Wales 2022 Olympiad teams announced

The 2022 Olympiad will take place at Chennai, India between 27th July and 10th Augyst,

The Welsh teams have just been announced.

The Open team is as follows:

Board 1 Grzegorz Toczek

Board 2 Jonathan Blackburn

Board 3 Tim Kett

Board 4 Alex Bullen

Board 5 Allan Pleasants

Captain Adam Hunt (England)

The Womens team is as follows:

Board 1 Olivia Smith

Board 2 Kimberly Chong

Board 3 Hiya Ray

Board 4 Khushi Bagga

Board 5 Sarah Kett

Captain Michael Healey (England)

Chief of Delegation Sarah Kett

FIDE Delegate Bill Harle

We wish them well!

Welsh Dragons impress at J4NCL

 
The 3rd weekend of the J4NCL took place in Mercure Hotel, Daventry from 9th of April to 10th of April. Welsh Dragons Red were represented by Yuxuan Wu, Milo Davies, Tom Davies, Joe Conway-Lees and Oliver Sapsford who played in division 1.
Out of the 12 teams in the division they finished at a very impressive 4th place narrowly missing out on the third place in the league. 
 
 
The Welsh Dragons Green were represented by Ethan Challoner, Benjamin Jaberansari, Ashika Shahameeran, Emma Kong, William Roberts and Louise Davies who competed in division 2. The team played very well and finished at a respectable mid table position. There was some brilliant individual performances. 
 
 
 

Chess Tutor Training Course 21st May 2022 Cardiff

Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) are running a Chess Tutor Training Course at the

Park Inn by Radisson, Mary Ann Street, Cardiff on Saturday 21 May 10am to 4pm.

More details here:

 

2022 Olympiad (Chennai 28 July – 10 August 2022)

Appointment of Non-Playing Captains/Coaches for the Welsh Teams In the Open And Women’s Sections

Expressions of interest, together with details of previous experience and/or other qualifications, are invited for one or other of the two posts – by 5 May to Howard Williams, Chair WCU Selection Committee, chairmanofselectors@welshchessunion.uk.  The Committee will meet in mid May to take the matter forward.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Background

The event is an eleven-round Swiss held at a rate of one round per day over four boards (though, like other teams, we shall be sending squads of five plus a non-playing captain). Unlike the European Team Championships there will be plenty of teams weaker than Wales taking part and we do not expect to be outclassed in many matches.

Captains’ Duties

  1. Helping as required with players’ opening etc preparation immediately before the event.
  2. Input (via the Chairman of Selectors) on team board order (which is finalised for all teams on arrival in Chennai).
  3. Dealing with team administration, including the duties and responsibilities (and restrictions) set out in FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 – Main Competition.   The selection of the team for each round is an important element here.
  4. Helping as required with preparation for each game and going over the games after their conclusion with the players.
  5. Supplying a report on his/her team’s performance to the Chairman of Selectors (by the end of October 2022).

Captain’s Objectives

To ensure –

    1.  that the team does as well as possible in relation to its seeding;

    2. that individual players do as well as possible in relation to their expected score (based on ratings);

    3. that they learn as much as possible from the experience.

Captains’ expenses and remuneration

The organisers are supplying full board gratis for each team and its captain in 2 single and 2 double rooms. The WCU team captains will each be entitled to one of these single rooms.  The reasonable cost of the flights to and from Chennai will also be reimbursed, at least up to E750.  Captains with suitable chess qualifications will be offered a fee.  Applicants should give some indication of the level of fee they would expect.  

 

Welsh players compete in Menorca

Tom Brown, Tim Kett and Sam Jukes have just finished competing in the Menorca Open.

Tom gained 44 points finishing on 4.5/7 with a rating performance of 2402. He was unbeaten against 3 GM’s (2 draws and 1 win) and in the last round beat GM Oleg Romainshin (who beat Iolo in the Russia v Wales match at the 1978 Olympiad). He drew with the two other GM’s and beat a 2361 FM. 

Sam Jukes gained 33 FIDE rating points finishing on 3/7.

Tim failed to gain any FIDE  rating points but finished with a creditable 4/7.

Further info is here:

Action from Ukraine Simul 23rd April 2022

Here are some photos taken at the Ukraine Simul on 23rd April 2022 in Treorchy.

