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- from Stewart Reuben
 
From 10-11am on Sunday 28 July, Keith Arkell, GM and former English co-champion (and resident of Paignton) will play a challenge match against Gary Lane, IM (now resident in Australia but brought up in Paignton).
This will be a bullet chess match – that is, all the moves by each player in one minute. The record will be the number of games played in one hour, and the winner will be the higher scorer. The game still in progress, when there is a guillotine after one hour, will not count towards the total.
As far as I know this record has never been attempted before, not even online (where it would be easier). It is hoped that the games will be broadcast live at the English Riviera Centre, but we have been warned there may be technical glitches. The criteria have deliberately been set high so that it won’t be so easy to beat! Thus, it must be supervised by an International Arbiter rated at least 1700 …
- from Stewart Reuben
 This unique title will be awarded to the player in Torquay who makes the highest total score in all the official events taking place.
The first prize will be a copy of ‘The ECF Certificate of Merit Levels 2 and 3′, autographed by a large number of the leading players who have played in England in the past year. A collector paid £250 for a previous copy – which has fewer signatures.
You will realise that the event announced (above) will take the winner of the Arkell – Lane match into an early lead – but whoever gives the free simultaneous display starting at 2pm on Sunday 28 will pass that score by. Then, there is the rapidplay on Sunday and the round robin simultaneous later in the day. An Under 8 could build up a hefty score playing in the U8, 9, 10 and 11 Championships. There are also morning and/or afternoon Swisses, a weekend tournament, another rapidplay and all the evening events, such as blitz or exchange chess.
I didn’t see how easily to include the cricket match on 4 August in the total.
… on Sunday, 28 July 2013 starting around 6.30pm
    
   
This is just what it says on the tin. It’s nine players each playing eight of their opponents simultaneously! They’ll need to be fast on their feet as well as quick of mind. The session lasts for two hours with higher seeds conceding a time handicap to lower seeds. Tripping, kicking and biting are illegal, but light banter is strongly encouraged! Nine players requires 36 boards. The entry list is now complete with the nine places taken by Jack Rudd, Jude Lenier, Mitchell Burke, Jonathan Wells, John Garnett, Tom Thorpe, Ravi Haria, Philip Olbison and Robert Thompson. This should be fun! Spectators welcome …
[Photos courtesy of Brendan O'Gorman]
The Devon County Chess Association, as the host county for this year’s British Championships, is keen to encourage local junior players to enter for the Junior Championships which take place during the Congress. There are separate championships for each age group from Under 8 (born 2005 or later) to Under 16 (born 1997 or later). Each specific age group tournament (except the Under 8 and Under 9 tournaments ) takes place over either the first or the second week of the congress. The Under 8 tournament takes place over one day (Friday 2nd August) and the Under 9 tournament over the weekend of the 3rd-4th August)
The Devon County Chess Association is offering 8 bursaries of £25 as a contribution towards the cost of entry fees for the tournaments.
Any junior wishing to apply for one of these bursaries should write a short letter of application giving details of age and tournament entered together with a brief outline of his/her recent chess career. This letter should be sent to the DCCA Acting Secretary, Trefor Thynne, at 54 Silverwood Avenue, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4LG, to arrive no later than the 31st May
Rachel Perry of the Riviera Centre confirmed the following today -
We would be happy to offer delegates a two week pass for £40. Also a 7 day pass would cost £27 discounted rate as opposed to our normal rate of £37
The rates in more detail -
| Full Day |
Normal rate |
Discount (chess) rate |
| 1 day |
£6.00 |
£4.00 |
| 2 day |
£11.00 |
£7.00 |
| 3 day |
£16.00 |
£11.00 |
| 4 day |
£21.00 |
£15.00 |
| 5 day |
£27.00 |
£19.00 |
| 6 day |
£31.00 |
£23.00 |
| 7 day |
£37.00 |
£27.00 |
Chess men, women and children from around the British Isles will descend upon Torquay this Summer for the 100th British Chess Championships – the fourth occasion in the last 15 years the town has been chosen to host the event.
The 100th Championships take place at the Riviera International Centre, Chestnut Avenue, Torquay TQ2 5LZ between Sunday, 28 July 2013 and run for a fortnight, finishing on Saturday, 10 August 2013.
Chess is a mind-boggling game, full of drama, that attracts people of all ages and from all walks of life. Overall, a thousand entries are expected from players of a wide range of standards. Locally-based Grandmaster Keith Arkell is an early entry, while International Master Gary Lane will be traveling from Australia to play. As well as deciding the British Champion, there are also national titles for seniors, youngsters and club enthusiasts.
Championship Manager Lara Barnes said “ We are extremely proud to bring our 100th Championship back to Torquay and the Riviera Centre. This is a special year and I’m looking forward to a memorable fortnight that will be enjoyed by all. Torquay is a favourite venue for hundreds of chess players. With a big entry expected, hotels, guest houses and other local businesses can anticipate a busy fortnight.”
To download this as a Press Release, click here
 Grandmaster Keith Arkell has confirmed he will play at the 100th British Chess Championships. You can read about Keith on Wikipedia here and explore his chess games at Chessgames.com here
To download a press release [PDF] click here
To learn all about the Riviera International Centre in Torquay, click here to visit their website
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