1979 2nd Aaronson Masters, 12-20 April, Harrow, London (9 rounds)

1979 Aaronson Masters		Fed	Elo	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Paul E Littlewood	ENG	2405	♦ 1/20	◊ ½/45	♦ 1/29	◊ 1/46	♦ 1/28	♦ 1/11	◊ ½/8	◊ 1/3	◊ ½/2	7½
2	Christer Niklasson	SWE	2385m	½/58	½/51	1/35	♦ 1/4	½/9	1/25	◊ 1/13	◊ 1/23	♦ ½/1	7
3	Manuel Rivas Pastor	ESP	2365	◊ 1/54	½/13	◊ 1/34	♦ 1/9	½/43	1/10	1/14	♦ 0/1	◊ 1/8	7
4	Richard Britton	ENG	2320	♦ 1/16	1/36	0/10	◊ 0/2	♦ 1/61	♦ 1/41	◊ 1/42	½/12	1/13	6½
5	Dragoljub Janosevic	YUG	2400g	◊ 0/34	1/30	1/68	1/6	◊ 1/21	♦ 0/8	◊ 1/26	♦ ½/25	1/11	6½
6	Carl-Magnus Bjork	SWE		½/56	1/63	½/45	0/1	½/40	1/29	1/48	◊ 1/14	½/12	6
7	Murray G Chandler	NZL	2380m	♦ ½/55	◊ 0/46	♦ ½/37	◊ 1/33	♦ 1/50	◊ 0/23	◊ 1/54	♦ 1/40	◊ 1/25	6
8	Gert Ligterink	NED	2440m	◊ 0/9	♦ 1/38	1/16	◊ 1/36	♦ 1/26	◊ 1/5	♦ ½/1	½/11	♦ 0/3	6
9	H Dugald Macpherson	ENG	2330	♦ 1/8	½/65	1/55	◊ 0/3	½/2	1/30	½/10	♦ 1/43	½/21	6
10	Margeir Petursson	ISL	2420m	½/53	◊ 1/57	1/4	♦ ½/21	1/41	0/3	½/9	½/15	1/23	6
11	H James Plaskett	ENG	2410	1/24	♦ 1/47	½/46	◊ 1/12	♦ 1/44	◊ 0/1	1/43	½/8	0/5	6
12	Jonathan S Speelman	ENG	2470m	◊ 1/50	♦ ½/25	◊ 1/32	♦ 0/11	◊ 1/52	½/42	◊ 1/21	½/4	½/6	6
13	Jacek Bednarski	POL	2375m	1/72	½/3	1/31	0/28	1/65	◊ 1/44	♦ 0/2	1/22	0/4	5½
14	Edward W Formanek	USA	2410m	½/63	◊ 1/52	♦ 1/65	◊ 0/44	1/68	◊ 1/53	0/3	♦ 0/6	◊ 1/42	5½
15	David Friedgood	ENG	2310	0/45	1/74	½/62	◊ 0/53	♦ 1/18	◊ 1/46	1/24	½/10	½/17	5½
16	Maxwell L Fuller	AUS	2380	◊ 0/4	♦ 1/67	0/8	♦ 1/57	◊ 1/35	♦ 0/21	1/58	♦ 1/26	½/24	5½
17	Julian M Hodgson	ENG	2285	0/31	◊ 0/26	½/67	1/71	1/49	◊ 1/20	½/44	1/36	½/15	5½
18	Simon JB Knott	ENG	2210	½/27	0/70	1/75	0/22	◊ 0/15	◊ 1/67	1/69	1/56	1/37	5½
19	Paul Van der Sterren	NED	2400	♦ 0/65	◊ 0/44	½/27	1/66	1/33	1/68	0/23	◊ 1/28	1/29	5½
20	David J Strauss	USA	2345	◊ 0/1	½/75	◊ 1/64	½/48	½/29	♦ 0/17	1/55	1/30	◊ 1/43	5½
21	John Watson	USA	2375	♦ 1/64	◊ 1/39	♦ ½/28	◊ ½/10	♦ 0/5	◊ 1/16	♦ 0/12	1/44	½/9	5½
22	William N Watson	ENG	2265	♦ 0/62	½/59	½/66	1/18	½/39	1/31	♦ 1/53	0/13	1/35	5½
23	C John Van Baarle	NED	2325	1/59	½/29	◊ ½/51	0/43	◊ 1/69	♦ 1/7	1/19	♦ 0/2	0/10	5
24	Paul Boersma	NED	2350	0/11	½/49	0/50	1/75	1/47	1/45	0/15	1/53	½/16	5
