CORNWALL CHESS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CHAMPIONSHIP CONGRESS 2001
The annual congress returned to Truro College which once again provided excellent playing conditions in the Tresillian Hall. Our thanks to them for providing the ideal venue for chess. As organiser I would like to thank Roger Grey and Robin Kneebone for their constant help throughout the weekend and to Angela Wong and Madeleine Evans who kept the players supplied with food and drink. As controller my thanks are due to the players themselves whose co-operation and sportsmanship made life very easy.A brief account of each section follows, linked to pages containing full round-by-round results.
EMIGRANT CUP (19 entries)
The entry of 19 was slightly down on recent years. However, several regulars were unable to attend this year through unavoidable commitments. On the other hand it was good to welcome back some players who have been absent for many years, notably Tim Gudgeon (9 years) and Ken Gay (so long ago that nobody can remember, least of all Ken!) Once again it was particularly refreshing that several players who were eligible for the Falmouth Cup elected to play in the tougher competition.
Andrew Greet (St Austell) overcame the handicap of winning his first round game for once and retained the trophy and title of Cornwall champion in convincing style. His score of 6/6 is, to my knowledge, the first 100% score since the length of the tournament was increased from 4 rounds. The competition for the minor places was fierce, with David Saqui (Penwith) and Malcolm Pridmore (Truro) recovering from early setbacks to finish equal 2nd with 4/6.
Special mention must be made of the performance of Douglas Cooke (Liskeard) who was playing in the Emigrant for the first time and finished on 3½/6, including a win over David Saqui.
Final positions and round-by-round results
FALMOUTH CUP (25 entries)
Restricted to players graded 125 or under, this year's competition provided a contrast with the fierce battles of previous years. Anton Barkhuysen (Camborne) won with a round to spare, finishing on 5½/6 and thus became the first person to win this competition for a third time. Adam Sinclair (Penwith), the 1995 winner, returned after a long absence from the chess scene and showed few signs of rust in finishing 2nd on 4½/6.
Apart from that of the winner, the most notable performance came from last year's Penwith Cup winner, 10 year old Jeremy Kneebone (Penwith) who finished equal 3rd with 4/6 in his first appearance in this competition.
Final positions, round-by-round results and games
PENWITH CUP (11 entries)
The battle for first prize was between the oldest player, Dr K. S. Hocking (Falmouth) and Andy Cooke (Liskeard), the gap in their ages being 75 years. On this occasion youth prevailed with Andy winning the tournament with 5½/6, conceding the draw only to Dr Hocking.
Final positions, round-by-round results and games
A bulletin is available containing all the games from the Emigrant and Falmouth Cups and a selection from the Penwith. The cost is £2 with proceeds going to the County Association. If you wish to order one, please email me