Gallery & Events 2008
Firstly, a big thank you to our returning sponsors, Metcalfe & Co Accountants of Bury, and insurance group Winterthur Life.
We have used the Elizabethan Suite for ten years or so now, banking on players being attracted by the combination of good playing conditions. There are excellent spectator conditions; lots of parking available nearby and good public transport with the Metrolink/Bus interchange only a couple of minutes walk away. We hope that chess players want to play chess in nice surroundings, and will attend in sufficient volume.
This year we were disappointed with the turnout, affected by the weather possibly, by illness certainly, by the volume of chess available in the North West this year probably. We lost our main sponsor to the economic squeeze, and combined with lower entries, we made our first serious loss.
So, unless Bury Council drop their £600 asking price for the venue, we will have to reluctantly look elsewhere.
In total, we had 85 playing for a total prize fund £750. It reminded me what chess provides that may be unique – competition between men and women, juniors and seniors, able-
Competition was intense, and an amazing 22 players shared the prize money. I hope the winners, and those who went home empty handed, all enjoyed their day in Bury. Mick Norris
Open (12 players)
1st Marcial Flores Eccles 157 4.5 £100
2nd= Richard Beach Stockport 185 4 £30
Ali Jaunooby 3Cs 189 £30
Alan Walton 3Cs 182 £30
Martin Sheard Barnsley 155 £30
U170 GP Dennis Owen Urmston 155 3.5 £30
1st= Mitchell Burke 3Cs 145J 4.5 £47:50
Robert Dean Pudsey 131 £47:50
Bob Newton Heywood 153 £47:50
Simon Woodcock Atherton 152 £47:50
U135 GP Mick Connor Great Lever 121 4 £7:50
Neil Coward Blackpool 134 £7:50
Thomas Fielding Preston 122 £7:50
David Patrick Courier 132 £7:50
U120 GP Steve Lloyd Chester 113 3.5 £15
Karl Lockett Altrincham 115 £15
1st Brendan Newell Brooklands u/g 6/6 £100
2nd Brian Forrest Bury 86 5 £60
3rd= Brendan Brown Clitheroe 102 4.5 £30
Ian Mitchell Rochdale 79 £30
U65 GP David Fisher Bury area 64 3 £15
Michael Quigley Worsley 63 £15
The Lodwig Gruchlik Memorial Trophy, awarded to the highest scoring Bury Chess Club Member, was won by Brian Forrest
1st Mark Birkin......Alwoodley
2nd John Hall......Bolton
Ian Campbell......Widness
3rd James Murphy......Chorlton
1st Brendan Brown......Clitheroe
2nd David Connolly......Bolton
3rd David Colledge......Courier
Chris Hodgson......Worsley
Angel Gonzalez......Arden
Maziar Jalinin......Manchester
" 100 " Michael Doherty, Chorlton
" 80 " Al
S&DCA 16½-
1 Andrew Ledger ½-
2 Jonathan Nelson 1-
3 Paul Blackman ½-
4 Aref Vasli 1-
5 David Latham 1-
6 Yang Guo (J) 0-
7 Mohammad Said ½-
8 Mike Smith ½-
9 Jeremy Hamm ½-
10 David Andrews ½-
11 Andy George 0-
12 Tom Whitaker (J) ½-
13 Steve Bracey 1-
14 Steve Gibbs ½-
15 Dave Grobler 1-
16 Andrew Birtwhistle 1-
17 John Mercy ½-
18 John Fryer 1-
19 Ashley Littlewood (J) 0-
20 Bill Ward 1-
21 Ian Barwick 0-
22 Michael Littlewood (J) 0-
23 Neil Limbert 0-
24 Paul Bailey 1-
25 Louis Brijmohun (J) 1-
26 Miles Edwards-
27 Dominic Wong (J) 0-
28 Bill Pettigrew 0-
29 Bob Lindsay 1-
30 Brian Stephenson 1-
John Reyes took his mainly young band of warriors to the Stretford Bridge Club to do battle with the Lancaster army of chessplayers. Players from the Lancaster, Morecambe and District Chess League were the opponents in the 5th annual Stobo-
GM Stewart Haslinger (right) playing A Jaunouby in round 3. The game was an attacking spectacular, and can be seen on the Games page.
