[<<] [>>] by Andrew Gregory at Edgbaston
18-19 Aug 2007 (AC)

Not sure what to call this event, restricted as it is to handicaps -1/2 to 3. Is it a B+ class? An AB class? Well, we had two TPs this year, so how about A-(-). Anyway, there aren't too many advanced play events that can likely be won by a -1/2, and we attracted five such out of a field of 13. One was Martin Granger Brown, who had not lost a game in this event for 2 years. This time he lost in the first round (of a flexible Swiss) to Paul Swaffield.

The wretched summer continued with an horrible day on Saturday. Play continued in the wet, but understandably no-one accepted the Manager's invitation to start any games after tea, leaving the tournament at least 6 games shy of expectation. On the plus side, that left time for a leisurely curry and some late-night bridge. By coincidence, none of the bridge-players won next morning. Well, Chris Bennett and Gregory couldn't both lose, but they gave it a good try.

Sunday was a better day: drizzle rather than rain, and not all the time. Gary Bennett beat Swaffield to become the only unbeaten player, but then lost to Nigel Polhill. A tie was looking likely, but then Jonathan Hills came to the Manager's rescue. Although out of contention himself, he put Swaffield out of the reckoning with a first-ever tournament TP, then 26ed Gary Bennett. This left just Polhill and ... what's this? Granger Brown still just had the one loss. The cunning fellow had played the Swiss gambit, and was the only player to have beaten Polhill.

The Manager then had a quiet word with Jerry Guest, who knuckled down and beat MGB. This left just Polhill with only one loss, but ... oh no! .. he was losing to Swaffield. This would have left no-one in contention, which meant about half the tournament in contention. Swaffield's second break broke down at 4-back. Polhill was on 2 and 2, but then finished very efficiently in three turns, at just about the same time that the Manager had decided that Polhill would have won on tie-break even if he'd lost, if you see what I mean.

A deserved win for Nigel, and a cut from 1 to 1/2, and almost to 0!

Results Summary

1 Nigel Polhill 6 / 7
2 Gary Bennett 5 / 7
3 Jerry Guest 4 / 6
4= Andrew Winn 3 / 5
4= Martin Granger Brown 3 / 5
6 Jonathan Hills 4 / 7
7= Paul Swaffield 3 / 6
7= Kevin Carter 3 / 6
9 Jim Markham 2 / 5
10 Brian Storey 2 / 6
11 Ian Parkinson 1 / 4
12 Chris Bennett 1 / 5
13 Andrew Gregory 0 / 5

Games

Saturday

Polhill bt Markham 25
Swaffield bt Gr Brown 23
G Bennett bt Parkinson 4
Winn bt Guest 10
Hills bt Gregory 3
Storey bt C Bennett 14
Carter bt Markham 10
Polhill bt Storey 26
Gr Brown bt C Bennett 16
Swaffield bt Winn 17
Guest bt Gregory 5
Polhill bt Hills 15
Parkinson bt Storey 14
G Bennett bt Carter 25
Markham bt C Bennett 5
Gr Brown bt Polhill 17
Hills bt Winn 15
Swaffield bt Guest 7
Carter bt Gregory 16
G Bennett bt Storey 17

Sunday

G Bennett bt Swaffield 15
Polhill bt Carter 21
Gr Brown bt Hills 5
Winn bt Parkinson 12
Guest bt Markham 4
C Bennett bt Gregory 3
Storey bt Carter 4
Polhill bt G Bennett 15
Guest bt Gr Brown 15
Hills bt Swaffield 17TP
Markham bt Parkinson 9
Polhill bt Swaffield 8
Hills bt G Bennett 26
Winn bt Storey 5
Carter bt C Bennett 5
G Bennett bt Gregory 19TP
Guest bt Hills 11