Club Championship Begins!

The main event of the year, the Club Championship, kicked off on Thursday. A rating of 2000+ is no longer a passport to the A grade, despite the absence of Arthur Pomeroy and Andrew Stone. Making their debut in the top grade this year are Ryan Winter (2129) and Robert Laking (2014), and they both got draws in the first round (against Layla and me respectively).

The B grade is also stronger than previously, boosted by Kapiti players Alan Winfield and Gordon Lyall, and also by fast improving younger players Michael Sole and Fabian Day. This means that traditional B-graders Andrew Brockway and Peter Stoeveken have been displaced to the Swiss, where they are amongst the favourites, along with Nathan Hall (rating 1863), 12 year old Caleb He (1823) and returning player Edward Tanoi.

There is no D grade this year. The 30 players not in the top 2 groups will play in a Swiss tournament to decide the C grade champion. This is because of the problem of non-attendance in the lower grades, which meant last year that the C grade was something of a fiasco. At least with a Swiss tournament, players whose opponents do not show up can be re-paired, unlike in a round robin tournament. Obviously it would be preferable if people turned up for their games.

Anthony and Russell are off representing New Zealand in the Batumi Olympiad, so their round one opponents, Michael Nyberg and Nic Croad, played their round three game early. Michael seemed to be holding, but Nic ground him down until Michael made a couple of errors, whereupon his position suddenly collapsed.

Game of the round was undoubtedly Forster v Nijman. Bill as white accidentally lost a rook in the opening (!), but it turned out that converting the win required a little bit of care on Brian's part.
Many thanks to Bill for providing annotations here.




Ryan had white against Layla, and was under pressure for most of the game. However pieces got swapped, and the game ended in a peaceful rook and pawn ending.

A Grade

Forster      1-0       Nijman
Winter   1/2-1/2    Timergazi
Laking   1/2-1/2    Sellen
R3:
Nyberg      0-1       Croad

B Grade

Mullan      1-0        Lyall
Day        1/2-1/2     Rossiter
Sole           0-1        Aldridge
Winfield 1/2-1/2     Benitez
Jackson      1-0        Chen

C Grade

No Name                  Loc  Total  Result   Name             Loc  Total

 1 Daniel Kibblewhite    1481 [0]      0:1    Andrew Brockway  1863 [0]  
 2 Nathan Hall           1863 [0]      1:0    Lars Stannard    1409 [0]  
 3 Nicholas Heyworth     1368 [0]      0:1    Caleb He         1823 [0]  
 4 Peter Stoeveken       1822 [0]      1:0    James Kierstead  1317 [0]  
 5 Karthikeyan Annamalai 1300 [0]      0:1    Edward Tanoi     1800 [0]  
 6 Lawrence Farrington   1763 [0]      1:0    Bobby Stannard   1298 [0]  
 7 Josh Langford         1291 [0]      ½:½    Hamish Dixon     1701 [0]  
 8 Michael Ashe          1623 [0]      1:0    Bruce Asher      1256 [0]  
 9 Kane Rodrigues        1000 [0]      0:1    Robert Hurndell  1551 [0]  
10 Samuel Darr           1481 [0]      1:0    Geoff Osborne    1500 [0]  
11 Sean Johnson          1099 [0]      0:½    Christopher Sole 1184 [0]  
12 Alexis Wevers         1795 [0]      ½:½    BYE                        
13 Romeo Rabina          1695 [0]      ½:½    BYE                        
14 Don Stracy            1649 [0]      ½:½    BYE                        
15 Satwik Meravanage     1550 [0]      ½:½    BYE                        
16 Dylan Frater          1509 [0]      ½:½    BYE                        
17 Paul He               1507 [0]      ½:½    BYE                        
18 Aiden Zhao            1236 [0]      ½:½    BYE                        
19 Lewis Carroll         1190 [0]      0:0    BYE                        

Alan Winfield's New Chess Blog

Great things are happening up the Kapiti Coast! The chess club is expanding rapidly, thanks in large part to the efforts and energy of one of their top players, Alan Winfield.
Three of the players in the Wellington Chess Club Championship B grade also play at the Kapiti Club (Alan Winfield, Ross Jackson, Gordon Lyall).
Alan has just started a Blog, which already has a feast of information and analysis.

