Sing-a-Long at Hay
It’s not often that you get to experience chess set to music. Mickey and I made a visit to the Hay Festival on the final weekend. For me it was a happy chance to wander about, taking in a bit here and...
View ArticleDortmund Win!
I was happy to be invited to play at the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting again after a few years break; I had played there quite regularly since my debut as long ago as 1992. After checking out my...
View ArticleFrom the Arctic Circle
The World Cup was held in a small hotel near Tromso airport: given the eye watering prices in Norway it was suggested to me by a FIDE official that the room rates would have been excessive in the...
View ArticleSimul at Bickleigh on Exe Primary School
I visited Bickleigh on Exe Primary School last week for an informal chat with the pupils of the chess club and to give a simul. A very eager and well behaved group of children, and I hope this will...
View ArticleBilbao Bonus
I enjoyed my first visit to Bilbao, a beautiful city with excellent views and great food. We took the opportunity to check out the Guggenheim Museum before catching our flight home. The tournament was...
View ArticleEuropean Team
The European Team Championship competition was held in a pleasant hotel in the centre of Warsaw, the organisers made a good job of airport transfers, providing reliable internet access and decent meals...
View ArticleHoogoveen
Until Bilbao I don’t think I had played a 4 player double round event in my life, but less than a week later I was starting a second.The traditional Univé tournament in Hoogoveen was very welcoming, a...
View ArticleCastling Calamity at Classic
The London Classic began with some exhibition games: the Pro Am event in the morning was won by Matthew Sadler and Daniel Lindner from Barclays. As it coincided with the very welcome BarcIaycard...
View ArticleCave Dining
Gibraltar is always noteable for the special events put together during the tournament, a spectacular highlight this year was the visit to St. Michael’s Cave after the first round, I had visited the...
View ArticleHitching a Ride
I made my Bundesliga debut this season in the March weekend. My teammates had been doing excellent work in my absence and we have a perfect record heading into the final weekend. On Sunday morning I...
View ArticleTelford Simul and Lecture
Francis Best and Michael Bukojemski did a fine job, creating a chess filled day beginning with a blitz tournament before I began my lecture. The original proposal was that I would show my games with...
View ArticleDortmund
I hadn’t played for a while before the event, but had done some prep at home and played a few successful training games. The tournament wasn’t a disaster but was rather frustrating, as it seemed a long...
View ArticleBlues Blast from the Past
As I have gotten somewhat behind with the website I thought I would write something about current events before returning to the distant past. We have been on holiday in the Florida Keys for a while...
View ArticleTromso Medal!
Just after I booked my ticket for this event, the organisers threatened to cancel it; later FIDE officials were menacing the same. Although this was obviously ridiculous behaviour by both parties so...
View ArticleSOCAR Success
Venues for the EuroCup are often off the beaten track, so it was good to have the event in the spectacular city of Bilbao; the playing hall was very decent and as a bonus also hosted the four player...
View ArticlePokerstars Masters
After a flight from one of the smallest airports I have flown from, Cheltenham, I arrived in Douglas, it is well suited to a chess event – everything is nearby and weather permitting there is good...
View ArticleLondon Chess Classic
The London Classic switched formats again, one considerable upside was the new large open rapidplay event. Despite some uneven play and some lucky escapes I began with 5.5/6 but got confused about the...
View ArticlePerfect Ten for Baden Baden
The GRENKE Chess Classic began directly after the first February Bundesliga weekend, so after halving out two games, including missing a nice chance against Anish Giri, Jan Gustafsson who was...
View ArticleGashimov Memorial
After Baden my schedule was not too busy, so a surprise last minute call up to the super tournament in Shamkir was welcome. However, I had a long standing commitment to play the final Bundesliga...
View ArticleBack in Biel
Biel is certainly a pleasant place to be in the end of July, particularly during a spell of warm weather at the start of the tournament. This was a trip down memory lane for me, I have played in Biel a...
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