25	Danny Kopec	USA	2365	1/26	◊ ½/12	♦ 0/44	1/40	1/45	0/2	♦ 1/28	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/7	5
26	Peter G Large	ENG	2265	0/25	1/17	◊ 1/30	1/47	◊ 0/8	1/58	♦ 0/5	◊ 0/16	♦ 1/52	5
27	Ian Duncan Wells	ENG		½/18	0/55	½/19	½/49	♦ 0/31	1/73	1/70	½/52	♦ 1/45	5
28	Michael J Basman	ENG	2405	◊ 1/42	♦ 1/48	◊ ½/21	1/13	◊ 0/1	0/43	◊ 0/25	♦ 0/19	◊ 1/56	4½
29	Robert Bellin	ENG	2425m	◊ 1/60	½/23	◊ 0/1	½/51	½/20	0/6	◊ 1/50	♦ 1/41	0/19	4½
30	Christophe Bernard	FRA		1/74	0/5	♦ 0/26	1/72	♦ 1/36	0/9	½/39	0/20	1/64	4½
31	Karl Burger	USA	2365	1/17	½/34	0/13	0/42	◊ 1/27	0/22	½/46	1/51	½/40	4½
32	Susan Linda Caldwell	ENG	2075	½/44	1/71	♦ 0/12	0/65	½/73	0/36	½/66	◊ 1/61	1/58	4½
33	Gary M Clark	ENG		0/48	½/73	1/76	♦ 0/7	0/19	◊ 1/49	½/65	½/63	1/60	4½
34	Glenn C Flear	ENG	2320	♦ 1/5	½/31	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/52	½/37	½/40	½/35	½/39	½/44	4½
35	Nicolas Giffard	FRA	2330	◊ 0/47	♦ 1/54	0/3	1/62	♦ 0/16	1/61	½/34	1/38	0/22	4½
36	David S C Goodman	ENG	2340	◊ 1/43	0/4	1/58	♦ 0/8	◊ 0/30	1/32	1/51	♦ 0/17	½/50	4½
37	John C Hawksworth	ENG		½/70	½/58	◊ ½/7	½/73	½/34	½/55	1/64	½/42	0/18	4½
38	Mark L Hebden	ENG	2230	1/66	◊ 0/8	0/52	◊ 0/61	1/60	½/59	1/68	0/35	♦ 1/55	4½
39	Graham D Hillyard	ENG	2325	1/75	♦ 0/21	½/47	½/55	½/22	½/51	½/30	½/34	½/46	4½
40	Richard F Holmes	ENG		0/51	♦ 1/60	◊ 1/57	0/25	½/6	½/34	1/56	◊ 0/7	½/31	4½
41	Daniel J King	ENG	2265	½/71	◊ 1/61	1/70	½/45	0/10	◊ 0/4	½/52	◊ 0/29	♦ 1/63	4½
42	Bachar Kouatly	LEB	2335m	♦ 0/28	1/56	♦ ½/48	1/31	1/46	½/12	♦ 0/4	½/37	♦ 0/14	4½
43	Stanimir Nikolic	YUG	2440g	♦ 0/36	◊ 1/62	♦ 1/53	1/23	½/3	1/28	0/11	◊ 0/9	♦ 0/20	4½
44	Emmanuel Rayner	WLS	2325	½/32	♦ 1/19	◊ 1/25	♦ 1/14	◊ 0/11	♦ 0/13	½/17	0/21	½/34	4½
45	Francisco Javier Sanz Alonso	ESP	2390m	1/15	♦ ½/1	½/6	½/41	0/25	0/24	◊ 1/59	1/54	◊ 0/27	4½
46	Peter J Sowray	ENG	2210	1/67	♦ 1/7	½/11	♦ 0/1	0/42	♦ 0/15	½/31	1/48	½/39	4½
47	Shaun M Taulbut	ENG	2390m	♦ 1/35	◊ 0/11	½/39	0/26	0/24	½/50	½/62	◊ 1/69	1/65	4½
48	Frans Borm	NED	2320	1/33	◊ 0/28	◊ ½/42	½/20	½/55	½/52	0/6	0/46	1/65	4
49	A Diaz	VEN	2230	0/68	½/24	½/61	½/27	0/17	♦ 0/30	½/75	1/74	1/73	4
