Melbourne Chess Club Championships 2007

[Garvinator]

Do I dare to agree with fg7

[NRMASIFD&GKFKBBK]

Jesse Jager did indeed have a good tournament and it was a shame that Thai was able to escape with a draw (albeit, quite a creative one) when Jesse had a significant advantage. I'm sure that Thai would be the first to concede he was struggling before ...Qa5. Still 6 1/2 out of 9 is a great effort in Jesse's first MCC Champs.

On the topic of Thai, it would hard to fault his commitment and respect to the Melbourne Chess Club, given his regular participation in its tournaments and entry of games on its website. However, Thai has indicated (most recently to the author at the Elwood Open) that he is becoming tired and jaded with chess and envisages curtailing, maybe completely, his chess activities. In light of this, his decision to agree to play at Box Hill instead of the MCC is understandable.

Let's hope players like Thai aren't lost to chess, simply because it has become an inconvenience.

[DoroPhil]

Originally Posted by MCC news

On the topic of Thai, it would hard to fault his commitment and respect to the Melbourne Chess Club, given his regular participation in its tournaments and entry of games on its website. However, Thai has indicated (most recently to the author at the Elwood Open) that he is becoming tired and jaded with chess and envisages curtailing, maybe completely, his chess activities. In light of this, his decision to agree to play at Box Hill instead of the MCC is understandable.

Let's hope players like Thai aren't lost to chess, simply because it has become an inconvenience.

??? Are you suggesting that one should stick with chess even though they lost their passion for it?

[NRMASIFD&GKFKBBK]

In response to the previous post, the intention was not suggest that players like Thai should persist in playing when chess itself becomes an inconvenience, but rather to express the sentiment that chess organisers should be reasonable in accomodating players who may be subject to various inconveniences.

[justaknight]

Hi MCC news
Your introduction to the board is much welcomed, appreciated and needed. Eloquent writing style, friendly and courteous approach. As a personal request, please include some news about the MCC Saturday Allegro if it is possible.
Cheers and good luck!

[justaknight]

One has to congratulate BHCC for allowing the crucial MCC Championship game Ly vs Jager to be played in their premises during the equally important final round of their Autumn Cup competition.
The players and the MCC were shown the respect they deserve and were of course welcomed to the BHCC premises, as guests of honour.
BHCC allowed me the use of their computers to send the result, the moves of the game (albeit with PM to Macavity) as well as statements of the players from this board as soon as the game was over.
A very fine example of Club co-operation which should be promoted as a gesture of good will rather than negatively criticised and admonished.
On the other hand, if the MCC committee felt insulted by this action all they have to do is to introduce a new rule, banning all of us (its members) to play their MCC Championship games in venues other than the MCC. That would settle the issue once and for all!
Cheers and good luck!

[Garvinator]

Originally Posted by heaviestknight

On the other hand, if the MCC committee felt insulted by this action all they have to do is to introduce a new rule, banning all of us (its members) to play their MCC Championship games in venues other than the MCC. That would settle the issue once and for all!

Motion should read:

All MCC Championship games must be played at MCC. This seems to sound a bit better

[justaknight]

Originally Posted by ggrayggray

Motion should read:

All MCC Championship games must be played at MCC. This seems to sound a bit better

even with the smart arse wink included?

Read "improvement?" in heading (edit)

[macavity]

Hello, everyone,

Congratulations to Mirko Rujevic and Richard Voon, who both won their games tonight to finish equal first on 7/9. This is the first time that these two have arrived at the top of the standings after the completion of the event, so whoever wins the playoff, which I understand is to be a four game match, will produce a new name on the championships honour board.

here are the other results of play tonight,

Results Round 9

 1 Douglas G Hamilton 2268 2249 [6]      0:1    Mirko Rujevic    2236 2241 [6]  
 2 Pano Skiotis       2170 2094 [6]      0:1    Richard Voon     2067 1902 [6]  
 3 Thai Ly            2062 1869 [5]     .5:.5   Jesse Jager      2021 1953 [6]  
 4 Guy West           2368 2329 [5.5]    1:0    Richard McCart   1923 1776 [5]  
 5 Marcus Raine       2081 1922 [4.5]    1:0    Malcolm L Pyke   2219 2126 [5]  
 6 Bosko Mijatovic         1842 [4.5]    1:0    Garry Lycett          1770 [4.5]
 7 Roger Beattie      1914 1755 [4.5]    0:1    Slobodan Krstic  2073 1960 [4]  
 8 Jim Papadinis           1830 [4]       :     Felix Wyss       2038 1706 [4]  
 9 Thomas Kalisch     1881 1793 [4]      1:0    John Beckman     1693 1611 [4]  
10 Gabriel Garrido         1525 [3.5]   .5:.5   Paul Kovacevic        1764 [3.5]
11 Roger McCart            1621 [3]      1:0    Milan Ilic            1715 [3.5]
12 Alex Kaplan        1762 1645 [3]       :     Nikola Ivanov         1513 [3]  
13 Adam Lovegrove          1508 [3]     .5:.5   Stephen Wertheim      1552 [3]  
14 Brendan Podbury              [.5]     1:0    Jean Watson           1154 [3]  
15 Judd Niemann            1195 [2.5]    1:0    Robert Brooking       1440 [2.5]

