THURS NIGHT WEEKLY QUICK-PLAY EVENT
Thurs 8th April 21 – 8:10pm to 9:40pm
Arena 50 – Bullet – 2 minutes each player
As queen sang; “Thunder and lighting very, very frightening!”, What a night of chess as we held only the 2nd bullet 2 minute event with this one being planned (the other was by accident!). Fast it certainly was and it attracted 20 players who must like to be put through their paces! We welcomed a few new players including Jacques Ophoff from Dundee Chess Club.
Some players dipped their toes in the water and found it too hot to handle (me!) and like Elvis, left the building! In curry terms this was a vindaloo! Others stayed the course mopping their brows with a chapatti! But there was one player who stood held and shoulders above everybody else, including Jacques, and that was Castlehill`s very own Usain Bolt of chess, Declan Shafi! He played some unbelievable chess and the run of wins was more than impressive, it was outstanding!
Jacques Ophoff also liked this format and proved what we already knew anyway, he can play chess! Indeed it would be far to say if Declan “The Bolt” Shafi had not been playing, he would have won!
They say never judge a book by its cover and here was a case in point as Andy Rowe took the last podium place (3rd) and proved age is no barrier to thinking and playing quickly! I hope he took out insurance just in case it got to fast for him.
The highest junior was Rishi Vijayakumar J9 in 8th place on 29 points! Well played Rishi.
STANDINGS
1st Declan “the bolt” Shafi 100 points
2nd Jacques Ophoff CM 70 points
3rd Andy Rowe 49 points
Congratulations to all of the above and to everybody else for taking on this challenge. Spoil yourselves with a long hot soak to relax those tired brain cells!
Next week (15th April) it will be the Fischer Random (390) chess variant, probably 5 minutes no increments. This will be a good way to practice for the Ian McNab Memorial taking place on Monday 26th April, 7:30pm, which will be a 5 round Swiss, 15 minutes each player, Fischer Random (390).
For all the results, standings and games, click the link below.