50	Robert Gruchacz	USA	2355	♦ 0/12	½/66	1/24	½/63	◊ 0/7	½/47	♦ 0/29	◊ 1/65	½/36	4
51	Richard Meulders	BEL	2225	1/40	½/2	♦ ½/23	½/29	0/53	½/39	0/36	0/31	1/71	4
52	Kenneth I Norman	ENG	2240	1/76	♦ 0/14	1/38	♦ ½/34	♦ 0/12	½/48	½/41	½/27	◊ 0/26	4
53	Nigel Edward Povah	ENG	2325	½/10	♦ 1/69	◊ 0/43	♦ 1/15	1/51	♦ 0/14	◊ 0/22	0/24	½/54	4
54	Nigel D Short	ENG	2260	♦ 0/3	◊ 0/35	½/74	◊ 1/67	1/70	◊ 1/65	♦ 0/7	0/45	½/53	4
55	Richard Bailey	ENG	2305	◊ ½/7	1/27	0/9	½/39	½/48	½/37	0/20	½/64	◊ 0/38	3½
56	Michael J Bulford	ENG	2295	½/6	0/42	0/69	♦ 1/76	1/62	1/63	0/40	0/18	♦ 0/28	3½
57	Sheila Jackson	ENG	2095	◊ 1/73	♦ 0/10	♦ 0/40	◊ 0/16	½/66	½/72	½/60	½/58	½/67	3½
58	Glenn EJ Lambert	ENG	2315	½/2	½/37	0/36	1/60	1/63	0/26	0/16	½/57	0/32	3½
59	Andrew P Law	ENG	2375	0/23	½/22	½/73	½/69	½/64	½/38	♦ 0/45	½/68	½/62	3½
60	Jan-Olov Lind	SWE	2355	♦ 0/29	◊ 0/40	♦ 1/71	0/50	0/38	1/74	½/57	◊ 1/66	0/33	3½
61	Michael Macdonald-Ross	SCO	2265	½/69	♦ 0/41	½/49	♦ 1/38	◊ 0/4	0/35	½/72	♦ 0/32	1/76	3½
62	H Muller	FRG		◊ 1/22	♦ 0/43	½/15	0/35	0/56	0/64	½/47	1/72	½/59	3½
63	John G Nicholson	ENG	2310	½/14	0/6	♦ 1/72	½/50	0/58	0/56	♦ 1/67	½/33	◊ 0/41	3½
64	Robert G Wade	ENG	2345m	◊ 0/21	½/68	♦ 0/20	1/74	½/59	1/62	0/37	½/55	0/30	3½
65	Terry B Bennett	ENG	2290	◊ 1/19	½/9	◊ 0/14	1/32	0/13	♦ 0/54	½/33	♦ 0/50	0/47	3
66	Nicolas Bernard	FRA		0/38	½/50	½/22	0/19	½/57	½/71	½/32	♦ 0/60	½/72	3
67	Jonathan Isaac Century	ENG		0/46	◊ 0/16	½/17	♦ 0/54	1/76	♦ 0/18	◊ 0/63	1/75	½/57	3
68	Clive E Hill	ENG		1/49	½/64	0/5	◊ 1/70	0/14	0/19	0/38	½/59	0/48	3
69	John H Hodgson	ENG		½/61	◊ 0/53	1/56	½/59	♦ 0/23	½/73	0/18	♦ 0/47	½/70	3
70	Dr Ulrich Jahr	FRG	2280	½/37	1/18	0/41	♦ 0/68	0/54	0/27	0/71	1/76	½/69	3
71	Stephen GR Kerr	AUS		½/41	0/32	◊ 0/60	0/17	½/74	½/66	1/70	½/73	0/51	3
72	Alan H Perkins	ENG	2300	0/13	½/76	◊ 0/63	0/30	◊ 1/75	½/57	½/61	0/62	½/66	3
73	Ludwig Rellstab	FRG	2220m	♦ 0/57	½/33	½/59	½/37	½/32	½/69	0/27	½/71	0/49	3
74	Stephen Quigley	ENG	2270	0/30	0/15	½/54	0/64	½/71	0/60	½/76	0/49	1/75	2½
75	Matts Unander	SWE		0/39	½/20	0/18	0/24	♦ 0/72	1/76	½/49	0/67	0/74	2
76	Paul Spiller	NZL		0/52	½/73	0/33	◊ 0/56	0/67	0/75	½/74	0/70	0/61	1

