Was somewhat surprised to find a double page chess article in this (Tue 15th Jan 2013) morning's Metro.
There's a slightly abbreviated version available online.

Andy Burnett has withdrawn
Anyone want to play ? free accommodation & share a room with Alan Tate
Chance to beat some GMs like Steve Mannion did
Please contact me asap

Hi to all, just a reminder that the next CFK heat is on Saturday, in Airdrie, usual venue with a 12.30pm start. If you want to enter just e-mail me.

Michael.

Just some pics of the Minors

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.317509298350279.55267.134717489962795&type=1#!/media/set/?set=a.317509298350279.55267.134717489962795&type=1">http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 795&type=1</a><!-- m -->

Quote:News Biscuit: In light of recent concerns with the celibacy of gay bishops, FIDE, the World Chess Federation has announced that the rules of chess will be changed for matches played in 2013 and beyond.

From now on, bishops may not ‘take’ other bishops in the diagonal fashion we are used to seeing. FIDE are still under continued criticism for only allowing black bishops to take white ones and vice versa. ‘Same-race bishop interaction is still not allowed’ a FIDE spokesperson admitted. ‘And of course bishops taking horses, queens and those little ones will continue as normal’.

Anyone else seen the latest from the Zadar Open?

2200 Ivanov had some smashing results:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8751">http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8751</a><!-- m -->

but his own countryman, FM Lilov seems to think he played very "houdini-ishly" (by very, I mean 95 to 97% of the time!!):

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr0J8SPENjM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr0J8SPENjM</a><!-- m -->

Quite a long video but very intriguing indeed! Lilov is suggesting organisers in big tournaments invest in some anti-cheating devices... certainly a sad state of affairs if such a measure is deemed necessary.

I would like to think that any player can significantly and quickly improve with effort, hard work and belief. And that an in-form and improving 2200 could play to 2600 hundred strength. In fact we have seen this with our very own Alan Tate (Congratulations again for your efforts on getting that GM norm).
However, after watching Lilov's video it appears that maybe Ivanov's "success" has not been merited honestly...

Any thoughts?

I am pleased to announce that Hugh Brechin has agreed to help out as a moderator on the forum.

Are the dates and place known yet?

Thanks Iain Hope

StevieHilton Wrote:David,
Who was consulted over the use of incremental time controls?
Were CS consulted?
Where disability issues taken into consideration?
By announcing this type of time control, you are effectively banning disabled players particularly blind and deaf/blind from participating in the event. You simply cannot do that.
I would ask you to reconsider this

Quote:Thomas Luther won the 1st World Chess Games for Disabled which was held October 25-29 in Dresden, Germany. The competition was a 7-round open tournament that followed the Swiss pairings system, and only for disabled chess players. There was a separate team ranking and each team consisted of four players.

The time control was 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move one.

The 3rd Prestwick Chess Congress will take place during the late Spring Bank Holiday this year, from Friday the 24th May to Sunday 26th May. The event will once again be held in the Aviator Suite at Prestwick International Airport.

Further details and entry forms will be available from around the beginning of February on the Prestwick Congress website <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ayrshirechesscongress.co.uk">www.ayrshirechesscongress.co.uk</a><!-- w -->

As a small taster I can reveal that Prestwick 2013 will be, as far as I’m aware, the first major weekend congress in Scotland to use incremental time controls across all of the main event sections. The arbiters should have some fun with that.

The time control is looking like it will be 90 minutes for all moves, with 30 second increments from move 1. This means no stopping writing down your moves and also (and I’m sure our qualified arbiters will correct me if I’m wrong) no rule 10.2 draw claims.