{almost} final standings

 1-2  Rujevic, Mirko      VIC   2236 2241 7    
      Voon, Richard       VIC   2067 1902 7    
 3-4  Jager, Jesse        VIC   2021 1953 6.5  
      West, Guy           VIC   2368 2329 6.5  
 5-6  Hamilton, Douglas G VIC   2268 2249 6    
      Skiotis, Pano       VIC   2170 2094 6    
 7-9  Raine, Marcus       VIC   2081 1922 5.5  
      Ly, Thai            VIC   2062 1869 5.5  
      Mijatovic, Bosko    VIC        1842 5.5  
10-13 Pyke, Malcolm L     VIC   2219 2126 5    
      Krstic, Slobodan    VIC   2073 1960 5    
      McCart, Richard     VIC   1923 1776 5    
      Kalisch, Thomas     VIC   1881 1793 5    
14-15 Lycett, Garry       VIC        1770 4.5  
      Beattie, Roger      VIC   1914 1755 4.5  
16-21 Papadinis, Jim      VIC        1830 4    
      Wyss, Felix         VIC   2038 1706 4    
      McCart, Roger       ACT        1621 4    
      Beckman, John       VIC   1693 1611 4    
      Garrido, Gabriel    VIC        1525 4    
      Kovacevic, Paul     VIC        1764 4    
22-25 Ilic, Milan         VIC        1715 3.5  
      Wertheim, Stephen   VIC        1552 3.5  
      Niemann, Judd       VIC        1195 3.5  
      Lovegrove, Adam     VIC        1508 3.5  
26-28 Ivanov, Nikola      VIC        1513 3    
      Watson, Jean        VIC        1154 3    
      Kaplan, Alex        VIC   1762 1645 3    
 29   Brooking, Robert    VIC        1440 2.5  
 30   Prasad, Daryl       VIC        1172 2    
 31   Podbury, Brendan                    1.5  
 32   Ghobrial, Adel      VIC   1814 1661 0.5  
 33   Stewart, Scott      VIC        1753 0    

Take care and God Bless, Macavity

[firegoat7]

Hello,

I think the way the committe will probably implement tournament change is like this.
1) No postponents half way through a tournament except for emergencies.
2) No playing of any of the last third of MCC tournament games at other venues.

1) Was seen as a reasonable solution against seriel offenders. In this tournament Adel Ghobrial had genuine, but ultimately from a pairing point of view, created impossible demands that needed to be met. Roger M'Cart made a suggestion to John Davenport about how Canberra chess deals with these sort of problems. So I think the committee will probably try to implement his ideas.

2) The cultural importance of MCC events ought to be protected with certain flexibilities.

Just as a side note. I am no way criticising Box Hill chess club. Who in my opinion, have been very helpful. All I am saying is that I don't believe it makes for a very sensible policy to be catering for individual flexibility to the detriment of cultural creation. Others may disagree, and that is their choice, but ultimately I think people ought to view chess clubs as living cultural spaces. In my opinion, if you remove the chessplayers from the clubs then the whole chess culture around a club suffers.

Chess in my opinion is not just participation between two players. It is a viewable cultural phenomenon in which observers are also critical cultural components. This is especially important for the development of younger players in clubs.

cheers Fg7

[Brian_Jones]

FG7 - you are much too nice and accommodating.

I suggest all club championship games are played in the club rooms and rearrangements are allowed only with the agreement of the DOP.

If this is not acceptable then they must forfeit!

I am a member of Rooty Hill Chess Club in Sydney and would not play under the MCC existing and future rules, both of which are far too kind!

http://www.rootyhillchess.org/index.html

[JGB]

Originally Posted by Brian_Jones

FG7 - you are much too nice and accommodating.
...the MCC existing and future rules, both of which are far too kind!

Yeah guys stop being so nice and accomodating, thats not how we play chess!

[justaknight]

Originally Posted by Brian_Jones

I am a member of Rooty Hill Chess Club in Sydney and would not play under the MCC existing and future rules, both of which are far too kind!

Hi Brian
Things are not THAT bad at MCC in regards to tournament organisation. Actually, (and I stand to be corrected if I am wrong) I hardly remember any other case where an MCC tournament game (let alone the Club's Championship) was played in any other venue except the MCC premises during my association with the Club.
Yes, it is very much a cultural thing and I am in position to know, that the relationship between MCC and its members is not just a membership matter.
Under this ideology, the Club has bent backards in many occassions in order to accommodate members demands when they are logical and fair. Similarly, the MCC members take immense pride of belonging to such a historical as well as cultural organisation and would certainly defend that history and culture under the most adverse circumstances. That, let me assure you, will never change!
The MCC is highly respected amongst all other Chess organisations and individual players in Victoria, regardless of whichever personal disagreements might occur from time to time.
By the way, congratulations for your great efforts to stage the Sydney Internaltional, and we are all proud of you for establishing the foundations of another milestone of Australian Chess achievents.
Cheers and good luck!

[Met]

Anyone know head-to-head record between Mirko and Richard?

[MichaelBaron]

Originally Posted by Met

Anyone know head-to-head record between Mirko and Richard?

I can recall Voon's surprise victory over Rujevic at Elwood Open couple of year ago. However, I am pretty sure, that overall - it is a huge plus for Rujevic. To me, outcome of the playoff is pretty predictable...But again..the players may prove me wrong