Paul MacDonald was taken ill at the Prestwick congress last night. He was taken immediately to Crosshouse hospital and attended to on his arrival. It appears that he may have suffered a stroke or a mini-stroke. At this time I would ask everyone not to contact the hospital directly. David Deary is in constant contact with Paul's ward and hopefully I will be able to give you all better news in the next few days. If there is anything urgent that you needed to speak to Paul about regarding any junior chess matter could you please contact Andy Howie, Donald Wilson, myself or anyone on the junior board of selectors. All our thoughts are with the big man at this time,

Robin.

Just a reminder that our inaugural Spring Allegro takes place at our usual venue on Saturday 26th May from 10:00 until 16:30. Full details and online entry at –

http://dundee-allegro.co.uk/

Also, running alongside, same date, time & venue is our first venture at a Chess For Kicks event – info/entry details also on the allegro website and CS calendar.

Live game links Will appear here. This is likely to be the last tournament with the old software as we are beta testing the new version. If it is as half as good as the wired version it is going to make my jo
b a lot easier

Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5

Photos

We had a total of 135 children take part in 13 sections with children travelling from Dumfries, Oban, Campbeltown, Dunoon & more local. Thankyou to my arbiting team - Donald Wilson, Michael Hanley, Phil Thomas, Peter Devenny, Tom Donahue, Duncan Campbell, Andrew MacQueen & Derek Howie. I think they broke their previous record this year - we started 10.15 after a few late arrivals & we started prizegiving at 3.45pm after playing 6 rounds (one section it was 7 & we also had a play off).

Thankyou also to Mora Richmond, Rebekah Bond & Mrs Curran for keeping everyone fed & watered & to Matthew & Daniel who set up the tables & chairs before & after the event. Special thankyou to Chess Suppliers being there to give a lot of juniors their first opportunity to buy a nice a chess set & of course the parents support as taxi & personal bank for the children.

Qual- Forename Surname Girl /Boy Section School
Supremo Oran Pathi B U7 Kirkhill PS
Q Sam Harper B U7 Lanark CC
Supremo John Douglas B U8 Rockfield PS
Q Abhinav Datta B U8 LCS-St Cadocs PS
Q Louis McGarrity B U8 St Brides PS
Q Aryaman Tyagi B U8 Dunard PS
Suprema Victoria Smith G U7 Whithorn PS
Q Sophie Bond G U8 Carluke PS
Q Mackenzie Edwards G U8 Fernhill PS
Suprema Naomi McArthur G U8 LCS - St Anthony's PS
Q Kate Rankin G U8 Fernhill PS
Supremo Michael Campbell B U9 St Brides PS
Q Douglas Mack B U9 Dunard PS
Q Kyle McFie B U9 LCS - Carlibar PS
Q David Trainer B U9 Dunard PS
Suprema Lucy Docherty G U9 St Brides PS
Q Caitlin Curran G U9 Rockfield PS
Q Maryam Hanif G U9 Hamilton College
Q India Mackay G U9 Rockfield PS
Supremo Liam Richmond B U10 Rockfield PS
Q Callum Dougall B U10 Tinto PS
Q Euan Dunbar B U10 Fernhill PS
Q Adithya Mohan B U10 LCS - Hutchesons Grammar
Q Lewis Newall B U10 St Brides PS
Q Fintan Pathi B U10 Kirkhill PS
Suprema Ellie McGarrity G U10 St Brides PS
Q Erin Allen G U10 St Anthonys PS
Q Grace Thompson G U10 Rockfield PS
Supremo Luke Laverty B U11 St Marks PS
Q Andrew Lawther B U11 Bishopton PS
Q Richard Menzies B U11 Bishopton PS
Q Mati Steele B U11 LCS-St Mary's
Suprema Lauren Bond G U11 Carluke PS
Q Kirsty MacArthur G U11 Rockfield PS
Supremo Colin Howie B U12 Kirkhill PS
Q Advaith Sastry B U12 Douglas Academy
Q Jack Stewart B U12 Greenwood Academy
Suprema Iona Bryson G U12 Annan Academy
Suprema Caitlin Reid G U13 LCS-Paisley CC
Supremo Alexander Bond B U13 Lanark Chess Club
Q Tom McFadyen B U13 Douglas Academy
Q Tom Reilly B U13 Douglas Academy
Q Dagan Smith B U13 Douglas Academy
Q Ryan Stewart B U13 Dunoon Grammar
Supremo Gareth Coltart B U14 Hamilton College
Supremo Declan Taylor B U15 Our Lady & St Patricks
Suprema Katie Smith G U15 LCS - Hutchesons Grammar
Supremo Brandon Carmichael B U16 Our Lady & St Patricks
Suprema Ruth Devenny G U18 LCS- East Kilbride CC

The Parkstone Hotel is now fully booked for the congress weekend, which is good news for the hotel and the congress in the future.

There are still rooms available in B&B's close by.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.prestwickguesthouse.co.uk/">http://www.prestwickguesthouse.co.uk/</a><!-- m -->

On Friday 4 May 3 rooms available and on Saturday 5 May one room available.

Cost for two people is £60, one person is £40.00.

Golf view... <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.golfviewhotel.com">www.golfviewhotel.com</a><!-- w --> Email <!-- e --><a href="mailto:welcome@golfviewhotel.com">welcome@golfviewhotel.com</a><!-- e --> 1x single room £45 pppn 2x double/twin rooms £35 pppn. Telephone number for Golf View is
01292 671 234

Fernbank <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.fernbank.co.uk">www.fernbank.co.uk</a><!-- w --> telephone 01292475027 email <!-- e --><a href="mailtotay@fernbank.co.uk">stay@fernbank.co.uk</a><!-- e -->
1x twin £55 per room 1x triple £80 per room, 1x single £35 per room, 1 x small double £50 per room

They are all ensuite and include breakfast. They are about 15 minutes walk from the venue and about 5 minutes walk from the Parkstone hotel where the simul is taking place on the Saturday night.

