Chess Scotland Noticeboard

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

On the back of last year's 3rd East Kilbride Weekly Open Tournament becoming Scotlands most succesful and record breaking, Weekly Open Chess Tournament in the last 30 years (or possibly ever, according to records held). Certainly numbers wise, with 60 entries, although we still have some catching up to do in years to match the excellent but now sadly defunct Renfrewshire and Cathcart, Weekly Opens.

I am now taking entries for this year's tournament which starts on the 28th April 2011.

The Tournament is a Chessbase.com Scottish Grand Prix Swiss Tournament event, which will be held in the E.K. Chess club's excellent disabled friendly venue.

The Murray Owen Centre
1 Liddell Grove
The Murray, (facing the Murray square shops, on Murray Road)
East Kilbride
G75 9AD

A map can be found on the club web page http://www.ekchess.org.uk/

The Tournament shall run for five out of six Thursdays, on a swiss bases, with accelerated pairings in round 1 & 2. The dates include,

28th April
12th May
19th May
26th May
2nd June

But not 5th May, due to the venue being used as a polling station on Elelction night.

More information can be had by downloading an entry form from the CS home page or on the East Kilbride Chess Club web page http://www.ekchess.org.uk/ or by contacting John Dykes the Tournament Director on 01355 610170 or at j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk

The closing date for entries is Tuesday 26th April

The Tournament updates shall be posted on a regular bases on the Chess Scotland Tournament section of the Notice Board and on the East Kilbride Club web page http://www.ekchess.org.uk/

I look forward to you entering

John Dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

If anyone is finding difficulty downloading an entry form from the new CS web page, they can give me a phone on 01355 610170 or email me at j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk

Or go to the East Kilbride Chess Club web page at http://ekchess.org.uk/

Remember that regular updates about the tournament shall be posted on the Chess Scotland Noticeboard - Tournament Chat

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

The Tournament entries are starting to fill up, which is no suprise as it is as cheap as chips to enter, at only £15 or £13 with concession's, for the five rounds (over five nights). Remembering that there are no further charges, as you get free parking in the car park facing the venue. We even supply adults with as much free tea and coffee as you need, with a free biscuit, on a help yourself bases. Or a free can of Juice or small bottle of water per week for juniors.

It's also as classy as as caviar to play in, with it's large airy, spacious and bright, modern playing conditions, that you would be hard pressed to find better anywhere, for playing chess.

All games are graded and count for Grand Prix points. With a Guaranteed minimum prize fund of £200 to give away. You don't even need to worry if you don't play well in the tournament, as you can still be a winner, with the famous E.K. tournament Free Raffle at the prize giving for non prize winning entrants, who stay for the prize giving. The book prizes are generously donated and presented by Anne & Peter Woods of Chess Suppliers, who will have a book stall in the foyer, all evening in the final round on the 2nd June 2011.

Entry forms can be found on this web site, under the Tournament Calendar on the CS home page or at the E.K. Chess Club web site, http://ekchess.org.uk which also shows you an excellent map of the venue for direction to the venue.

To get the regular entry updates and further information, don't forget to look in on the CS Tournament Chat page :- Updated Now

IMPORTANT WARNING :- If you are thinking of entering, don't forget we are limited to 64 entries and ended up with a Scottish Chess Record for a weekly Swiss Open Tournament of 60 entrants, last year, so safer to enter early , rather than miss out and be disappionted.

Entries can be emailed to me at j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk

Cheers
John dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

The latest entry figures on 18th April @ 11pm, have been updated over on the Tournament Chat page.

If anyone is hesitant to enter because they may need a half point bye in one of the first four rounds, can I remind them that last year's winner, Paul MacDonald won despite taking a half point bye in round 1 and on top of that he was the eleventh seed and nearly 300 grading points below the top seed.

The accelerated pairings, in the first two rounds, help to make the competition more even matched with the top two quarters playing each other in the fist two rounds

Also the bottom two quarters play each other in the first two rounds, keeping the top half and bottom half separate in the first two rounds.

first round draw Top Quarter v Second top Quarter

Third Quarter v Bottom Quarter

Round two will be drawn as a normal swiss tournament, except the top half and bottom half will still remain separate.

Only in round 3, 4 and 5 will it revert to a normal swiss tournament based on the number of points a player has.

This is done to stop an unbalanced tournament round 1 or 2 draw, where the two opponents grade's would be quite clearly several hundred points apart, making the round meaningless for both opponents.

I hope that makes accelerated pairings less complicated and not more complicated for people to understand. Confused

Feel free to improve on my explanation, if you feel it needs it.

More info over on the Tournament Chat page.

Cheers
John Dykes

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

The latest update on entries, is over on the Tournament Chat page.

I shall keep this General Chat page for General issues about the tournament, so feel free to ask anything about the tournament or if you have played in it, you can leave feedback about the tournament here.

The Tournament Chat page shall be kept for the very latest entry numbers and the full list of players, when we get to 40 (not to long to go).

