Alas, our young friend Wei Yi is not playing at Hastings although he is appearing at the slightly grander Tata Steel Masters at Wijk Aan Zee starting next week of which more anon. As a warm-up to the event, he has been competing in the Hengda Cup, a 4-game classical match against the Czech number one David Navara in Yancheng, China. The winner gets $20,000, the loser $10,000 (not bad for a four-game two-horse race – the winner at Hastings gets £2000!). After the four classical games, the scores were level 2-2 so they then played two 5+3 playoff games resulting in one win each and so here we are again….it’s Armageddon time! The players play one game where White has six minutes to Black’s five but Black only needs to draw the game to win the match. The game was level for most of the time and Black may well have got the draw he needed but watch out for our hero’s 37th move which may look strange at first until we realise that Black can force a draw! Therefore, with one move Wei Yi was $10,000 richer.

White:   GM David Navara  (2740)     Black:   GM Wei Yi (2743)

       e4 e5   Nf3 Nf6   Nxe5 d6   Nf3 Nxe4   d4 d5   Bd3 Bf5   0-0 Be7   c4 dxc4   Bxc4 0-0   Nc3 Nc6   Re1 Nxc3   bxc3 Bd6   Ng5 h6   Qf3 Qd7   Ne4 Rae8   Bd2 Bg4   Qd3 Bf5   Bb3 Re7   g4 Bh7   Qf3 Rfe8   Nxd6 cxd6   Rxe7 Rxe7   Bd5 Nd8   g5 hxg5   Bxg5 Re8   Bxd8 Rxd8   Bxb7 d5   Ba6 Re8   Bd3 Bxd3   Qxd3 Qg4   Kh1 Re2   Rg1 Qe6   Qg3 g6   a4 Kg7   Qf3 Rc2   h4 a6   h5 Rxf2   h6 Kh7   Qxf2 Qh3   Qh2 Qf3   Rg2 Qd1   Qg1 Qh5   Rh2 Qf3   Qg2 Qd1   Qg1     

In the world of chess Christmas and the New Year, of course, means the Hastings Congress and, as I write, Round 6  out of the nine rounds in the Masters is under way with Jakhongir  Vakhidov of Uzbekistan the leader on 4½ with four others on 4 including Keith Arkell and Danny Gormally. There are 86 entries in the Masters which seems pretty good to me although I notice that last year there were 99. The official title of the tournament is ‘The Tradewise 93rd Hastings International Chess Congress’ and it is fortunate that the congress has managed to secure funding from Tradewise as its future seemed under threat a few years ago. It was said that Hastings Borough Council would be withdrawing its support although that has certainly not happened yet. Hastings truly is an international congress – of the 86 players listed in the Masters, I counted 24 different nationalities which can’t be bad for business at an English seaside resort in winter. Top seed is the Indian GM Deep Sengupta and, as last year’s winner, the probable favourite. However, he came a cropper at the first hurdle.

White:   FM Adam C. Taylor  (2242)     Black:   GM Deep Sengupta  (2586)

    1.  Nf3   d5   2.  g3   Nf6   3.  Bg2   Bg4   4.  Ne5   Bf5   5.  c4   c6   6.  cd5   cd5   7.  O-O   e6   8.  d3   Bd6   9.  Qa4   Nbd7   10.  Bf4   Qe7   11.  e4 de4   12.  de4   Bg4   13.  Nd7   Qd7   14.  Qd7   Kd7   15.  Bd6   Kd6   16.  h3   Bh5   17.  f4   Ke7   18.  g4   Ng4   19.  hg4   Bg4   20.  Bf3   Bf3 21.  Rf3   Rhd8   22.  Nc3   Rd2   23.  Rf2   Rad8   24.  Raf1   a6   25.  Rd2   Rd2   26.  Rf2   Rd3   27.  Kf1   h5   28.  Ke2   Rg3   29.  e5   f5   30.  ef6 gf6   31.  Rh2   Rg8   32.  Ne4   Rh8   33.  Kf3   h4   34.  Rc2   f5   35.  Ng5   Kd7   36.  Rd2   Ke7   37.  Re2   Rh6   38.  Kg2   Kd7   39.  Kh3   Ke7 40.  Re3   Kd7   41.  a4   b6   42.  Nf3   Kd6   43.  Nh4   Kc5   44.  Kg3   Kb4   45.  b3   a5   46.  Nf3   Rg6   47.  Ng5   Rg8   48.  Kf3   Rd8   49.  Ne6 Rd7   50.  Ke2   Ka3   51.  Kf3   Kb2   52.  Kg3   Kc2   53.  Kh4   Rd6   54.  Kg5   Kd2   55.  Re5   Kc3   56.  Kf5   Kb3   57.  Re4  

