News - Page 4

 

16th August 2006

MCA League Fixtures for 2006/7 have been published. Click here to download in Word format.

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More information about future matches will follow as we near the start of the season. John Ripley and Knotty Ask Cup matches start in October. More details here.

 

Recognition for  Atticus CC Website

18th July 2006 - "As I mentioned in my follow-up to Sean's comment on my original article, a really good place to go to find out what is happening as regards the dispute between the NCCU and the ECF about the Northern Members' Scheme is the Atticus Chess Club website. I've put a link in too at BCM's links page but you can click here - http://www.atticuschess.org.uk/ .

 

There is a lot more excellent information to be found there too. While chess seems to be struggling in many parts of Britain, Merseyside is a shining exception. As well as the European Union Championships, which is being played in Liverpool from 6-15 September, it looks like they will be hosting an international tournament in 2007 and also the British Championships in 2008.

 

Also - if you are hard enough - you might consider visiting the Atticus CC Forum -

http://www.atticuschess.org.uk/forum/phpBB2/index.php . Actually, they are very friendly to visitors there, though chess officialdom often comes in for a verbal battering (quite deservedly so, in many cases). There are a lot of trenchant comments on the NCCU vs ECF battle but the great majority are well-argued and even-handed.

 

It took me hours ploughing through all the stuff on Atticus CC, but I think I am better informed as a result. Also, I feel generally uplifted by the open and honest debate, and the sense that there are still people out there working intelligently to improve the running of British chess.

 

At the risk of making it sound like a bottle of lager... it's probably the best British chess website" JS

 

For more of John's BCM blog click here http://uk.360.yahoo.com/bcmchess

 

EU Individual Chess Championships, Liverpool 2006

17th July 2006 - The list of entrants to this event is growing more impressive each day. GM Jonathan Rowson is now a certainty together with GM Luke McShane. Other possibilities are being negotiated. For more details including tournament conditions and entry forms, click here. Please note that immediately following this prestigious tournament is the Liverpool Congress 16th-17th September also at the World Museum. More information about this event will be posted here soon. 

 

GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz has died at 43
16th July 2006 - Aleksander Wojtkiewicz (January 15, 1963, Riga - July 14, 2006). He was Polish by nationality but was born in Latvia, USSR. He was jailed by the Soviets for two years because he refused to serve in the Soviet Army. When Poland regained independence he moved from Riga to Warsaw where he won two Polish Chess Championships.

 

He later resided in the United States. He was one of the most active players in the world, constantly flying around playing in chess tournaments. Several times he won the annual $10,000 first prize for Grand Prix chess tournaments in the United States.

 

Wojtkiewicz played in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004. In his final months, he tied for first at the 2006 World Open in Philadelphia and won the 2006 National Open in Las Vegas. He died of liver problems.

 

Topalov tops July 1st FIDE Ratings
3rd July 2006 - With Kasparov "inactive" and no longer appearing on the FIDE rating list, Veselin Topalov takes top place with an ELO of 2813. Anand has dropped badly after a poor play at the Olympiad, but remains in second. Vladimir Kramnik, recovering from an illness, has climbed to fourth behind Levon Aronian. Full lists.

 

Atticus Forum

12th June 2006 - Access to the forum was limited recently because of malicious attacks on the MySQL7 server. This problem has now been resolved. Sorry for any inconvenience. No posts were lost and the database was backed up beforehand.

 

If you see a message when you log in similar to 'mysql_connect(): Can't connect to MySQL server on 'mysql7' ignore it and press refresh on your browser. If you try to post a message on the forum and you see the same or similar, again just press refresh. This particular error is in the process of being corrected. It does not affect your ability to post messages nor does it affect your access to the forum.

 

MCA Team Lightning 2006

8th June 2006 - Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts again hosted this years very successful MCA Lightning event. Teams of four competed over six friendly but competitive rounds against the 10 second buzzer. The games started promptly at 7.30pm with Atticus 1 and Prescot KA neck and neck throughout. Following a brief analysis of the pairing cards at the end by Arbiters Dave Welch and Ian Campbell, Atticus 1 were declared winners on tie-break from Prescot KA, both teams having scored 18pts...photos and table.