Broadstairs Blitz

This year’s  traditional end of season blitz tournament, was the eleventh but the first (and last) Brexit Blitz. On the basis that a second EU referendum seems increasingly unlikely, it was decided that perhaps fourteen chess players should play a blitz tournament to decide whether the future would be Project Fear or Prospect Clear. As usual, the players were divided into two teams (‘Boom Boom’ and ‘Doom and Gloom’) of equal ability and each player played all seven of his opponents in matches of twelve minutes’ duration, six for each player. There was the usual mix of the good, the bad and the ugly, coupled with confusion on the scoreboard when two players who were due to play in round eight – each player had a bye for one of rounds 1-7 –  played each other in round four instead. For the last two or three rounds, therefore, no-one knew who was winning – just like the evening of June 23rd, in fact. The Boom Boom team began well but Doom + Gloom finished strongly and the final result was a tie: 24½-24½.  So whoever said that chess imitates life was right: when it comes to Brexit, will it be Project Fear or Prospect Clear? Nobody knows! The important thing as far as the club was concerned is that a good time was had by all and everyone (or almost everyone) retired to the pub afterwards to celebrate the first-ever draw in a Broadstairs Blitz. Many thanks to those who were able to play on this rearranged date – the original being the night of the England-Iceland Euro 2016 match and we all now wish we had played then instead. Many thanks to Chris Wand from Ramsgate Chess Club, our guest for this year and special congratulations to Ian Hames, who won all his matches, and to Jordan Leach for scoring 3/7 with a grade of 46.