Judging by the number of entries received, there are not too many people on the edge of their seats waiting for the results of the Christmas Quiz to be announced but you are going to get them anyway.

1. Black’s moves are as follows:  …..e5…..Qf6…..Qxf3…..Be7 mate
2. Lewis. This is, of course, a reference to the famous Isle Lewis chessmen.
3. Thomas Middleton had written a play called ‘A Game at Chess’ in 1624 but two years earlier John Fletcher wrote ‘The Spanish Curate’ which was the first time a complete game of chess had featured on stage.
4. In each of the tournaments listed the winner achieved a 100% score.
5. Windsor Castle
6. According to Tartakover, ‘The wisdom of the East has stated that there are some who play poorly and do not know that they play poorly: they are ignoramuses – avoid them. There are others who play poorly and know that they play poorly: they are intelligent – help them. There are some that play well and do not know that they play well: they are modest – respect them. And there are some that play well and know they play well: they are sages – follow them.’
7. 1887 – a glance at the website masthead tells you this one.
8. George Bernard Shaw
9. This extract was written by Harpo Marx, describing an early visit to Moscow by the Marx Brothers. It was taken from his autobiography, ‘Harpo Speaks!’ a very interesting and entertaining book not just for Marx Bros fans.
10. The key to this puzzle is, of course, underpromotion:      1. c8 (R)     Ke6 (the only move)          2. Rc6 mate

Congratulations to Clive Le Baigue, who scored 8/10, just missing out on the Tartakover categories and the Fletcher play. A worthy attempt and well worth a drink next time you’re in Cramptons on a Monday,  Clive.

Twas a week before Christmas and inside the pub all the Broadstairs members were tucking into their grub…Yes, folks, in case you haven’t noticed, it will soon be Christmas which can only mean one thing: the Christmas Dinner.  The venue for this celebration has more often than not been the Tartar Frigate in Broadstairs harbour which is enigmatically described on its website as ‘one of the only 18th century flint restaurants in Kent’. Only how many? Without delving into the archives we can’t be sure how many club dinners there have been but we are confident that the Tartar Frigate pre-dates the first.

Tradition has it that we meet in another of Mr Thorley’s eating and drinking establishments, the Charles Dickens, before moving on to the Tartar Frigate where fourteen members sat down to a delicious meal, generously subsidised by the club. Actually, only thirteen were Broadstairs members – the fourteenth was our guest, Clive Le Baigue, an old friend of ours from Margate Chess Club.  Midway through the evening it was time for the quiz – another tradition. In the past we have had quizzes purely about chess, others about Broadstairs, occasionally a mixture of the two. This year David Faldon produced an amusing multiple choice quiz on all things chess related and otherwise. We even had a poetry recitation (‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost) from David Clifford, who added some Shakespeare for good measure.

 Alas, there were no prizes, not even for Richard Bowles’ splendid Christmas jumper (see photo above). Towards the end of the evening, people began to drift away as taxis called. David Clifford’s chauffeur – his grandson, Elliott Boyes once of this parish – turned up to say hello and before long it was closing time for the Tartar Frigate. But that was not the end for some. The Dolphin called and there was time for a few more drinks and one final photo of John and Clive doing their best to pretend that it was not really 12.45 a.m.  Please note that Clive is still wearing his tie, striking a blow for the sartorial elegance of chess players everywhere. Many thanks to all those who attended. The club now closes for three weeks for Christmas and the New Year, re-opening on January 8th 2018. Meanwhile, don’t forget the Christmas Quiz and finally a ‘Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!’