St David’s Day Tournament
Today was a great day for the Welsh. The seven Welsh players finished within the top nine positions in the final standings, and this despite the Barbarians receiving a larger start via the Handicap (27.35 to 19.06 – see table below). The Welsh delivered a crushing victory that was inspired by the presence of the national flag and a text rallying all Welsh patriots.
Mark Winn appeared at the club after a five year absence. It was great for the old players to catch up with him, and for the more recent club members to meet one of the club legends who has won the Flood Cup twice and was club president for much of the 1990s.
The tournament
First the teams were selected. Phil, Andrew, Debbie and the Grand Druid all selected themselves by being Welsh or having Welsh ancestry. Marty was Welsh by intimate connection, while Harvey said he supported any ethnic minority and Cameron said he had occasionally supported one of the Welsh football teams.
With team selections out of the way the tournament commenced. Stuart Holt was seeking to defend his title that he won last year and started with a win, but then lost a few crucial games. Different players looked to be in front, first Debbie, then Peter Hiller had a chance, but in the end it was Phil (who won the most games on the night) who ended in front, even after the handicaps were added to the tallies.
Debbie won her first game against Mark Winn after she made an illegal move into check and Mark captured the king, not realising that the rules have changed in the past few years. A bit rough, but the rules are the rules! Debbie then proceeded to win her two games after her opponents moved into check – Andrew and Phil. She was winning easily against Andrew anyway, but Phil kept on about his mistake for the rest of the night – in the end it cost him a picket fence. Debbie looked on track to win the tournament but ‘ran out of stamina’ to use her own word (it was a hot night) and lost two of her last games to Peter and Cameron.
Peter arrived at 9pm (an hour after the tournament started) and was allowed to enter by the DOP against his better judgment, and due to what seemed the consensus opinion. In fact Peter could have won, and once again beat Tony in this tournament, as well as Debbie and Brian, before succumbing in his last few games due to the intensity of having to play game after game to catch up.
The tournament saw a fine debut for Cameron, and he and Mark Taylor “the skipper” and Shane can look forward to the slower time controls in the upcoming tournaments. However, it was not only the inexperienced blitz players who succumbed to the time controls. Andrew failed to adjust from Fischer to Bronstein until late in the tournament, an occurrence sure to mean that the Grand Druid will once again inflict Bronstein on us in 2006!
St David’s Day tournament standings
All players to play 13 games
|
No. |
NAME |
|
POINTS |
plus |
TOTAL |
|
1 |
Phillip Kirkman |
W |
12 |
0.57 |
12.57 |
|
2 |
Stuart Holt |
B |
10 |
1.79 |
11.79 |
|
3 |
Brian Willcock |
W |
7½ |
3.78 |
11.28 |
|
4 |
Debbie Jenkins |
W |
8½ |
2.58 |
11.08 |
|
5 |
Cameron De Vere |
W |
5½ |
5.31 |
10.81 |
|
6 |
Peter Hiller |
B |
6 |
4.69 |
10.69 |
|
7 |
Andrew Robinson |
W |
9½ |
0.11 |
9.61 |
|
8 |
Marty Chadwick |
W |
3½ |
5.86 |
9.36 |
|
9 |
Harvey Quaresmini |
W |
8½ |
0.85 |
9.35 |
|
10 |
Mark Taylor |
B |
3 |
5.94 |
8.94 |
|
11 |
Tony Howes |
B |
8 |
0.83 |
8.83 |
|
12 |
Mark Winn |
B |
8 |
0.00 |
8.00 |
|
13 |
James Hiller |
B |
0 |
7.74 |
7.74 |
|
14 |
Shane Martin |
B |
1 |
6.36 |
7.36 |
St David’s Day tournament 2005 results in detail
(W=Welsh; B=Barbarian)
St David’s Day – Teams standings
All players to play 13 games
|
No. |
THE WELSH |
|
POINTS |
Handicap |
TOTAL |
|
1 |
Phillip Kirkman |
W |
12 |
0.57 |
12.57 |
|
3 |
Brian Willcock |
W |
7½ |
3.78 |
11.28 |
|
4 |
Debbie Jenkins |
W |
8½ |
2.58 |
11.08 |
|
5 |
Cameron De Vere |
W |
5½ |
5.31 |
10.81 |
|
7 |
Andrew Robinson |
W |
9½ |
0.11 |
9.61 |
|
8 |
Marty Chadwick |
W |
3½ |
5.86 |
9.36 |
|
9 |
Harvey Quaresmini |
W |
8½ |
0.85 |
9.35 |
|
|
WELSH TOTAL: |
|
55 |
19.06 |
74.06 |
|
No. |
THE BARBARIANS |
|
POINTS |
Handicap |
TOTAL |
|
2 |
Stuart Holt |
B |
10 |
1.79 |
11.79 |
|
6 |
Peter Hiller |
B |
6 |
4.69 |
10.69 |
|
10 |
Mark Taylor |
B |
3 |
5.94 |
8.94 |
|
11 |
Tony Howes |
B |
8 |
0.83 |
8.83 |
|
12 |
Mark Winn |
B |
8 |
0.00 |
8.00 |
|
13 |
James Hiller |
B |
0 |
7.74 |
7.74 |
|
14 |
Shane Martin |
B |
1 |
6.36 |
7.36 |
|
|
BARBARIAN TOTAL: |
|
36 |
27.35 |
63.35 |
Flood Cup entries (as at 25 Feb 2005)
|
No. |
NAME |
Rating |
|
1 |
Andrew Robinson |
1596 |
|
2 |
Phillip Kirkman |
1552 |
|
3 |
Tony Howes |
1527 |
|
4 |
Harvey Quaresmini |
1525 |
|
5 |
Ray Adams |
1468 |
|
6 |
Gabriel Boross |
1418 |
|
7 |
Debbie Jenkins |
1360 |
|
8 |
Brian Willcock |
1246 |
|
9 |
Garvin Gray |
1188 |
|
10 |
Peter Hiller |
1159 |
|
11 |
Marty Chadwick |
1048 |
|
12 |
Stuart Wilson |
932 |
|
13 |
James Hiller |
619 |
|
14 |
Cameron De Vere |
unr |
|
15 |
Shane Martin |
unr |
|
16 |
Mark Taylor |
unr |
Quote of the night
“I have just lost to the skipper” – James reporting his result against Mark Taylor to the DOP.
Phil Kirkman: “I’ve mellowed with age”
Mark Winn: “Pig’s arse!”
“I think I will come this Friday for the St David’s tournament or the old Welsh druid may be disappointed and cast a spell on me.” – email from James.
“I think he’s just confused – we used to go in for human sacrifice if the Romans are to be believed. No half measures with James I think.” – the old Welsh druid’s reply.
“Wise precaution. I'll bring the cooking cauldron, you bring the matches.” – the druid’s accomplish chipping in…