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1st English Senior Chess Championship
Jan 28th-Feb 1st 2008

Last Edited: Thursday March 6, 2008 4:09 PM

Neil Graham reports: Over fifty players gathered at the Izaak Walton Hotel, Dovedale for the first English Senior Championships. The Championship itself attracted 37 players (one player withdrawing on the morning of the event) and was by far the strongest individual tournament for Seniors (over 60s) held in the United Kingdom. Past British champions John Littlewood, Michael Cook, Roelof Westra, Norman Stephenson, George Ellison arrived to battle with current joint champion David Anderton but, at the tournament's end, new seniors James Simpson, Oliver Jackson and Andrew Whiteley took the major prize money.

The Izaak Walton Hotel in Dovedale - a fantastic venue for chess
The Izaak Walton Hotel in Dovedale - a fantastic venue for chess

International Master and number one seed Andrew Whiteley won his first four games outright and was able to take a quick draw in the final round with James Simpson, his only challenger, to win the first prize of £1,025 outright. This secured Simpson at least joint second place and he was joined by Oliver Jackson who beat John Wheeler. Both Simpson and Jackson scored 4/5 and shared £400.

Runner-up James Simpson, left, stands next to the 2008 Champion, Andrew Whiteley
Runner-up James Simpson, left, stands next to the 2008 Champion, Andrew Whiteley

Andrew, who was a regular player in the English teams of the 1970s and competed in three Olympiads pointed out that this was his first national title win since winning the British Under 21 Championship in 1965 – a gap of some 43 years which must surely be a record. The subsidiary Dovedale Open even was won by Robert Taylor (Mansfield) with 4/5.

ECF Chief Executive Martin Regan addressed a celebratory dinner on the closing evening and said he hoped that further individual tournaments for other English Championships could be run. What is not in doubt is that beautiful Dovedale will host a second Senior Championship in 2009. The competitors were overwhelmingly complimentary in their praise of the venue, the surroundings and the organisation of the Championships. “Excellent accommodation”, “Excellent playing conditions” and “Without doubt the best congress I've ever played” were just some of the superlatives from the competitors.

View/Download games of the English Senior Championship

 
View/Download six of the best games as selected and annotated by Steve Burke

1st English Senior Championship

1st Andrew Whiteley (London) 4½/5 (£1025.00)
2nd= Oliver Jackson (Cheshire), James Simpson (Peterlee) 4/5 (£200 each)

Grading prize for best score Under 160 grade: William Armstrong (Leek), Richard Donaghay (Cambridge), Raymond Gamble (Derby), Andrew Walker (Nottingham) 3/5 (£50 each)

Dovedale Open: 1st Robert Taylor (Mansfield) 4/5 (£400), 2nd= Stanley Cranmer (Kirkby-in-Ashfield), Stanley Lovell (Redcar), Adrian Waldock (Walton-on-Thames) 3½/5 (£66.67 each)
Grading prize for best score Under 100: David Dickson (Caergwrle), Joseph Morrison (Sheffield) 2/5 (£50 each)

  FIDE ref Surname Forename FIDE rating ECF Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5
Total
1 400831 WHITELEY Andrew 2265 211 +13 +6 +16 +18 3=
4½ 
2 493156 JACKSON Oliver 2222 186 +27 26= +11 4= +22
4
3 408123 SIMPSON James 2270 180 +12 23= +25 +7 1=
4
4 409065 HABERSHON Paul 2094 175 +36 7= +13 2= 5=
3½ 
5 410152 RICHARDSON Keith 2217 187 32= 20= +12 +26 4=
3½ 
6 404900 STEPHENSON Norman 2160 175 +36 -1 +34 17= +24
3½ 
7 401668 ANDERTON David 2251 190 +30 4= +24 -3 10=
3
8 413712 ARMSTRONG William 1947 155 -16 +29 +9 22= 11=
3
9   BEACH Richard nr 186 19= 34= -8 +29 +30
3
10 400920 BYWAY Paul 2159 171 +29 -16 +20 25= 7=
3
11 405140 DODGSON John  2147 177 +28 14= -2 +21 8=
3
12 413747 DONAGHY Richard 1963 144 -3 +31 -5 +36 +25
3
13 405850 FEAVYOUR John 2094 165 -1 +35 -4 +34 +28
3
14 496066 GAMBLE Raymond 2026 152 +15 11= 22= 16= 18=
3
15 400904 LITTLEWOOD John  2191 180 -14 28= +37 19= +23
3
16 2400349 MACDONALD-ROSS Michael 2154 181 +8 +10 -1 14= 17=
3
17 413640 PRIZANT Michael 2169 178 +21 25= 26= 6= 16=
3
18 408824 SINGLETON Michael 2184 181 20= +33 +23 -1 14=
3
19 414417 WALKER Andrew nr 158 9= -22 +33 15= +26
3
20   COOPER John nr 155 18= 5= -10 30= +32
2½ 
21   EGBY Manfred nr 141 -17 +FPB 30= -11 +27
2½ 
22 408417 WHEELER,  John F 2142 180 34= +19 14= 8= -2
2½ 
23 414093 COOK Michael nr 171 +31 3= -18 28= -15
2
24 406929 CROMBLEHOLME Alan 2101 174 33= +32 -7 27= -6
2
25 404365 ELLISON Derek George 2086 165 +40 17= -3 10= -12
2
26 411540 HUTCHINSON Norman 2069 172 +37 2= 17= -5 -19
2
27 412309 KENDALL Paul 2069 157 -2 37= +35 24= -21
2
28   PRICE Andrew nr 141 -12 15= +32 23= -13
2
29 405990 SAYER Raymond 1780 97 -11 -8 +FPB -9 +33
2
30 412864 WESTRA Roelof 2116 162 -7 +36 21= 20= -9
2
31   DEAN Michael nr u/g -23 -12 36= -32 +FPB
1½ 
32 637335 GIBSON John 1877 160 5= -24 -28 +31 -20
1½
33   Van GEMEREN Jan nr 125 24= -18 -19 +37 -29
1½
34 413500 WAGENBACH Janos 1955 142 22= 9= -6 -13 35=
1½ 
35   WALTERS Keith nr 130 -6 -13 -27 +fpb 34=
1½
36 415740 GLOVER John  nr 139 -4 -30 31= -12 37=
1
37 413771 NICOLSON  James 1964 122 -26 27= -15 -33 36=
1
                     
 
  410799 DAY Thomas 2095 149 -25        
(filler)

 

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