Please follow the link here:

http://kapitichessnews.blogspot.com/

Nic Croad Wins Julian Mazur 2018!

Apologies for not updating round 7!
In that round, Nic Croad drew with Anthony Ker, and Russell Dive beat Ryan Winter, so Nic was still half a point ahead. Having played all the top players, he was tied against Edgar Benitez in the last round and did not have too many problems.
So congratulations Nic! He also confirmed his newly won position as Wellington's top NZCF rated player.

Ryan Winter, having nearly overcome Nic in an earlier round, could also have won against Russell in round 7:

Russell played 38. Qg3?? in this position, which should lose immediately to 38. ...Rxh3!, gaining a piece. However, Ryan missed this, and played 38. ... Qf5??, and after 39. Rxb7 Bxf4 40. exf4 had to resign.

Still, in spite of a couple of unfortunate errors, Ryan played excellent chess overall, and he seems destined to join the ranks of the very best players in the country.

Don't miss Anthony and Russell talking chess strategy at the club this Thursday, and then after that we will be going into the Club Championships. Meanwhile, here are the round 7 and round 8 results, and the final cross table.

Round 7

No Name                   Loc  Total  Result   Name                 Loc  Total

 1 Ker, Anthony           2472 [4]      ½:½    Croad, Nic           2422 [6]  
 2 Dive, Russell          2453 [5]      1:0    Winter, Ryan         1999 [4.5]
 3 Stone, Andrew          2087 [4]      0:1    Nijman, Brian        2155 [4]  
 4 Jackson, Ross          1986 [4]      0:1    Benitez, Edgar       1908 [4]  
 5 Nyberg, Michael        2109 [3.5]    1:0    Lyall, Gordon        1900 [3.5]
 6 He, Caleb              1717 [3.5]    ½:½    Sellen, Ian          2085 [3.5]
 7 He, Paul               1223 [3.5]    0:1    Forster, Bill        2051 [3.5]
 8 Aldridge, Alan         1934 [3.5]    0:1    Rossiter, Philip     2010 [3.5]
 9 Winfield, Alan         1960 [3.5]    1:0    Ashe, Michael        1650 [3.5]
10 Laking, Robert         1900 [3]      1:0    Wevers, Alexis       1821 [3]  
11 Sole, Michael          1782 [3]      1:0    Brockway, Andrew     1888 [3]  
12 Hall, Nathan           1529 [3]      ½:½    Farrington, Lawrence 1769 [2.5]
13 Heyworth, Nicholas     1300 [2.5]    1:0    Rabina, Romeo             [2.5]
14 Darr, Samuel           1522 [2.5]    1:0    Osborne, Geoff       800  [2]  
15 Annamalai, Karthikeyan 1200 [2.5]    0:1    Kibblewhite, Daniel  1486 [2.5]
16 Benitez, Ric           1551 [2]      0:1    Stracy, Don          1631 [2]  
17 Hurndell, Robert       1600 [2]      1:0    Asher, Bruce         1263 [1]  
18 Sole, Christopher      1143 [1]      1:0    Carroll, Lewis       880  [1.5]
19 Timergazi, Layla       2119 [3]      0:0    BYE                            
20 Stoeveken, Peter       1815 [3.5]    0:0    BYE                            
21 Day, Fabian            1778 [1.5]    0:0    BYE                            
22 Frater, Dylan          1509 [2]      0:0    BYE                            
23 Stannard, Lars         1402 [1.5]    ½:½    BYE                            
24 Stannard, Bobby        1306 [2.5]    ½:½    BYE                            
25 Zhao, Aiden            1246 [1.5]    ½:½    BYE                            
26 Johnson, Sean          1000 [2]      0:0    BYE                            

