10th Bury Rapidplay Chess Congress – 12 December 2004

The tenth annual Rapidplay Congress organised by Bury Chess Club took place yesterday at the sumptuous surroundings of the Elizabethan Suite, Bury Town Hall. Nearly a hundred players contested three Sections with total prize money of £760. Competitors, aged 7 to 96, traveled from the North West and Midlands of England and Wales, plus the usual large contingent from Yorkshire. The youngest prizewinner was 12, the oldest 72 and the only disabled player was in the prizes, showing how chess is truly a sport for all.

This was a full day congress over six rounds, split into three sections – Open, Major and Minor. Each player had 30 minutes to complete each game. This was a BCF Grand Prix event. The Open counted as triple points, with the Major and Minor counting double.

Sponsors

Michael Wood Homes were main sponsors of the Bury Rapidplay Chess Congress. After an opening speech by Bury Chess Club President Bernard Sharples, Michael Wood was present to make the first move on top board of the MW Homes Open. Returning sponsors of the congress this year were Scottish Life, Metcalfe & Co Accountants of Bury and Skandia Life.

The Bury Players

Bury’s Paul Mole won the Lodwig Gruchlik Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually for the best score from a Bury Chess Club full member, with a score of 5.5/6 in winning the Minor. Paul achieved the best score by any player on the day. Also in the Minor, Lee Baron lost his first game, but won the rest to finish joint second with 5. Martin Bryant only dropped points in a loss to Paul, and a stalemate in time trouble to finish with 4.5. Peter Logan and Stephen Press scored 3.5, Roger Nuttall and Sheraz Khalil 3, Brian Forrest 2.5 and Michael Law 1.5.

In the Major, the three masters of time-trouble, Roger Howley, Anthony Lee and Keith Evans all scored 3.5.

(Pregnant Pause – Bury Chess Club, The Next Generation...
Although there were no female players this year, we were visited on the day by no less than 3 expectant wives of club members. We hope that the next generation of Bury players will arrive safely over the next 6 months.)

The M W Homes Open

As has become customary, this was another strong event with 5 titled players including two International Masters among the 17 players, 5 of which were graded over 200. Andrew Ledger (Sheffield) and Craig Hanley (Lancaster) won £120 each with a score of 5/6. 2002 winner Craig lost the war of the roses to Andrew in the crucial game in round 4. Andrew then drew with the Bolton pair of Mike Surtees and Jeff Horner. Mike finished third with 4.5 and won the under 190 grading prize. Jeff finished fourth with 4. Roger Williamson (Aigburth) won the under 170 grading prize. Roger has incredibly won a grading prize three years in a row.
Results spreadsheet

The Major

There were two undefeated joint winners also with a score of 5/6 – Ian Campbell (Widnes) and Adam Scoular (Swinton). Adam drew in rounds 1 and 3, so never got the chance to play Ian who drew in rounds 4 and 6. Dean Hartley (Clay Cross) won the under 135 grading prize with 4.5. Dean finished joint third with Martin Burns (Stockport). Martin was undefeated, drawing with Ian in the final round. Michael Rabbitte (Swinton) won the under 120 grading prize, beating Dean but losing to both Ian and Adam.
Results spreadsheet

The Minor

Paul Mole of Bury won the Minor with the day’s best score of 5.5/6, conceding a draw in the second round. Paul beat his club teammates, 2002 winner Brian Forrest and top seed Martin Bryant, along the way. James Carrington (Tameside Juniors) finished joint second on 5, with Lee Baron of Bury. James lost his last round game to Paul, whereas Lee finished with five straight wins. Richard Blackwell (Holmes Chapel) beat Lee in round one and drew with Paul in round 2, but a loss to Peter Logan of Bury in round three was the start of a bad afternoon that saw him fade from contention. Conrad Jowett (Stockport) was surprised to win the under 85 grading prize despite his last round defeat by Lee. Terry Sullivan (Calderdale) produced the day’s best rating performance, finishing joint second with James and Lee and winning the under 70 grading prize. Like Lee, Terry won his final five games after a first round loss to Peter Logan of Bury.
Results spreadsheet

Organisers

Bolton’s Rod Middleton and Julian Clissold smoothly controlled the Congress, as always and there were no significant disputes. Many Bury club members helped to organise and run the event. Andrew Butterworth of Chess Direct provided the Bookstall. All have kindly agreed to return for next year’s event on Sunday 11th December 2005.

Pictures

Main sponsor, Michael Wood makes the first move in the MW Homes Open,
for top seed and 2002 champion Craig Hanley (Lancaster),
 in the war of the roses first round victory against Jonathan Nelson (Sheffield)

Bury Chess Club President Bernard Sharples making the opening address

Roger Howley hard at work against Bolton's Nick Barnaby

Keith Evans awaiting his opponents (Richard Gavin from Shaw) reply

Sheraz Khalil about to open

Peter Logan in post mortem

The splendid Elizabethan Suite...

...with comfortable chairs! (Always a plus at chess tournaments!!)

Roger Nuttall putting his best foot forward (or is it a Knight?)

Anthony Lee sitting in the darkest corner of the room!
(Would you risk putting the flash on when these guys are playing?)

President Bernard Sharples making the draw for the next round

The dizzy heights of board number 3 (Ben Hague of Rochdale v Jeff Horner of Bolton)

Stephen Press contemplates his next game

Brian Forrest (winner in 2002) looking studious

The unmistakable smile of Lee Baron winning money!

The even bigger smile of Paul Mole winning even more money!!

Bernard Sharples, Geoff Kerr and Mick Norris preparing the prizes.
("Do we really have to give away all this money?!")

Bury Chess Club players Paul and Lee receive their prizes from Bernard

Games

Open

Horner,Jeff - Owen,Dennis [B18] - Game Viewer
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 1, 12.12.2004
1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.d4 Nd7 7.Bc4 e6 8.0-0 Ngf6 9.Re1 Be7 10.Bf4 Nh5 11.Be3 Nxg3 12.hxg3 Nb6 13.Bb3 Nd5 14.Bd2 h5 15.Ne5 Bf5 16.c4 Nf6 17.Bc3 Ng4 18.Qf3 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Bg4 20.Qe3 Bg5 21.Qe4 Bf5 22.Qe2 Qc7 23.Bb4 c5 24.Ba4+ Kf8 25.Bc3 Bg4 26.f3 Bf5 27.Red1 Rd8 28.Rxd8+ Bxd8 29.Rd1 g5 30.Rd7 Qc8 31.Qd2 Kg7 32.a3 a6 33.Bd1 Qb8 34.Qf2 Qc8 35.Qd2 Qb8 36.Be2 Qc8 37.Qd6 Bc2 38.Qxe6 1-0

Horner,Jeff - Palliser,Richard [B20] - Game Viewer
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 4, 12.12.2004
1.e4 c5 2.b3 e5 3.Bb2 d6 4.Bb5+ Nc6 5.Ne2 f5 6.exf5 Bxf5 7.0-0 g5 8.f4 gxf4 9.Nxf4 Qg5 10.Qf3 Nge7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5 Bd7 13.Nc3 Qg8 14.Rxf8+ Qxf8 15.Rf1 Qg8 16.Qxd6 Qe6 17.Qxc5 b6 18.Qe3 0-0-0 19.Ne4 Rhf8 ½-½