The crosstable is from the bulletin, where it did not include colour details (but I have generated some of them from game score data). The bulletin had a number of errors in the individual results and one of the player totals (it gives 4½ for F Borm but it adds up to 4), which I have endeavoured to correct - JS

76 players, grading minimum 187 / 2100, 36 were non-English.

IM norms: John Watson (USA - 3rd and final norm); Paul E Littlewood (2nd norm); Manuel Rivas Pastor (ESP); H James Plaskett; H Dugald Macpherson; Richard Britton
FM norms: Michael Basman; David Friedgood; Max Fuller; Peter Large; Paul Boersma; John van Baarle
IWM norm: Susan L Caldwell

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The AARONSON Group of companies, sponsors of this event, manufacturers of Contiboard, Contiplas and Laconite, are Europe’s largest producers of wood veneered and melamine surfaced boards. Aaronson Bros., Ltd., Aro House, 18-19 Long Lane, London EC1A 9NT.

The organisers of the event, THE LONDON CHESS ASSOCIATION, acknowledge the valued financial support of:

• British Chess Federation
• City of London Chess Congress
• Friends of Chess
• Islington Chess Club
• Slater Foundation
  

Prize fund: £250 £200 £175 £150 £125 £100 • Best score by an Islington Chess Club member: £20 • Most meritorious performances by juniors : 6 months subscription to British Chess Magazine

Stewart Reuben - Congress Director
Richard Beville - Assistant Director and Arbiter
Simon Brown, Janie Brown, Sean Ringstead - Assistant controllers
Sue Carr - refreshments

INTRODUCTION by Stewart Reuben
One of the more pleasing things about running an event of this nature is that it provides an opportunity to meet together with friends of old standing, from all over the world. Michael Macdonald-Ross and Bob Wade take the honours as I have known them for 27 years, before substantially more than half the tournament were born. Janosevic I have known for more than 20 years, although our paths have not crossed since Reykjavik in 1972 when I beat him in a 30/30 tournament. I last met Nikolic in 1967 in Beverwijk where we drew. As Leonard Barden said after I had drawn with Vlastimil Hort at the 1977 Aaronson Open, "now you're guaranteed always being invited to London events."

The event is pleasingly more international than last year, 17 different FIDE countries are represented. Of the 78 competitors, 36 are non-English. As the first round pairings were English v non-English, this meant that there were only two pairings between co-nationals.