Round 8

No Name                   Loc  Total  Result   Name               Loc  Total

 1 Benitez, Edgar         1908 [5]      0:1    Croad, Nic         2422 [6.5]
 2 Nijman, Brian          2155 [5]      0:1    Dive, Russell      2453 [6]  
 3 Winter, Ryan           1999 [4.5]    0:1    Ker, Anthony       2472 [4.5]
 4 Rossiter, Philip       2010 [4.5]    0:1    Nyberg, Michael    2109 [4.5]
 5 Forster, Bill          2051 [4.5]    ½:½    Winfield, Alan     1960 [4.5]
 6 Stone, Andrew          2087 [4]      1:0    Laking, Robert     1900 [4]  
 7 Sellen, Ian            2085 [4]      1:0    Sole, Michael      1782 [4]  
 8 Jackson, Ross          1986 [4]      1:0    He, Caleb          1717 [4]  
 9 Hall, Nathan           1529 [3.5]    1:0    Aldridge, Alan     1934 [3.5]
10 Lyall, Gordon          1900 [3.5]    1:0    Darr, Samuel       1522 [3.5]
11 Stoeveken, Peter       1815 [3.5]    1:0    Heyworth, Nicholas 1300 [3.5]
12 Kibblewhite, Daniel    1486 [3.5]    0:1    Ashe, Michael      1650 [3.5]
13 Wevers, Alexis         1821 [3]      1:0    He, Paul           1223 [3.5]
14 Brockway, Andrew       1888 [3]      1:0    Hurndell, Robert   1600 [3]  
15 Stracy, Don            1631 [3]      1:0    Stannard, Bobby    1306 [3]  
16 Farrington, Lawrence   1769 [3]      ½:½    Rabina, Romeo           [2.5]
17 Johnson, Sean          1000 [2]      -:-    Benitez, Ric       1551 [2]  
18 Frater, Dylan          1509 [2]      0:1    Sole, Christopher  1143 [2]  
19 Osborne, Geoff         800  [2]      1:0    Zhao, Aiden        1246 [2]  
20 Carroll, Lewis         880  [1.5]    -:+    Stannard, Lars     1402 [2]  
21 Timergazi, Layla       2119 [3]      0:0    BYE                          
22 Day, Fabian            1778 [1.5]    0:0    BYE                          
23 Alcorn, Simeon         1447 [.5]     0:0    BYE                          
24 Asher, Bruce           1263 [1]      ½:½    BYE                          
25 Annamalai, Karthikeyan 1200 [2.5]    0:0    BYE                          
26 Srivastava, Krishh          [0]      0:0    BYE                          

Cross Table

No Name                   Loc  Total  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8  

