World’s First FIDE Rated Blitz Event
| Wednesday, 11 January 2012 06:39 |
| FIDE have decided to try a new venture which is creating new Blitz and Rapid play Rating Lists. These will first appear 1 July. Hastings is often in the forefront of innovation in chess and the results only started being collected from 1 January 2012. Thus we seized the opportunity to have another world first. It was held at the White Rock Hotel on 2 January and attracted over 40 competitors and a certain mount of media attention. It was deliberately a low-maintenance event and was arranged as sections of 10 all-play-all with the top tournament being a 6 player double rounder. The last time there were round robins here other than for leading players was, I believe, 1964. Con Power has been running the congress for many years and had never come across all-play-alls before apart from the Premier.
In order to make up the numbers I played throughout in one section. Thus I organised the event, with the help of Con and Pam Thomas, acted as arbiter and played. As far as I can remember the last time I did this was in 1977. Of course there were no arguments or disputes. The top section was won by GM Mark Hebden with 7½/10. He didn’t even know there was a prize of £12. GM Keith Arkell came second with 7 and he got £8. A triumph for maturity! IM Thomas Rendle 5½. GM Simon Williams 4½. IM Adrien DeMuth 3. David Eggleston 2½. Players were already asking that it be repeated later this week. Stewart Reuben |
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Lol! I love good stories!
Great news!