Lothians Congress Minor

[David G Congalton]

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you fair warning. If you are playing in the Minor section of the Lothians congress this weekend please bring your A game. I have made a solemn promise to myself to purchase an aquarium and some tropical fish should I score 5 out of 5 and I really, really want a 60l aquarium complete with cabinet. Obviously, I also want a small bridge to put in the said aquarium for the fish to meander over and back again.

For those who may be unfortunate enough to face me, you have one more day and two more nights to brush up your skills and work on your game. I will be showing no mercy to adults or juniors, men or women and fully intend to sweep all before me in pursuit of this goal. Take my recent results at face value at your peril.

I do not expect any easy games, in fact I demand you play to the best of your capabilities. That way, when I am sitting admiring my new underwater extravaganza it will be that much more satisfying. Once you have been beaten do not be disheartened, I shall be buying 5 fish for my new aquarium and will name them after my 5 vanquished opponents. From the entrants list, so far, the fish may be called Mark, Camas, David Mc, Mike and Mahir. I reckon I'll need to invest in at least one mini-shark if that's how it turns out.

For those who would like a fish named after them, play well and play to win. Should you do well you may get to face me in a last round showdown, if you are lucky and before the last round if you're not.

Ha ha ha ha ha (please read the last in a manic, deranged kind of way, for full effect).

[Mike Mitchell]

Davie I really thought you meant Rybka Aquarium at first until I read further!

(are they still allowed to sell that after all the hullabaloo over Rybka?)

In any case I may be beaten before a piece is moved - down with a rotten head cold courtesy of my daughter which if not cleared by Saturday will mean a non-attendance. The irritating noise of crutches pacing up and down the playing hall is bad enough. But tied together with constant nose blowing it all becomes too much.

[David G Congalton]

Mike, hope your cold clears up in time for you to play.

I've lined up the cold excuse along with the time control isn't suited to my style of game and some other less believable ones for Sunday night or maybe even Saturday morning if things go awry.

Fingers crossed you make it on Saturday, if not, I'll see you at Dundee.

[Mike Mitchell]

Hope to be there Davie, if we do play let's make sure it's not as tame as our last encounter!!!

It would be my first time at the Lothians, missed it last year due to the snow. Although I think the same time control was used on day 1 at Hamilton and the West, so I don't have that as an excuse, I just need to up the pace!!!

You'll see me at Dundee regardless, and Scarborough, I've managed to convince my better half again that she can have a great weekend there, just her, the kids and Peasholm Park.

[robin moore]

I have a feeling David's fish may be still swimming about the pet shop aquarium on Monday (mind you, they might not know it). Not a reflection on your ability David but the times they are-a-changin in the bottom two sections of Scottish tournaments.

Robin.

[Mike Mitchell]

So is anybody sleeping with the fishes after this weekend?

[David G Congalton]

Saturn was the Roman god of Time and his weapon was a scythe. He chopped all my little fish dreams to pieces in round three.

The minor section at the Lothians was very closely contested and I don't think there was really that much between any of those who finished in the top half. On another day, any on of a dozen players could have won had a result or two turned out differently. There were quite a few juniors snapping on the heels of the adults. The likes of Stuart Wynne, Declan Shafi and Anna Milton are starting to mature as players and I think their performances at the weekend are an indication of what's to come. I think all three are just on the brink of moving up to the next level, where they will be challenging for prizes on a Sunday afternoon on a regular basis.

Among the adults, everybody seemed to take points of everybody else. David Watson had an outstanding four rounds but fell at the last hurdle. I was surprised that Mahir lost in round 2 to Bill Hepburn, with the withdrawal of Mike Mitchell through illness, Mahir was my pre-tournament favourite. This was Mahir's only loss.

Bill had a good tournament but his 3rd round loss to Dave Watson meant he was in a similar situation to me going into round 4, needing two wins and other results to go his way to stand a chance of being in the prizes. Round 3 losses can be quite difficult to recover from, as it's usually round 3 when the form players meet and you go from having the outcome in your own hands to relying on others. Both Bill and myself drew in round four, which is credible given the effort required to put a round 3 loss behind you but nevertheless put us out of the running for the top prizes. Bill did, however, win a grading prize, so his efforts were rewarded.

My conquerer Martin O'Leary also suffered at the hands of David Watson and was doubly unlucky to face Mahir in the last round. After going in to Sunday as joint leader two defeats must have been hard to bear.

The board 1 matches were moved downstairs for the fourth and fifth rounds to be played on the sensory boards. I'm all for using the sensory boards and really wanted to play on them this week but moving them away from where the rest of the section was taking place meant that you couldn't observe what was going on at the top of the section, without running the risk of your opponent making a quick move and running your clock down.

I'm not sure how you would address that though, while still having the incentive of playing your match live on the net. Perhaps Donald or one of the control team could have come upstairs to the minor section after each move had been made and played the move on a board in the minor hall, then went back downstairs to see what the next move was, before coming back up to make the move on the "empty" board.

Apart from that very minor issue, I would say that it was another very well run congress and thanks to all whose hard work made it possible.

Next stop on this years tour is Dundee. I wonder where the pet shop is there.

[Phil Thomas]

David,

perhaps you should save up for a much larger aquarium and a shark called Anatoly

Noting that the Karpov - Fischer match never happened in 1974/75

[Andy Howie]

The board 1 matches were moved downstairs for the fourth and fifth rounds to be played on the sensory boards. I'm all for using the sensory boards and really wanted to play on them this week but moving them away from where the rest of the section was taking place meant that you couldn't observe what was going on at the top of the section, without running the risk of your opponent making a quick move and running your clock down.

Was a tough one as we didn't want the Minor missing out.

[Jacqui Thomas]

Next stop on this years tour is Dundee. I wonder where the pet shop is there.

I dont know but I do know where it is (well at least was) in Grangemouth because that is exactly what happened there 5 yrs ago - an aquarium was purchased for D - we no longer have it as not only was the impulse to have fish short lived but the fish were as well!