2022 Welsh Championship Prize List

                                                               CHAMPIONSHIP

Position Name Points Prize
1st Jose Camacho Collados 5.5 £350
2nd Daniel Kozusek 5 £200
3rd Alex Bullen

Tim Kett

Grzegorz Toczek

4.5

4.5

4.5

£46.67

£46.67

£46.67

Womens Lynda Smith 2.5 £46.67
U21 Ifan Rathbone-Jones 2.5 Free entry to 2023 Champ

 

 OPEN

Position Name Points Prize
1st

Miguel Espinosa Delgado 6 £200
Hugo Fowler* 6 £200
3rd Sam Jukes 5.5 £80
Rating Prize

1700-1800

 

Andrew Di-Vetta

5 £40
Rating Prize 

Under 1700

Stephen Williams 5                       £40

 

*Hugo Fowler wins Tom Weston Memorial Trophy

Three Charity simuls in aid of Ukraine

 
 
Three charity simuls are being held in Apr/May in order to collect some funds for Ukraine.
 
Saturday 23rd April 2022 3pm – Rhondda Chess Club, @ Treorchy & District Business Club  81-183 Bute Street, Treorchy, CF42 6NU – with Grzeg Toczek
 

Wednesday 27th April 2022 7.30pm – Cardiff Chess Club, @ YMCA Community Centre,  2 Shakespeare Street, Cardiff CF24 3ES – also with Grzeg Toczek

 

Tuesday 3rd May 2022 7.30pm – North Cardiff Chess Club, County Conservative Club, 163 Caerphilly Road, Cardiff CF14 4QB – with Tim Kett

 

Juniors/not working £5

Others – £10

 

Many thanks to Moira Macdonald, Gareth Harding, Bill Hunt for their massive work in organizing such events.

Слава Україні! (Glory to Ukraine!)

 

Welsh Championships – Covid Update

COVID

The hotel is classed as a hospitality venue and thus face coverings are not mandatory in any area but obviously are allowed should a person wish to wear one.

We encourage all players to take a lateral flow test before coming to the hotel.

Players who do not play a game for any reason will default the game.

If you test positive or are showing symptoms of Covid you should not attend the event.

In the event of having to withdraw (for any reason) or miss any round please contact either Adrian Elwin (07778) 178671 (email: adrian_elwin@hotmail.com) or Peter Purland (email: petepurland@btopenworld.com).

This is the only phone number and email addresses that should be used in an emergency. Please do not phone or email Kevin.

2022 World Seniors Team Championships Aqui Terme, Italy June 19th-30th

WORLD SENIORS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS (‘WSTC’) 2022

Acqui Terme, Italy 19-30 June 2022

Expressions of interest

Deadline for responses: 30 April 2022

This announcement invites WCU members, registered as Welsh with FIDE, to contact Peter Bevan (internationaldirector@welshchessunion.uk) by 30 April if they are interested in taking part in one or other section of this event.  

As usual the WSTC will be a nine-round Swiss with standard FIDE time limits and one round a day (from 20 to 29 June inclusive).  And there will be separate events for teams of players all over 50 and all over 65 at the end of the calendar year.  Teams of four play in any one round but that team may be chosen from a squad of five.  All the players in a squad must be registered with FIDE as representing the same country but they need not form a national representative team: a squad may represent ‘any regional structure of a federation’ or this time ‘simply 4 friends’.  There is no limit to the number of teams a federation may enter.

The organisers neither meet accommodation nor transport costs.  More details of these costs, the location and its hotels and also the playing rules and timetable are to be found here World Senior Team Chess Championship – Acqui Terme Giugno 2022 (scaccomattissimo.com). Please note the Covid protocol.

Welsh Participation

Players responding to this note should state for which event they would like to be considered and, if they are over 65 (or will be by 31/12/22), in which section they would prefer to play.

As in the past the WCU wish to give as many players as reasonably feasible a chance to participate in these events.  Players in our national representative squad must meet the WCU’s own eligibility rules for international representation but those in club etc squads need only be registered with FIDE as Welsh.

The WCU is unable to contribute to players’ costs of participating in these events.

As of 12/4/22, two teams have expressed an interest in going, one of which still needs a fifth player.