OPEN: 1st GM Nigel Davies (ADS/Widnes) 4½/5, 2-
MAJOR U-
KNIGHTS U-
BUSY PERSONS BLITZ: Jeff Horner (Bolton) 8/8.
This year’s championships took place from 27 July to 9 August down the M62 in Liverpool. Many MCF players took the opportunity to take part and this is a brief summary of their efforts.The venue was the splendid St Georges Hall, no need to waste time describing the venue, just have a look at the photos.http://www.britishchess08.com/photos/miscell.htm
The first Rapidplay was won by newly Heywood resident ex Bury player, GM Keith Arkell. Most of the top players saved their energy for the two weeks ahead, but Keith took the opportunity to play whenever he could. Also playing were Brian Slater (Bolton), Dave Newell (East Cheshire), Mark Taylor (Rochdale) and Alan Smith (Stockport).
The following day, the championship proper commenced, along with a large number of
supporting events. The 5 day Open pm saw 12 year old Chris Horner (Bolton), son of
Jeff, gaining quite a few rating points, finishing mid-
In the Juniors, the U16 saw Tom Clements (3Cs) gaining grading points, Mitchell Burke (3Cs) playing to grading, and a joint sixth finish from Michael Rabbitte (Heywood).The U13 saw Peter Gerlagh (Altrincham) gaining grading points after a difficult start. His 9 year old brother Joris found it tough in the U11, as might be expected against mainly older players. The experience was valuable, as the weekend saw Joris finishing an excellent runner up in the U9, which also featured the Didsbury Dynamos duo of Ravi Mahapatra and Nathan Campbell.
The weekend U140 saw top ten finishes from Tom Clements (3Cs), Mick Connor (Great
Lever), Mark Taylor (Rochdale) and Dave Newell (East Cheshire). In the Open, Bob
Newton (Heywood) was joint winner, an excellent performance as his co-
The second Sunday Rapidplay saw Keith Arkell joint first with fellow GM Bogdan Lalic. Along the way, Keith beat Mitchell Burke (3Cs), who had another great performance gaining many grading points.Week 2 began, and inspired, Mitchell gained some more grading points in the 5 day Open am, as did Chris Horner again in the 5 day Open pm.
In the U100, joint winner was the improving Richard Fox (Atherton). Also taking part were Reyer Gerlagh (Altrincham) and James Waddington (Bolton).In the U12, Nathan Taylor (Bolton) finished joint third with Jamie Horton (Didsbury Dynamos), well done to both players. Peter Gerlagh (Altrincham) gaining grading points and Isobel Cotogni (Worsley) was the only player to hold the wunderkind of British Chess, Felix Ynojosa.In the U10, Bolton’s Joseph McPhillips won undefeated by a clear point, an excellent result and congratulations. Good performances too from Andrew Horton (Didsbury Dynamos) and Joris Gerlagh (Altrincham).
At the other end of the age scale, Jim Nicholson has a tough week in the Seniors.The Major Open is a tough slog of 11 afternoons, like the Championship proper Monday to Saturday in week 1 and Monday to Friday in week two. I’m not quite sure how he found the time to play, but Mitchell Burke (3Cs) managed another grading gain.Heywood’s Rabbitte brothers would be reasonably happy – Liam (17) faired best with good rating gain, finishing just ahead of Michael (15) also gaining points and Dominic.
Turning finally to the main event, IM Jeff Horner (Bolton) started with a draw against eventual champion GM Stuart Conquest. He stayed on the top boards for the first week, despite losing good games against GMs Hebden and Lalic, but faded somewhat in week two.Fellow Bolton player Mike Surtees had an excellent event, losing only to two IMs and a GM. A good rating gain was consolidated by his spectacular round 7 win against eventual Ladies Champion, IM Jovanka Houska. http://www.britishchess08.com/downloads/games.htmThis won the game of the round £100 prize, won the following day by Keith Arkell against IM Lawrence Trent.
3Cs Stephen Gordon finished an excellent joint third, undefeated and gaining rating
points but missing the elusive final GM norm. If he had won any of his seven draws,
he would have been in the final playoff. Stephen cannot be too downhearted as he
became the British U-