Richardson Cup 2006-2007

update April 29, 2007

Hamilton scraped through after a tense match. Danny McGowan, with examinations to study for, took a quick draw. Tom Donohue then did what was required and won on board 8. I had a slight advantage against Roddy but missed the best line and repeated moves. Joe Redpath played a poor opening and also could do no more than draw. Boards 2 and 3 had also agreed draws which meant the match would be decided on boards 5 and 6.        

Chris MacDonald looked certain to win as Malcolm Tyre was short of time and his pieces were pinned but Chris misjudged a long tactical line and ended up the exchange and two pawns down and had to resign. Things looked bleak for Hamilton as Adrian Stalker was a pawn down with little winning chances and a draw meant a board count loss. I was even saying to Rod Tweedie at this point what a disappointing season Hamilton were having. However Sai Kong Tsang then moved all his pieces towards Adrian Stalker's king whilst leaving his own king defenceless. Adrian then, with a long series of checks to keep the crowd on tenterhooks, finally mated his opponent to clinch a narrow victory.    Andrew Muir

Richardson Cup Final

Board No Cathcart Hamilton Colour Name Grade Score Name Grade Score 1    R McKay 2360 ½  A Muir 2367 ½ 2    S Mannion 2303 ½  S Tweedie 2234 ½ 3    A Grant 2178 ½  P Coffey 2213 ½ 4    A Maxwell 2026 ½  J Redpath 2229 ½ 5    M Tyre 1869 1  C MacDonald 2093 0 6    S Tsang 1814 0  A Stalker 2107 1 7    R Coleman 1755 ½  D McGowan 2078 ½ 8    S Beaton 1559 0  T Donohue 1965 1       Total 3½   Total 4½

 

1.  Irvine 1.5	Kilmarnock 3.5	Glasgow Montrose 2.5	Cathcart 3.5	Hamilton
2.  Kilmarnock 6.5
3.  Glasgow Montrose 5	Glasgow Montrose 4.5
4.  Bon Accord 3
5. Edinburgh West 3.5	Cathcart 5	Cathcart 5.5
6. Cathcart 4.5
7.	Glasgow Polytechnic 3
.
8.	Hamilton 7	Hamilton 6	Hamilton 4.5
.
9.  Oban 6	Oban 1
10.  Phones 2
11.  Castlehill 6	Castlehill	Wandering Dragons 2
12.  Dundee & Victoria 2
13. Wandering Dragons 5	Wandering Dragons w/o
14.  Edinburgh 3

Grading data

CLOSING DATES FOR THE ROUNDS ARE:

1st Round : Saturday 18 November 2006

2nd Round : Saturday 13 January 2007

Semi-finals : Saturday 17 February 2007

Final : Saturday 28 April 2007 (at central venue)

****************

Spens Cup 2006-2007

Click headers for grading data

Spens Final

Section A
Inverness	Carse of Gowrie
v	v	18th November
Glenrothes	Peterhead
1-5	0.5-5.5
Glenrothes	Peterhead
v	v	13th January
Carse of Gowrie	Inverness
4.5-1.5	2.5-3.5
Carse of Gowrie	Glenrothes
v	v	17th February
Inverness	Peterhead
0-6 (def)	6-0 (def)
Section B
Dumfries & District	Hamilton Juniors
v	v	18th November
Lanark	Edinburgh Civil Service
3.5-2.5	4-2
Lanark	Edinburgh Civil Service
v	v	13th January
Hamilton Juniors	Dumfries & District
4-2	3-3
Edinburgh Civil Service	Dumfries & District
v	v	17th February
Lanark	Hamilton Juniors
2.5-3.5	2.5-3.5

 

Dates:
Cloing dates for the rounds are:
1st Round	Saturday 18th November 2006
2nd Round	Saturday 13th January 2007
3rd Round	Saturday 17th February 2007
Finals	Saturday 28th April 2007

Dear Team Captain,

                        This year in the Richardson Cup we see only 14 teams participating, Inverclyde having withdrawn and Glenrothes not willing to take promotion.

The draw is one where you could not have done it if you tried it scenario. Some local teams being paired against each other so eliminating the need to drive to distant places.

However that's not the case for Bon Accord, Phones, Glw Montrose & Oban.

In the Spens Cup this year we have a record for the last 3 years, we have 7 teams taking part, despite the entry fee being waived.

This years competition will be split into an A and B section. One section having three and the other four. The winners of each section will play for the Spens Cup, with the runners up in each section playing for the Jackie Campbell Rosebowl.

The dates for the sections are already predefined, with the first named team being at home.

It would seem obvious that the Spens is not working to its full potential and that a change in direction may be needed. A number of ideas I have in mind are to merge the two tournaments, but still call it the Richardson Cup with the losers in the first round playing off for the Spens and Campbell rosebowl. Allowing clubs to enter more than one team.

Drop the Richardson from 8 boards to 6 boards.

Or increase the Spens from 6 to 8 boards

Or after the start of the first round losers stay at 6 boards, with the winners going into round two and increasing to 8 boards.

I do not wish to see the Spens cup devalued but I am open to suggestions for the future, if you have any ideas I would be pleased to hear from you.

After the first round of the Richardson Cup I will inform those who have lost who there opponent will be in the relegation battle. It is possible that if there is to be a new format then relegation will be a thing of the past.

Tournament Arbiter

Sam Collins

14 Cove Road

GOUROCK PA19 1RS

(01475) 636607  Mobile 07799468904

sam.collins@btinternet.com