I Remember, I Remember* ......

 .. Except that these days, I increasingly don't. But discovering recently that Paul can recall all the games he has played on a Thursday evening at The Gauntlet, I was reminded that I too, used to be able to remember casual and quick play games that weren't recorded. And - just occasionally - I would save them for posterity. This was one such game - played at 2 minutes per player (and no increment because digital clocks hadn't yet been invented!), which is a time limit I would avoid like the plague these days. My opponent was my Mitcham club mate Bernie Kooiman, a strong 190+ player, and the game was played at The King's Arms pub in the centre of Mitcham in July 1982. Just the 40 years ago. Which is a depressing thought. But never mind, because it has brought a warm glow to my cheeks all over again.

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* For those interested, this is the title of two very different poems, one by Thomas Hood ("I remember, I remember the house where I was born") and one by Philip Larkin  ("Coming up England by a different line We stopped, and, watching men with number plates Sprint down the platform to familiar gates, "Why, Coventry!" I exclaimed. "I was born here."

Can Anyone See a Pattern Here?

I wouldn't normally show a crushing defeat of one of our own players on this website (unless I was the one doing the crushing!), but sometimes there are bigger forces at work and the game cries out to be broadcast. This is just such an occasion. Thankfully, the drastic reverse suffered by a KCC player wasn't while playing for KCC, but it was for one of my teams - Warwickshire Select in the 4NCL. Those of you who read the FT chess column should have already seen the game, and I suspect that it is going to become a staple of tactics and opening books in the future. So, time to come clean and identify the guilty party as Andrew Paterson. Andrew had a brilliant season for KCC in 2022-22, especially in the Leamington League where he scored an undefeated 11.5/13, which will surely have been enough to win the Stanley Gibbins Trophy for the best performer in the League. But on this day in June, things went decidedly - and spectacularly - pear shaped.

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Well, that was  shocker and no mistake. So imagine my surprise last week when - quite by chance - I came across this game from Rd 1 of the 2022 French Championships. With all respect to Andrew, the player of the Black pieces in this game was rather stronger, being no less a person than 2552 rated GM, Sebastian Feller, who was once banned for cheating at the 2010 Chess Olympiad. I am pretty sure he wasn't cheating in this game!!

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So clearly, as far as Black is concerned, that well known chess commentator William Shakespeare was quite right: "When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions." But it doesn't end there, because just one day later, the motif - in a rather different setting - came up again in the first round of the British Championships in Torquay. This time, unfortunately, the crowd were not treated to another queen sac, but the possibility was certainly in the air. Black refused to fall into the fiendish trap set in the game Rudd v Forster, and we were denied a quick fire hat-trick.

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Apologies to Andrew for sharing his grief so widely, but the sudden prevalence of this spectacular motif really struck me as something worth noting. I don't expect to hear of any KCC members falling ointo this trap in the near future!

It's Raining ......... Tournaments

Yes tournaments, not cats and dogs, nor men (though you can doubtless already guess what our accompanying song is going to be!)

Just a couple of hours after posting details of the UK Blitz Midlands Qualifier at The Holiday Inn on September 3rd, news filtered through of another local event on the very next day.

On Sunday, September 4th the Warwickshire Rapidplay Championships will be held at Kenilworth School, Leyes Lane. This will be a seven round event in 4 sections (Open, U2000, U1750 and U1500 - so something for everyone!) of 15 mins + 10 seconds games, starting at 10.30 and finishing shortly after 18.00. Full details and on-line entry can be found here. So another date for your rapidly expanding tournament diary, with this event an ideal warm-up for the new league season, which is almost upon us. It will be a busy weekend for those of you who have the energy to take part in both!

There has never been so much chess action in Kenilworth as over the last few months. It would be a crime not to take advantage of these amazing opportunities we are being given.

As promised/threatened, here's our latest song.

Blitz Time!

Another major event will be held at the Kenilworth Holiday Inn on Saturday September 3rd, when it will be the venue for the Midlands qualifier for the 2022 UK Blitz Championship. We can certainly expect a GM or three to play. The top 2 will qualify for the Final, which will be held (somewhere in the Midlands) on Saturday, December 3rd. So if you make it through, you will have two months to get into tip top shape for the final by getting some regular high quality practice at our Thursday club nights!

The Qualifier will feature 15 rounds of 3 mins + 2 secs blitz games, starting at the fairly civilised time of 11.00, with the last round scheduled for 17.40.

Full details and online entry can be found here.

This latest event confirms that Kenilworth has now become the most important chess venue this side of St Louis. Moscow; Khanty Mansisk; Wijk aan Zee; Linares - eat your hearts out!

Hope to see a major turn out of KCC Blitz-Meisters, no doubt spearheaded by the more youthful and mentally agile of our number.  I have entered, though, so the demographic at the moment tends towards the geriatric and mentally static wing of the club!

Sorry its such a dreadful song to accompany this article, but nothing else came to mind. And at least a few of our older members will be able to sing along.