Cambridgeshire County Chess Association

Special Events

2009 Cambridgeshire Rapidplay, 29/03/09

65 players took part in Cambridgeshire's second Rapidplay, held at the New England club in Peterborough on Sunday 29 March, up from last year's 57. A big increase in the number of lower-graded players enabled us to split the Challengers Section into two and add over £150 to the prize fund, whilst still producing a modest surplus.

Paul Townsend (York) and Tony Wells (Streatham) shared first place in the Open tournament with 4/5. Local players Andrei Timoshenko (Peterborough) and Alan Merry (Newmarket) shared third place, with Andrej winning the Jack Taylor trophy for the highest placed Cambridgeshire player and Alan the under-16 prize. Ashley Stewart (Cambridge) and Phil Turp (Peterborough) won grading prizes.

The higher-graded of the Challengers tournaments was a triumph for local players who scooped all the prizes. Sam Caraway of the New England club was first on 4½/5, closely followed by Michael Dunkley (Spalding) and Joseph Brown (Cambridge). The grading prize was won by 10-year-old Alexander Harris of Cambridge.

The only clean sweep was achieved by 9-year-old Conor Murphy from Bexley who scored 5/5 in the Challengers B tournament. Andrew Duffell (Norfolk) and Ian Andrews (Kettering) shared second place with 4/5. Grading prizes were won by Steve Walker (New England) and James Hopkinson-Hughes (Herts), with junior prizes going to David Redman and Alvin Gardner (both Cambridge).

Feedback from players was very positive. Players came from as far afield as Kent, Sussex, Derbyshire and York. Local clubs were well represented, with Cambridge having 8 contestants (five of whom won prizes), Peterborough 5, New England 4, and Spalding and Newmarket 3 each, though it was disappointing that Warboys, Ely and Buckden were not represented.

Finally I would like to thank all those who helped to make the day such a success, particularly Patrick Ribbands and Marcus Misson who each controlled a tournament, Francis Bowers, the ECF arbiter, who also provided the bookstall, and Harry Currie, Chris Russell and Norman Wedley who helped behind the scenes setting up, providing tea and coffee and organising lunches.