Chess seems to me unique in that no notice is taken of differences in age. The range here is from 14-year-old Nigel Short to 74 years young Ludwig Rellstab international master from West Germany, Last year’s Lloyds Bank had a rating range from 1300 to 2500. This year it is only 2100 to 2475 and I think this is much better.

Several of the competitors here came straight on from Lone Pines in California and we have a minor competitor in the Montreal World Cup which starts at the same-time. This has the line-up Karpov, Spassky, Tal, Larsen, Portisch, Ljubojevic, Kavalek, Timman, Hubner, Hort. In my opinion,unless you can achieve an array as sparkling as this, a Swiss is always better value for money. A 16-player all-play-all results in a tremendously high proportion of non-games and it can only be of benefit to a tiny number of home players.

Most players clearly agree. We had every reason to expect a lower entry this year: competition from another London tournament at Easter in Sutton, an Elo-rated event in Ireland, a suburban venue rather than central London, a more restricted entry, higher entry fees, 9 days off work rather than 7. Yet there are 78 players as opposed to 72. Perhaps this also shows that players proportionately prefer a more dignified event with a slower time limit.

There has been a certain amount of ill-informed comment on these events manufacturing title norms. There is no truth in this. What is manufactured is the opportunity to achieve title norms. This event would comfortably meet the requirements for international competitions if it were all-play-all. With 15 international masters we could have had five ten-player all-play-alls. This would probably have resulted in 5-10 IM norms. It is most unlikely that there will be more than eight achieved here simply because potential contenders must play against each other. Note this is written before the conclusion of round one. The great thing is that it is extremely democratic, nobody has to rely on an idiosyncratic invitation from a biased organiser.

The first round pairings can bear some explanation. What has been done is that the ungraded players were paired with the lowest rated competitors. The remainder were paired top half v second half and English v non-English.

In the second round, a number of players with 1 or ½ from the bottom group may be paired with high-ranking first round losers. This is the basis of the accelerated pairing system widely used in London.

With the need to play only 3 IMs in 9 rounds and 15 to choose from, it is unlikely that much attention will have to be paid to selecting opponents for specific players. There was a certain amount of perhaps-justified criticism of this last year.

With four champions of their countries (Speelman, Britain; Ligterink, Holland; Rivas, Spain; Meulders,Belgium), it is difficult to select the favourite in the betting to win but Jonathan Speelman has the main consensus. Other crystal-ball gazing leads to van der Sterren performing below par having just achieved his IM title at Lone Pine; Michael Basman playing some unusual opening systems; juniors getting malicious pleasure when their contemporaries lose; the grandmasters finding that everybody wants their scalps; and a low percentage of draws except in the last round.

ROUND 1

As usual in tournaments this got off to a peculiar start. Peter Sowray played Jonathan Century in advance as Thursday was the second day of the Jewish passover. Jonathan stood better but fell for an unusual trap. On his 36th move he played his rook to b2 only to be answered by 0-0-0 check winning the rook!

One never knows quite who is going to fail to turn up but as it proved the only disappointment was the Israeli international master Gruenfeld. One of the greatest advantages of running a Swiss rather than an all-play-all is that one player more or less is of little importance.

As already predicted in the introduction, the grandmasters did not find Harrow particularly healthy and both lost. Nigel Short destroyed his whole game by the 8th move. Only five of the titled players succeeded in winning and, in particular, Sheila Jackson collected her first IM scalp, a game that looked as if it had been arranged for the photographers. Max Fuller, as always a gentleman, immediately told us he had lost a brilliant game against Richard Britton.

ROUND 2

Perhaps this was a rather less scalp-collecting round than the first. True, Taulbut lost to Plaskett but this cannot really be considered a surprise. Chandler played a well-known piece sacrifice, well-known that is to everybody but him and immediately he left established analysis he was lost. The substantial number of draws and the effectiveness of accelerated pairings resulted in only five players being left with 2/2, The game most appreciated by the spectators must have been Bednarski-Rivas. The Pole stood better but was in serious time-trouble for about 20 moves. Watching his smoking and grimacing is much better than television. An error late in the first session led him to having to defend trenchantly a knight and pawn ending for the draw. Spectators? Well, yes there were three apart from the players for the whole day. Today Max Fuller came up and announced that he had won a brilliant game. Does this count as advice whether solicited or not to the editor?