1  Croad, Nic             2422 7.5   17:1  8:1 12:1  2:1  5:1  6:1  3:½  7:1
2  Dive, Russell          2453 7     28:1 24:1 11:1  1:0 15:1  3:1 12:1  5:1
3  Ker, Anthony           2472 5.5   42:½ 19:1  7:1  5:½ 13:1  2:0  1:½ 12:1
4  Nyberg, Michael        2109 5.5   14:0 31:1 33:1  9:½ 12:½  0:½ 13:1 16:1
5  Nijman, Brian          2155 5     23:1 18:1  9:1  3:½  1:0  7:½  6:1  2:0
6  Stone, Andrew          2087 5     25:1 13:½ 42:1 30:½ 10:1  1:0  5:0 18:1
7  Benitez, Edgar         1908 5     26:½ 46:1  3:0 14:1 25:1  5:½  9:1  1:0
8  Winfield, Alan         1960 5     44:1  1:0 14:0 27:1 39:1 10:½ 17:1 11:½
9  Jackson, Ross          1986 5     29:1 38:1  5:0  4:½  0:½ 20:1  7:0 19:1
10 Sellen, Ian            2085 5      0:½ 39:1 30:½ 24:1  6:0  8:½ 19:½ 21:1
11 Forster, Bill          2051 5     27:1 21:1  2:0 28:½  0:½ 24:½ 26:1  8:½
12 Winter, Ryan           1999 4.5   31:1 14:1  1:0 22:1  4:½ 26:1  2:0  3:0
13 Lyall, Gordon          1900 4.5   45:1  6:½ 16:1 15:½  3:0  0:½  4:0 25:1
14 Hall, Nathan           1529 4.5    4:1 12:0  8:1  7:0 20:0 31:1 28:½ 24:1
15 Stoeveken, Peter       1815 4.5   43:1 16:1  0:½ 13:½  2:0  0:½  0:0 29:1
16 Rossiter, Philip       2010 4.5   36:1 15:0 13:0 40:½ 29:1 25:1 24:1  4:0
17 Ashe, Michael          1650 4.5    1:0 44:1 24:0 31:½ 38:1 41:1  8:0 27:1
18 Laking, Robert         1900 4     37:1  5:0  0:½ 19:1  0:½  0:0 22:1  6:0
19 He, Caleb              1717 4      0:½  3:0 41:1 18:0 35:1 28:1 10:½  9:0
20 Brockway, Andrew       1888 4      0:½ 26:½ 25:½ 37:½ 14:1  9:0 21:0 34:1
21 Sole, Michael          1782 4     35:1 11:0 26:½ 25:0 41:1  0:½ 20:1 10:0
22 Wevers, Alexis         1821 4     38:0 36:1 40:1 12:0  0:½  0:½ 18:0 26:1
23 Stracy, Don            1631 4      5:0 37:0 46:1 35:0 27:½  0:½ 39:1 31:1
24 Aldridge, Alan         1934 3.5   41:1  2:0 17:1 10:0 37:1 11:½ 16:0 14:0
25 Darr, Samuel           1522 3.5    6:0 34:1 20:½ 21:1  7:0 16:0 35:1 13:0
26 He, Paul               1223 3.5    7:½ 20:½ 21:½ 33:1 28:1 12:0 11:0 22:0
27 Kibblewhite, Daniel    1486 3.5   11:0  0:½  0:½  8:0 23:½ 44:1 37:1 17:0
28 Farrington, Lawrence   1769 3.5    2:0 29:1 35:1 11:½ 26:0 19:0 14:½ 33:½
29 Heyworth, Nicholas     1300 3.5    9:0 28:0  0:½ 38:1 16:0 43:1 33:1 15:0
30 Timergazi, Layla       2119 3     34:1  0:½ 10:½  6:½  0:½  0:0  0:0  0:0
31 Stannard, Bobby        1306 3     12:0  4:0 43:1 17:½ 40:1 14:0  0:½ 23:0
32 Sole, Christopher      1143 3      0:½ 42:0  0:½  0:0  0:   0:0 43:1 40:1
33 Rabina, Romeo               3      0:   0:   4:0 26:0 36:1 35:½ 29:0 28:½
34 Hurndell, Robert       1600 3     30:0 25:0  0:½  0:½ 43:1  0:0 44:1 20:0
35 Osborne, Geoff         800  3     21:0  0:½ 28:0 23:1 19:0 33:½ 25:0 41:1
36 Stannard, Lars         1402 3     16:0 22:0 44:1 39:0 33:0 40:½  0:½ 43:+
37 Annamalai, Karthikeyan 1200 2.5   18:0 23:1  0:½ 20:½ 24:0  0:½ 27:0  0:0
38 Johnson, Sean          1000 2     22:1  9:0  0:½ 29:0 17:0  0:½  0:0 39:-
39 Benitez, Ric           1551 2      0:½ 10:0  0:½ 36:1  8:0  0:0 23:0 38:-
40 Frater, Dylan          1509 2      0:½  0:½ 22:0 16:½ 31:0 36:½  0:0 32:0
41 Zhao, Aiden            1246 2     24:0  0:½ 19:0 47:1 21:0 17:0  0:½ 35:0
42 Day, Fabian            1778 1.5    3:½ 32:1  6:0  0:   0:0  0:0  0:0  0:0
43 Carroll, Lewis         880  1.5   15:0  0:½ 31:0 44:1 34:0 29:0 32:0 36:-
44 Asher, Bruce           1263 1.5    8:0 17:0 36:0 43:0 47:1 27:0 34:0  0:½
45 Tung, Melvin           1200 1     13:0  0:½  0:½  0:   0:   0:   0:   0: 
46 Alcorn, Simeon         1447 .5     0:½  7:0 23:0  0:   0:0  0:0 47:   0:0
47 Srivastava, Krishh          0      0:   0:   0:  41:0 44:0  0:0 46:   0:0
48 Bennett, Sarah         1429 0      0:0  0:   0:   0:   0:   0:   0:   0: