Final Bedford results at the British (Hull 2024):
Over-50: Steve Ledger (FIDE 2012) 3/7, =25th/42, starting rank 16th, TPR 1936, opponent average 1986.
Over-65: Paul Habershon (FIDE 1936) 3/7, =34th/58, starting rank 30th, TPR 1912, opponent average 1962.
Under-14: Ramsey Dairi (FIDE 1800) 3/7, =19th/29, starting rank 8th, TPR 1622, opponent average 1672.
Under-10: Daniella Dairi (787) 2.5/7, =20th/27, starting rank 25th, TPR 988, opponent average 1090.
Under-10 Rapid: Wolf Sharp (1278) 5.5/9, =6th/45, starting rank 25th, TPR 1557, opponent average 1483
Daniella showed encouraging improvement and Wolf Sharp was on excellent form. He was well up with the leaders on 5/7 before finishing with a draw and a loss but comfortably played above his rating. Otherwise there were disappointing performances from our other guys, who all lost rating points. Ramsey chose to play in the U-14 instead of trying to retain his U-12 title. Uncharacteristic early blunders in Rounds 3 and 4 wrecked his tournament. Nevertheless I, for one, enjoyed the Congress which is very well organised. It was good to see so many of the leading players participating in the main Championship; this hasn’t always been the case in recent years. Former club members IM Andrew and FM Dave Ledger scored solidly with 5.5/9 and 5/9 respectively. In Round 2, though, Andrew resigned in a level position against the eventual winner, Gawain Jones. You can of course find the moves of this or any other game by clicking the link already provided in the last report from Hull.
Riot alert! We were warned on the Friday that the National Front would hold a rally in Victoria Square (where the magnificent Hull City Hall chess venue is located) at noon the next day. For safety on Saturday entry was by a side door with check-in and bag search. Metal grilles protected the main entrance doors. The rally never materialised but when I arrived for my afternoon game I heard that the morning players had been in temporary lockdown. Although the city centre seemed normal there was trouble only a street away from the venue. A ShoeZone store had been invaded and shoe boxes set on fire outside. At Hull in 2018 I had stayed at the Royal Hotel near the station. I rejected it this time because it permitted only 30 minutes free WiFi per day. It was the main trouble spot with rioters throwing bricks at the windows because it housed asylum seekers. In the end the tournaments all finished safely, but there could have been mayhem if thugs had entered the building and hurled live boards and chess pieces around.
We look forward to knowing the venue for 2025, but the ECF finds it much more difficult nowadays to book something affordable. Hull wasn’t announced until March this year.
Paul Habershon, 8th August 2024