European Senior Team Championship

[amuir]

This will take place in Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia from 26th March until 5th April 2012. If there is sufficient interest Chess Scotland will send two or even three teams.
Players must pay their own costs. In 2010, Scotland finished 10th and in 2011 they finished 11th. .
Entitled to participate are men who have reached the age of 60 years and women who have reached the age of 50 years, by 1st January 2012."
If you are definitely available to play, please contact Andrew Muir by 15 December 2011

[amuir]

6 players are available - enough for 1 team
If any others wish to play to make up 2nd team please let me know by friday

[amuir]

We now have 8 players so can send two teams.
However rules now changed so that players born in 1952 can play.
If Roddy McKay , Alan Grant or any one else affected wishes to contact me then we
can send say 2 teams of 5 - deadline for these players can be extended to january 5 as just an add-on to squads


European Senior Teams Championship 2012

European Chess Union proudly presents

Hosted at Slovenija’s premier spa:
THE LEGENDARY
ROGASKA SLATINA, SLOVENIJA
26. March – 05 April 2012

This invitation is extended to all senior Ladies and Gentlemen throughout Europe to participate in this continental championship.

Do not miss this opportunity and do yourself and the organizer the honour of your participation.

The chess tradition of Rogaska Slatina is gold without any suspect: 1929 brought the first International tournament which included famous participants such as: 1. Akiba Rubinstein, 2. Salo Flohr, 3. Alexander Takacs, 4. Vasja Pirc, 5. Geza Maroczy. 2011 brought the European Club Championship – fantastic Tournament, with over 300 Grandmasters from 42 European countries. Rogaska Slatina was the inaugural venue in 1929 and we are proud to host this event again for the championships in 2012!


TOURNAMENT REGULATIONS

1. ORGANIZERS, VENUE

The European Chess Union, Slovenian Chess Federation and Šahohlačnik d.o.o. organize the 11th European Senior Championship, from March 26th to April 5th , 2012 in Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia.

2. PARTICIPATION

Any number of Teams from each federation of ECU have the right to participate. The teams may represent a national federation or any regional structure of a national federation. Players having a FIDE rating may only represent a team coming from the federation given in their FIDE rating card (FIDE rating list). All the players must come from the same federation; however this rule is waived if all the members of the team are unrated. Each team consists of four players; in addition one reserve player may be nominated. A provisional naming of the players and the substitute has to be given together with the registration of the team. Changes in the team can be made until the captains meeting takes place. Reserve players are only allowed to play board 4. Entitled to participate are men from the ECU Chess Federations who shall have reached the age of 60 and women who shall have reached the age of 50 years, by December 31st of the year in which the tournament will commence.

[amuir]

In order that players can book flights, the squads for the A and B teams have now been finalised ( either 9 or 10 players). Any further players who wish to contact me would form a C team

[amuir]

The A team has been finalised (5 players)
The B team has 4 players.
A player who wishes to play by January 5 will join the B team squad.
Teams announced then

[amuir]

Finalised teams:

A
Philip Giulian FM
Peter Jamieson FM
Gerald Bonner
Alastair White (captain)
Alan Borwell

B
Douglas McKerracher (captain)
Ian Marks
Stephen Smith
George Murphy
Hugh Flockhart

Thanks to Alan Borwell for help with administration. Our 2 IMs Craig Pritchett & Roddy McKay could not play this time but maybe they can play next year.

[David G Congalton]

Good luck to both teams in this event, which starts on Tuesday.

The tournament website is <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://sent2012.sahohlacnik.com">http://sent2012.sahohlacnik.com</a><!-- m -->

It looks like a fantastic venue and a lovely area.

[Alastair White]

Today's results:

Scotland 1: 2½- England 3: 1½

P Giulian (W) 2290 1-0 J Scholes 2100
P Jamieson 2251 1-0 P Kendall 2042
G Bonner 2197 0-1 R Scowen 1943
A Borwell 2085 ½-½ P Wood 1890

Philip started well, catching his opponent out with a couple of pawn-winning tricks. But Alan could make no headway with the Black pieces and Gerald's promising-looking position mysteriously evaporated leaving him material down and lost. So we needed the full point from Peter to avoid an embarrassing result and although it looked dodgy for a while, he got there in the end.

Steiermark (Austria): 3 – Scotland 2: 1

H Watzka FM (W) 2253 ½-½ I Marks 1891
K Nickl 2162 1-0 S Smith 1855
H Kratschmer 2164 1-0 G Murphy 1811
K Pitzl 2093 ½-½ H Flockhart 1845

The first riund was always going to be a tough one but Ian did very well to hold an FM with the Black pieces; and Hugh also did well to hold the draw in his game so an encouraging result.

Tomorrow Scotland 1 play 4th seeds Montenegro in a repeat of last year's final round match; while Scotland 2 play Denmark 2.

[Alastair White]

Elsewhere Russia started ominously with a 4-0 whitewash of Turkey; most of the other seeds also won but the result of the round was Wales beating 5th-seeded Austria!

[Alastair White]

Round 2

Against Montenegro Peter inflicted a rare defeat on their Board 2, just as he did last year. However, the rest of us were less successful. Phil felt he should have drawn against his GM opponent (who beat Craig last year) but didn't play the best line. Alastair and Alan were ultimately defeated, too, by higher-ranked opponents (both FMs).

The second team also lost 3-1 (to Denmark 2), the highlight being Douglas defeating an FM opponent on Board 1. Once again Ian put up stiff resistance but didn't manage to hold the draw today.

Both teams should have a better chance tomorrow.