Owen,Dennis - Surtees,Mike [B12] - Game Viewer
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 4, 12.12.2004
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.a3 a5 6.Be2 h6 7.Be3 Ne7 8.Nh4 Bh7 9.f4 Nd7 10.0-0 c5 11.c4 cxd4 12.Bxd4 Nc6 13.Bf2 Nb6 14.cxd5 Nxd5 15.Qd2 Be7 16.Nf3 0-0 17.Nc3 Nxc3 18.Qxc3 Rc8 19.Rfd1 Qc7 20.Rac1 Qb8 21.Qb3 Rfd8 22.Bb6 Rxd1+ 23.Bxd1 Be4 24.Qb5 Bd8 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 26.Be2 Qa7+ 27.Qc5 Qxc5+ 28.Rxc5 Kf8 29.Rc1 Ke7 30.Rd1 Rxd1+ 31.Bxd1 Kd7 32.Kf2 Kc7 33.Ke3 Bb1 34.Nd4 Ne7 35.Nb5+ Kb6 36.Nd6 f6 37.exf6 gxf6 38.Bf3 Nd5+ 0-1

Surtees,Mike - Ledger,Andrew [B10] - Game Viewer
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 5, 12.12.2004
1.e4 c6 2.Ne2 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Ng3 Bg6 5.h4 h6 6.h5 Bh7 7.e6 Qd6 8.exf7+ Kxf7 9.d4 e5 10.dxe5 Qxe5+ 11.Be2 Nd7 12.Nd2 Bc5 13.Nf3 Qe7 14.0-0 Ngf6 15.Bd3 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Bc4+ Kf8 18.Nd4 Ne5 19.Bb3 Bg8 20.Nf5 Qf6 21.Be3 Bb6 22.Qd6+ Qxd6 23.Nxd6 Ke7 24.Nxb7 Ng4 25.Bxb6 axb6 26.Rfd1 Bxb3 27.cxb3 Nf6 28.Nd6 Rhd8 29.Nf5+ Kf7 30.a3 Rd5 31.Rxd5 cxd5 32.Rc1 Nxh5 33.Rc6 Rb8 34.g3 Nf6 35.Kf1 h5 36.Ke2 g6 37.Nd4 Ng4 38.Rd6 Nf6 39.b4 Rc8 40.Nc6 g5 41.b5 h4 42.gxh4 gxh4 43.Kf1 Rg8 44.Rd8 Rxd8 45.Nxd8+ Ke7 46.Nc6+ Kd6 47.Kg2 Kc5 48.a4 d4 49.b4+ Kd5 50.a5 d3 51.a6 d2 52.a7 d1Q 53.a8Q Qf3+ 54.Kg1 ½-½

Minor

(n.b. some of the game records are incomplete due to time constraint)

Bryant,Martin - Snowden,Mick [B24]
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 1, 12.12.2004
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 g6 5.Nge2 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 d6 9.Nce2 Bg4 10.h3 Bxe2 11.Nxe2 Rb8 12.c3 Qc7 13.Bf4 Rbd8 14.Qd2 Qb6 15.Be3 Qc7 16.Nd4 Ne5 17.b3 a6 18.c4 Ned7 19.Bh6 Nc5 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Rfe1 e6 22.Rac1 Qb6 23.Qc3 Kg8 24.e5 dxe5 25.Rxe5 Qd6 26.Nf3 Nfe4 27.Qc2 Nd3 28.Rd1 Nec5 29.Re3 Rd7 30.Ne5 ..... 1-0

Weleminsky,Anton - Bryant,Martin [C50]
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 2, 12.12.2004
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.h3 Nf6 5.Nc3 0-0 6.d3 h6 7.0-0 Re8 8.a3 a6 9.Bd2 d6 10.b4 Bd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Ne2 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.c3 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Bf5 16.Qf3 Ne7 17.Qg3 Ng6 18.Rad1 b5 19.Bb3 Bxd3 20.Bxh6 e4 21.Qxg6 Qf6 22.Qxf6 gxf6 23.Rfe1 a5 24.Bf4 axb4 25.axb4 c6 26.Rd2 f5 27.Re3 Kg7 28.Rg3+ Kf6 29.Be3 Ra3 30.Bd4+ Ke7 31.Rb2 Rea8 32.Rg7 Bc4 33.Bxc4 bxc4 34.Re2 Ke6 35.Kh2 Ra1 36.Kg3 Rg1 37.f3 Rf8 38.fxe4 f4+ 39.Kg4 Rd1 ..... 0-1