ROUND 3

Now there were only 5 players left with 100% so that the top pairings were: Basman v J. Watson. Sowray v Plaskett. Petursson(1½) v Britton.

Basman and Watson had an interesting if uneven game in which Watson stood better but was unable to consolidate his advantage. Peter Sowray had a quick draw with Jim Plaskett in which, if anything, the advantage lay with Peter – as you might expect.

The most dramatic encounter was that between Nigel Povah and Nikolic. Nigel gained a tremendous advantage and converted it into a queen up against two bishops. He slowly drifted into equality and then managed to lose with a series of cunning blunders. At the bottom of the draw there were a couple of quickly split points so as to ensure that nobody castled queens!

Kevin Wicker has asked me to remind you that these interruptions are being written by Stewart Reuben and not him. The management takes no responsibility . . . Oh yes, Max told us that this time he lost an awful game.

ROUND 4

The evennness of the players was demonstrated by the fact that there were now no players with 100% nor 0%. Top pairings:

Plaskett 1 Speelman 0
J.Watson ½ Petursson ½
Formanek 0 Rayner 1
Bednarski 0 Basman 1
Littlewood 1 Sowray 0
Macpherson 0 Rivas 1
King ½ Sanz (2) ½

Richard Beville felt that I should not have phoned Daniel so that he knew his opponent well in advance. This allowed him to prepare with the help of Leonard Barden. He obtained much the better game but it drifted and discretion became the better part of valour, but surely learning about advance preparation is one of the purposes of such an event and anybody could ask for the same facility.

Plaskett destroyed Speelman in perhaps the most important encounter of the tournament. Jonathan unjustifiably tried to mix it before completing his development. John Watson tells us his game was of theoretical importance despite his mishandling it after obtaining an advantage. Bednarski-Basman was, as expected, great fun to watch. Michael turned up 20 minutes late but after his standard opening with black - 1 e4 e6 2 d4 a6 was soon a full hour ahead on the clock. Naturally Michael’s pieces reached ridiculous-looking squares but what does that matter? The Pole got into worse and worse time-trouble, Michael played better and better and won.

Lower down Nikolic was a clear pawn down for most of the game but this did not prevent van Baarle losing. Spiller-Bulford was one of the great bad games of chess and you too can become helpless with laughter if you play through it carefully.

Max (I've always beaten women) Fuller played extra well against Sheila Jackson.

ROUND 5

Leading results;

Basman (3½) 0 Littlewood (3½) 1
Rayner (3½) 0 Plaskett (3½) 1
Rivas (3½) ½ Nikolic (3) ½
Large (3) 0 Ligterink (3) 1
Janosevic (3) 1 Watson J (3) 0
Petursson (3) 1 King (3) 0
Niklasson (3) ½ Macpherson (2½) ½

The ease with which it is possible for players to meet their titled opponents became apparent this round. Clive Hill completed his schedule of 3 IMs, 4 foreigners and 5 players rated 2300 or over despite himself being unrated. Littlewood and Plaskett were clearly going to have greater difficulty having moved above all the foreigners and titled players.

As usual Basman got into a horrible position, this time against Paul Littlewood. Perhaps his style is less satisfactory against forthright British players. There were no big surprises on the top boards. Large-Ligterink went on well into the third session. Peter had the exchange plus for much of the game and rather unrealistically thought he stood better and pressed to win. Eventually he lost back the exchange and went into a lost ending.

Board 30 saw the start of the Muller-Bulford saga. We will keep you up-to-date from time to time. Max told us he sacrificed a pawn for an hour on the clock against Giffard and the game he won certainly wasn't chess.