For anyone using public transport, I have got a list of the buses which stop at the Murray Square and the side of the road at the venue, from Jim Johnston.

The Murray Square side has the 16 to Glasgow, 66 from Glasgow and the 201 to Hamilton/Airdrie.

The Venue (other) side of the road is the reverse, with the 16 from Glasgow, 66 to Glasgow and the 201 from Hamilton/Airdrie.

The Tournament page has just been updated, with the most up to date entry numbers.

Cheers
John Dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

This year's Tournament Entry List, has now been put up on the Tournament Chat page, with 47 entrants and 17 spaces/places (I am never sure which) left to fill.

The list shall be updated each day until the entry closing date at midnight on Tuesday 26th April, or when/if we reach our hall capacity of 64 entrants, which ever comes first.

As the Easter Weekend is now upon us, I would suggest that anyone who has not yet entered and wishes to do so, now enter by either Emailing me at j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk or phoning me on 01355 610170 or entering on the E.K. tournament page on the CS Tournament Chat forum.

If you have entered and your name does not appear on the entry list, please contact me urgently, before the tournament fills up.

Jim Johnston has now added a bus journey calculation from Traveline Scotland, Journey Planer to the East Kilbride Club web site at http://ekchess.org.uk/ to help people coming to the chess club/tournament venue.

Cheers
John Dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

With two day's left to the Tournament closing date, (unless we reach the 64 entries sooner), we are currently standing at

52 entrants

12 spaces left

The full entry list can be seen over on the CS Tournament Chat page or the East Kilbride Chess Club web site, http://ekchess.org.uk/

We currently have entrants from the following clubs

Bearsden, Bellshill, Crowwood, Cumbernauld, E.K., Giffnock, Grangemouth, Greenwood, Hamilton, Inverclyde, Irvine, Lanark, Polytechnic, Shettleston and Troon.

It would be nice if we could get a representative from the following clubs.

Ardrossan, Cathcart, Glasgow Montrose, Kilmarnock, Phones and Prestwick

Who have all had representatives play at East Kilbride, before.

Anyone from any other club not listed above, are obviously welcome as well.

Anyone wanting to see the full list or the entry form, or to find out how to enter, can find the details on both the Chess Scotland Tournament Chat page and the East Kilbride Chess Club web page at http://ekchess.org.uk/

You can also contact me at j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk or phone me on 01355 610170 before 11pm until Tuesday 26th April 2011.

I hope to hear from you.

Cheers
John Dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

We are now standing at 53 entrants @ 9pm on Monday 25th April, with just over a day to the final closing date. There are still 11 spaces left, so why don't you join us on Thursday night by entering just now.

With around about 100 chess players, who has previously played in 1st - 3rd of the East Kilbride Weekly Opens, It surprised me that as one of the very best tournaments to play in, (and officially the most popular weekly tournament's on record in Scotland), that no one has ever entered these pages to say anything positive about the tournament.

So please feel free to add your experience of the E.K. Weekly Open, to this Forum.

The latest entry list can be viewed on the CS Tournament Page under the East Kilbride 4th Weekly Open Tournament Update, page, or at the East Kilbride Chess Club website http://ekchess.org.uk/

Cheers
John Dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

We now stand at 54 entrants @ 10pm on Monday 25th April 2011.

With one day to go to fill the final 10 places left in the tournament.

The full list is on our Tournament Chat page.

Cheers
John Dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

We are now standing at 56 entries and only have 8 places left in the tournament.

Ian C Mason 1879 Grangemouth being the latest entry.

Remember there is a full list of entrants over on our Tournament Chat page and on the East Kilbride Chess Club web page http://ekchess.org.uk/

Entering could not be simpler, with a choice of three ways of doing it.

Email me at j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk

If you are a CS member, you can enter on our Tournament Chat page.

or you can phone me on 01355 610170

Just remember to do it before the closing date deadline of midnight tonight.
Assuming we do not reach the limit of 64 entries before that time, with only 8 places left to fill.

Look forward to hearing from you.

John Dykes
Tournament Director

john dykes · Rook Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 70 Location: east kilbride

With less than 2hrs to go before the original closing date we are now standing at

Entrants 57

Places Left 7

We are delighted to welcome entrants from no less than 15 different clubs, joining us in what is officially Scotland's Premier Weekly Open Chess Tournament.

George Thomson 1548 Cumbernauld is the latest entrant to join us.

The full list of entrants are over on the Tournament Chat forum and also on the East Kilbride Chess Club website at http://ekchess.org.uk/

Due to the tournament closing date falling so close to the Easter weekend I have been requested to extend the closing date to 10pm on Wednesday 27th April. There will definitely be no entries accepted beyond that time.

However if you are considering entering, I would suggest that you take into account that we only have 7 places left in the tournament. So safer to enter earlier rather than being disappointed by leaving it to late.

You can enter by emailing me at j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk or phone me before midnight tonight on 01355 610170 or before 10pm tomorrow night, allowing that there are any places still left.

John Dykes
Tournament Director