Wilson’s 12 | 10 | |
| 7-8 | Wilson’s GC | 9 |
| Wilson’s 7C | 9 | |
| 9-10 | Ewell Castle School | 8 |
| Wilson’s 7G | 8 | |
| 11 | Wilson’s R | 7.5 |
| 12-14 | Glyn School A | 7 |
| Dulwich College B | 7 | |
| Wilson’s D | 7 | |
| 15-17 | Wilson’s 7B | 6.5 |
| Emanuel B | 6.5 | |
| Wilson’s 7H | 6.5 | |
| 18 | Glyn School B | 5 |
| 19 | Wilson’s 7S | 4 |
| 20 | Glyn School C | 3.5 |
This event was valuable practice for the new ‘Team Chess Challenge’ to be initiated next year. The event was enjoyed by all players, particularly as there were lots of close matches. Another similar event will be held in the summer term.
ECF Secondary School Rapidplay Chess Tournament
- Sunday 17th March 2013, The King’s School, Grantham
The first ECF Secondary School event to be held outside the South East took place at The King’s School in Grantham, Lincs, on Sunday 17th March 2013. Whilst twenty teams entered, some withdrew due to illness or lack of players, resulting in fourteen teams of four playing. It was great to have a spacious playing hall and, courtesy of ECF equipment supplies, digital clocks for all games. The Fischer timing of 25mins + 5 seconds a move was greatly appreciated by the players who got short of time! What is more there were no draw claims under the ‘2 minute rule’. David Welch therefore had a reasonably quiet day as arbiter, but his presence was also appreciated. The event was efficiently organised and run by Phill Beckett of The King’s School, Grantham, who also ran 3 teams. There was a wide range of abilities, whilst a few players graded over 150, the majority were evenly spread between 50 and 150, and about a third were ungraded. The use of a Swiss system based on game points meant that after the first round there were many closely balanced matches and all teams had some success.
The results were: 1st – Wilson’s School ‘A’ 17 points (out of a possible 20) 2nd – RGS Guildford 14.5 3rd – Nottingham High School 13.5 4th – Dame Alice Owen’s 12.5 5th – King’s School, Grantham 12 (also winning a trophy as the highest placed Lincolnshire team) 6th – Bolton School 11 7th – Wilson’s School ‘B’ 10.5 8th= Bolton School ‘B’ and Cordeaux Academy 8.5 10th – King’s School ‘B’ 8 11th – Meden School ‘A’ 7 12th= Caistor Grammar School and King’s School ‘C’ 6.5 14th – Meden School ‘B’ 4 The fact that the event was graded during the day was greatly appreciated by many of the participants and had many benefits:
- Previously ungraded players were very enthusiastic to get an indication of their playing ability
- Local juniors who had only ever before played in Lincolnshire junior events played juniors from around the country, thus reducing the ‘local pool’ effect
- Juniors from all over the country played each other, thus leading to some normalisation nationally
- Juniors who regularly played against adults were included, thus providing further normalisation
- Some ungraded players have now played enough school games to get an ECF grade in August
ECF Afternoon School Chess Tournament
Results
Open (mainly graded players, 10 mins + 2 sec per move)
1st Wilson’s Year 11 14/16
2nd Wilson’s Year 8/9 9
3rd Wilson’s Year 7 8.5
4th= Worth 8
4th= Nonsuch A 8
6th= Wilson’s Sixth Form 7.5
6th= Trinity A 7.5
8th= Wilson’s Castles 6.5
8th= Wilson’s Year 10 6.5
10th Trinity B 4.5
Major (mainly ungraded players, no clocks, 25 mins per game)
1st= Wilson’s 7G 12
1st= Wilson’s Year 8 12
3rd= Wilson’s Sixth Form B 10.5
3rd= Warlingham 10.5
3rd= Glyn 10.5
6th Wilson’s Sixth Form C 10
7th Wilson’s 7HA 9
8th St Peter’s, Guildford 8.5
9th Worth B 7.5
10th= Wilson’s 7BA 7
10th= Wilson’s 7CA 7
12th= Wilson’s 7S 6.5
12th= Ewell Castle 6.5
14th= Nonsuch B 5.5
14th= Nonsuch C 5.5
16th Wilson’s 7BB 4.5
17th Wilson’s 7HB 4
- Neill Cooper, ECF National Secondary Schools Co-ordinator
Millfield International – 13th & 14th October 2012
The Millfield International has been taking place for 29 years, firstly as the Marlwood tournament and then moving to the Dragon School, Oxford, Edgarley Hall and now to its current venue of Millfield School. Many of Britain’s leading players have taken part and the winner of the Stephen Joseph Memorial Trophy, for the best Individual performance, sees their name feature alongside the likes of Michael Adams, Brian Kelly, Sam Collins and Mark Ferguson.
The Millfield International is a unique event because with teams of twelve, schools cannot rely on one or two star players, but need a thriving chess community and team spirit to challenge for the top prizes. This year, fourteen teams competed, in an exceptionally strong event. After two preliminary rounds the tournament splits into a Championship and Major sections for the remaining five games. The Championship saw Haberdashers’ Aske’s and Manchester Grammar pull away from their competition and battle it out for top spot. Haberdashers’ clinched victory and their score of 49.5/60 is one of the highest in the competition’s history.
[below - the winning team, Haberdashers' Aske's]
The Major section saw a three way battle as King Edward’s Camp Hill, RGS Guildford and Queen Elizabeth’s, Barnet fought out the medal positions. King Edward’s greater experience proved decisive in the end and they took the title with 41/60. The best individual performance went to IM Daniel Fernandez of Manchester Grammar.
The dates for next year’s tournament are 12th and 13th October 2013.
Breaking News
Former Stephen Joseph Memorial winner and World Championships Semi-Finalist, Michael Adams will be returning to Millfield for a Summer Camp the week before next year’s British in Torquay. Watch this space.
MP Rachel Reeves recently hosted a number of players from new NSCC sponsors St. Catherine’s Bramley at the Houses of Parliament. Representatives from the ECF’s organising team also attended the meeting.