ROUND 6

Leading results
Plaskett (4½) 0 Littlewood (4½) 1
Rivas (4) 1 Petursson (4) 0
Ligterink (4) 1 Janosevic (4) 0
Formanek (3½) 1 Povah (3½) 0
Kopec (4) 0 Riklasson (3½) 1
Nikolic (3½) 1 Basman (3½) 0
Kouatly (3½) ½ Speelman (3½) ½
Bednarski (3½) 1 Rayner (3½) 1

Jim Plaskett expressed concern that he should perhaps have offered Paul an early draw, Well, of course, it is by no means certain that it would have been accepted but the professional approach would have demanded this. Bent Larsen as usual offered the most pertinent comment after playing Ken Rogoff many years ago. Ken offered a draw when he stood much better. Larsen’s view, "you should have played on trying to win, you have all the time in the world in the future to start agreeing draws."

Rivas had a long drawn-out encounter with Petursson. It finished up as queen against a rook and pawn and an easy technical win for the Spaniard. Jonathan Speelman seemed disappointed that we could only pair him with an IM not with a player needing an IM for a norm. But most people were now completing their requirements and also it was becoming apparent that there would be few norms achieved. Bednarski played practically all the non-book moves in the three minutes he left himself. Manny Rayner seemed quite won at several points but it was a really hairy encounter.

The Muller-Bulford saga continues now past one hundred moves. The German trying to win with rook and two pawns against bishop and knight - after all, he couldn't lose. I was astonished at the number of people who seemed to think that he had a significant material plus. Max Fuller gave only a wry smile as comment on his game.

ROUND 7

Littlewood (5½) ½ Ligterink (5 ) ½
Formanek (4½) 0 Rivas (5 ) 1
Plaskett (4½) 1 Nikolic (4½) 0
Niklasson (4½) 1 Bednarski (4½) 0
Speelman (4) 1 Watson J (4) 0
Janosevic (4) 1 Large (4) 0
Macpherson (4) ½ Petursson (4) ½
Britton (4) 1 Kouatly (4) 0
Van Baarle (4) 1 Van der Sterren (3½) 0

Paul drew quietly and sensibly with Gert Ligterink which ensured his IM norm. Formanek stood better against Rivas who was in desperate time-trouble as usual. Ed went wrong and lost back his extra pawn. He then sat there, apparently hypnotised into paralysis and lost on time. Jim cheapoed the Yugoslav grandmaster in the late endgame having stood worse for much of the game. Rumour has it that Karl Burger invented the word "cheapo". Somehow I doubt he invented the concept! van Baarle - van der Sterren was an unpleasant pairing to have to make, especially as nobody needed any furniture removed. There was no doubt it would increase the former’s chance of achieving a title norm, though.

Max’s comment on his game with Glenn Lambert, "but why did he resign in an equal position when I was about to offer a draw? I didn't know what was going on when he shook my hand and stopped the clocks, until he wrote resigns on his score-sheet."

Finally we can reveal the end of the Muller-Bulford saga. As no doubt you have guessed, Mike won. The German gave up his rook for Bulford's pawn and then was surprised to find a bishop and knight can stop two passed pawns completely.

(note to the game Basman-Kopec from round 7: "I was distressed to read a recent "Observer" column by Michael Stean in which he termed the opening 1...b6 "The English Defence", accrediting "experimenters" Miles, Keene, Speelman, and himself. Perhaps it's because so many people have now taken that opening up that Mike Basman has turned to new chess horizons ... not, of course, without reverses." [JS note: not sure if this was written by Stewart Reuben or Kevin Wicker])

ROUND 8

Littlewood (6) 1 Rivas (6) 0
Ligterink (5½) ½ Plaskett (5½) ½
Niklasson (5½) 1 van Baarle (5½) 0
Britton (5 ) ½ Speelman (5 ) ½
Kopec (4½) ½ Janosevic (5 ) ½

Yet again Rivas got into horrendous time-trouble. I thought Paul would take a draw by repetition but he chose to play for a win by sacrificing a piece. They played on and Paul eliminated all of the Spaniard’s pawns. Rivas did not know the number of moves that had been made and 3 moves after completing his requirement of 45 hung a rook. Christer Niklasson continued to play with great determination; eliciting the comment "he didn’t used to be as strong as that."