Bryant,Martin - Patel,P [C42]
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 3, 12.12.2004
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 h6 4.Nc3 d6 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Na5 7.Be2 b6 8.0-0 Be7 9.h3 Bd7 10.Be3 Nb7 11.b4 0-0 12.Qd2 Kh7 13.a4 a6 14.a5 b5 15.Nxb5 Nxe4 16.Bd3 f5 17.Qe1 Rf6 18.Nc3 Qe8 19.Nxe4 fxe4 20.Bxe4+ Kg8 21.c3 Bb5 22.Nh4 Qh5 23.f3 Bxf1 24.Kxf1 Raf8 25.Qg3 Rf4 26.Ng6 Bh4 27.Ne7+ Bxe7 28.Bxf4 Rxf4 29.Qf2 Bh4 30.Qa7 Rxe4 31.fxe4 Qf7+ 32.Kg1 Nd8 33.Rf1 ..... ½-½

Mole,Paul - Bryant,Martin [C55]
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 4, 12.12.2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 h6 7.a3 Re8 8.Be3 Bxe3 9.fxe3 d6 10.Qe1 Be6 11.Qg3 Bxc4 12.dxc4 Ne7 13.Nh4 Qd7 14.Rxf6 Kf8 15.Rff1 Qe6 16.Nd5 g5 17.Nf5 Nxf5 18.Rxf5 Qc8 19.Qh3 Kg7 20.Rf6 Re6 21.Qxh6+ Kg8 22.Qxg5+ Kf8 23.Raf1 Ke8 24.Qg8+ Kd7 25.Qxf7+ Kc6 26.Rxe6 Qh8 27.b4 a6 28.Qxc7# 1-0

Bryant,Martin - Towse,Sam [B23]
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 5, 12.12.2004
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Bd7 5.Nge2 Nf6 6.0-0 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Bg7 10.Qd3 0-0 11.Bf4 Qc7 12.Rad1 e5 13.Bg5 Rad8 14.Qxd6 Qxd6 15.Rxd6 Be6 16.Rfd1 Rxd6 17.Rxd6 Nd7 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Nb6 20.Rb5 Rc8 21.c3 Rc7 22.Bd8 Rc6 23.Bxb6 axb6 24.Kf1 Rd6 25.Ke2 Bh6 26.Rd5 Re6 27.Bh3 Rc6 28.Kd3 Bc1 29.Kc2 Bg5 30.Rxe5 Bf6 31.Rd5 Bg7 32.Rd7 Rc4 33.Bg2 Bf8 34.Rxb7 Bc5 35.b3 Rxc3+ 36.Kxc3 Bxf2 37.Kc4 Bg1 38.h3 Bf2 39.g4 Kg7 40.Kb5 h6 41.Rxb6 Bxb6 42.Kxb6 1-0

Lamb,Ian - Bryant,Martin [C44]
10th Bury Rapidplay Round 6, 12.12.2004
1.e4 e5 2.d3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nbd2 Be7 5.g3 0-0 6.Bg2 d6 7.0-0 Bg4 8.c3 d5 9.Qe2 d4 10.Re1 Qd7 11.Rd1 Rad8 12.Nf1 Rfe8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.h4 Nb8 16.Rd2 c5 17.Rad1 g5 18.hxg5 hxg5 19.N1h2 Bh5 20.Qf1 Kg7 21.Rc1 g4 22.Ne1 Bg5 23.f4 gxf3 24.Nhxf3 Bxd2 25.Nxd2 Rh8 26.Nef3 Nc6 27.Nc4 f6 28.Nh2 Bg4 29.Qf2 Bh3 30.Rf1 Rdf8 31.Rc1 Bxg2 32.Qxg2 Rh7 33.Nf3 Rfh8 34.Nh4 Ne7 35.Nd2 Qg4 ..... 0-1