Just 4 weeks to go folks. The 50th edition of the Glasgow Congress is happening on the 18th to 20th of May. Entry form was put up last week, unfortunately I was abroad so did not get a chance to advertise here.

Intention is to start putting up the list of entries from May 1st

Andy

I recently heard the sad news that Alex Bruce a past secretary of the Glasgow Chess League and a member of Netherton cc and Knightswood cc, had very recently passed away suddenly at the age of 97, a few weeks back.

I first met Alex who was a retired Headmaster and always the perfect gentleman, when we both served on the Glasgow League Mancom in the late 80s, although I had been good friends with his son Jim and daughter in law, Ann Bruce since the 70s. Jim was at that time an East Kilbride chess club member, who later played the occasional game for Knightswood along with Alex.

Alex who was still as bright as a button and physically good and active for his age, had moved into a flat in East Kilbride to be nearer Jim and Anne. But sadly, only two days after moving into the flat, Jim & Ann discovered him dead, in the flat.

Although I was pal's with Jim, I am sure that there will be quite a few chess players, who knew Alex better than I did and possibly served on the GCL or played chess with him at Knightswood cc and may wish to pay their respects to one of our best respected Gentlemen of Glasgow chess.

John Dykes

Entries are starting to come in for this year's 5th East Kilbride Weekly Open at the Murray Owen Centre (E.K. chess club's venue), 1 Liddell Grove, Murray, East Kilbride, G75 9AD.

The Dates - five Thursday's - 17th May, 24th May, 31st May, 7th June & 14th June 2012.

This popular tournament holds Scotland's record of having the highest entry (60) for a Weekly Open Chess Tournament, for the following reasons.

We are a 5 round Chessbase.com Scottish Grand Prix Swiss Tournament Event.

We have one of the best, if not THE best, chess club venue's in the West Of Scotland with plenty of light and space for up to 64 entrants to play in comfort.

We have two SCA registered Arbiters running the event, Andy Howie (Fide Arbiter) and Peter Devenny, who have the final say in making the Draw and in any matters of play.

There is a free council car park facing the entrance to the venue, with lighting, which two or three local private higher taxi driver's use as a waiting area, which helps to keep the car park watched.

The 18, 66 and 201 buses stop outside the venue. There is even a bus timetable calculator on the East Kilbride Chess Club website <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ekchess.org.uk/">http://www.ekchess.org.uk/</a><!-- m --> Also at travelinescotland.com/

We supply you with free tea or coffee and a biscuit on a help yourself bases. Juniors (who are not allowed in the kitchen for safety reasons), are provided with one free can of soft drink or small bottle of water, each week.

There is space and sets, in an area, outside the room for analysis. Well away to prevent noise.

A Cup shall be presented to the overall winner and a Cup to the top East Kilbride Chess Club player.
small keepsake trophies shall be given to the cup winners on return of the cups next year.

We have a Guaranteed, modest prize fund of £200 (1st 60, 2nd £40, 3rd £20, Two Grading Prizes of £20, a slow starters prize of £20 and a Junior prize of £20 open to juniors U17 and graded under 1100).

Although our prize fund is modest, we have done this to keep the entry fees, low. £15 or £13 for juniors, CS members and the unwaged.

Even if you miss out on the prizes, you can enter our original free raffle (going back to the early 90s at the E.K. Weekend Open), as a non prize winning entrant, who has stayed for the prize giving. Our friends, Peter & Anne Woods of Chess Suppliers have once again kindly donated two chess books for the free raffle.

Chess Suppliers shall have a book stall at the tournament on Thursday 14th June, where you can look over their book selection. If you need a particular chess book, you can always order it on their website chesssuppliers.co.uk for pick-up at the tournament.

The Tournament was devised in 2008 as part of the clubs 40th Anniversary Tournament, to let the club provide the best Quality and Value we could offer to both our own club players and to chess players from throughout Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, as well as anyone else who wishes to enter. The Tournament was never intended as a profit making venture for the club, (although it is part of the club), as no money from the tournament goes outside the tournament account, which after four years of running the tournament is still close to empty.

Entry forms can be downloaded from either the CS tournament page, or the East Kilbride chess club website <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ekchess.org.uk/">http://www.ekchess.org.uk/</a><!-- m -->

Entry forms should only be sent to

John Dykes
28 Arran
St Leonards
East Kilbride
G74 2LA

or email me at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk">j.dykes@blueyonder.co.uk</a><!-- e --> (make sure you receive a reply confirming that you have entered).

or phone me on 01355 610170

The closing date is Tuesday 15th May 2012

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your entry.

The entry list will go public once it reaches 40 entries.

To all who have already played in a previous E.K. Weekly Open, please feel free to add your feedback on this Tournament page, which will help potential chess players who are considering entering the tournament for the first time.

Kind Regards
John Dykes
Tournament Director

We are still looking for a suitable captain for the event in Istanbul in August.
Teams more or less picked, will announce when captain finalised.
Please contact me if you are interested

A reminder that we are holding the usual Polytechnic Quickplay on Thursday 19 April at 7.00pm for 7.15 start. Five round Swiss, 15 min per player per game, £5 entry fee, returned as prizes after costs.
Best way to enter is by email to me <!-- e --><a href="mailto:kstewart9@blueyonder.co.uk">kstewart9@blueyonder.co.uk</a><!-- e --> (which lets me get data on computer in advance) though entry on night is possible.