Willie Watson against Jacek Bednarski was billed as the greatest time scramble of them all before the game and the pundits were not disappointed. The great advantage of all this is that the assistant controllers queue up to be the arbiter for the game. The Pole was in worse time-trouble with a minute for n moves but it was the young St. Paul’s player who went down on time. Max said ”no comment".

ROUND 9

Littlewood (7) ½ Niklasson (½) ½
Rivas (6) 1 Ligterink (6) 0
Janosevic (5½) 1 Plaskett (6) 0
Speelman (5½) ½ Bjork (5½) ½
Bednarski (5½) 0 Britton (5½) 1
Macpherson (5½) ½ Watson J (5) ½
Van Baarle (5) 0 Petursson (5) 1
Chandler (5) 1 Kopec (5) 0
Friedgood (5) ½ JM Hodgson (5) ½
Fuller (5) Boersma (5) ½

Last round games are often finished quickly. Many organizers exacerbate this by arranging the game to start at some unearthly hour such as 8.30a.m. We were more civilised with a noon start. With players able to achieve title norms by shaking hands and others having no prize money to play for, who can blame people for an early draw?

Among these surprisingly was Niklasson who, the night before, had decided that he would be content with a draw with black against Paul Littlewood. It was a pity that it proved necessary to pair Bjork with such a strong player as Jonathan Speelman but the pairing rules forced it. Everybody searched high and low but could not fault Richard's and my logic. He made the draw while I went out to eat. When I returned I redid the draw verbalising my analysis. I am told that it was virtually a word-for-word replay barring differently textured swear words.

Jim Plaskett and Gert Ligterink, tournament leaders for nearly the entire time, made the standard Swiss error of losing in the last round.

Max Fuller said "I had a forced draw in 7 moves. I've been waiting 34 years for a fide master norm!"

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It isn't really right for the congress director to summarise the success of an event but typing this at 11p.m, on Friday 20th after a prize-giving party I feel that all went well. The experiment of a suburban London venue had distinct advantages. It was less expensive, we had the run of the school for the whole nine days including a very pleasant swimming pool, we had a closing party without having to pay vast corkage charges to a hotel. On the other hand it was difficult to find inexpensive local accommodation and several foreigners were disappointed that it takes quite a long time to get into central London. It is one of the reasons that it is easy to attract players to London that there are so many cultural activities from the British museum to the Playboy Club. The playing hall was certainly large enough and my fear that 70 players would be too many was totally ill-founded as there proved to be more than enough space for 78 players.

Most players clearly preferred one game a day. It certainly reduced administrative headaches enormously and five of us were easily able to do everything. Players preferred there to be no weak contestants. To prove me right about not manufacturing norms, there were only six IM norms achieved. I hope you enjoyed all this.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
27 August 1998	114 games in a zipped file
5 October 2021	New upload, with 122 games, including all the games played by the winner, Paul Littlewood, and Murray Chandler.
10 October 2021	Several amendments: (1) Paul Littlewood's score of his rd 7 game with Gert Ligterink has been replaced with a completely different one sent by Gert Ligterink. Gert has the original scoresheet while Paul was relying on his memory. I've included Paul's nine-move version in the notes; (2) we now have a full crosstable after Paul Littlewood kindly sent me a scan of the table from the bulletin (the bulletin crosstable contained errors amongst the individual results but hopefully I have ironed them out). Many thanks to Paul and Gert. Other amendments made to names: three games attributed to Julian Hodgson were actually played by John H Hodgson, namely - John H Hodgson 0-1 NE Povah (rd 2), CJ van Baarle 1-0 John H Hodgson (rd 5), and SM Taulbut 1-0 John H Hodgson (rd 8).