Gold Coast Junior Masters + OCC + Fiji Open.

GOLD COAST JUNIOR MASTERS

As promised last post I went to the Junior Masters last weekend at Emmanuel College . This school provided excellent facilities for the event and several other events are to be held there in future for example the Gold Coast Active Championship on Sunday the 25th of March. Click on the link for the entry form.

Getting back to the tournament, apart from the Masters there was also an open on Sunday which was won convincingly by Jason Wang with 9/9!

The masters was played at a slower time-control over two days and ended in a tie between Raymond Liang and Oliver McCarthy with 6/7. Three of my students were playing. Kevin Song finished the tournament with a win over the top seed Matthew Piper with black and giving more than 400 Elo points head start!(4.5/7) =3rd.  David Liu who is currently rated  352 (!!) won his last three games finishing on a fantastic 4/7.

My third student missed the first two games due to basketball and left the event early probably due to other commitments scoring only one point. Blame his coach :-)

The Junior open.

It was a  pleasant surprise for me to see my former student GM David Smerdon on the weekend handing out prizes. We left independently but a few hours later met again accidentally on Burleigh Heads Beach. Great minds think alike :-) We went for a few beers at the Surf Life-saving Club with a few other chess-playing friends and caught up. David mentioned the Olympiad and asked if I was applying. I was unaware that the ACF had asked for applications as I had received no notification. He hadn't either but a friend of his who reads "Chesschat" had told him. It seems that this is the official organ of the ACF these days. I "suscribed" (try subscribe)  again for the newsletter, maybe this time.

Anyway while browsing the "in" chess site I happened upon a little discussion about the Oceanic Chess Confederation. It seems that there is an organisation....or maybe there isn't, you figure it out. Just in case you couldn't be bothered I have selected a few snippets for you.

another SHITE FITE in OZ

Dennis Jessop @ Brian Jones

I have done all that I can do to point out to you what the deficiencies in the OCC are. You have rejected my observations out-of-hand. If that is your attitude, to hell with you. There can be no resolution of this matter if you maintain an intransigent, uniformed and pig headed attitude. Some attempt to win friends rather than alienate potential supporters would reveal your human side, though I appreciate that subtlety and a sense of humour are not your strongest points.

IM Robert Jamieson @ Brian Jones

It is clear from the above, and this discussion in general, that Mr.Jones has little understanding of how to set up and run an organisation properly and, as such, is clearly ideally qualified to hold a high FIDE post.

I learnt many years ago that the best option was to avoid any dealings with Mr.Jones.

Brian Jones @ ACF & and retired chessplayers.

I am just an unpaid volunteer doing a job that few chess players want to do because of the shit they receive from the ACF Executive and from retired chess players who are too sick, lame or lazy to do the job themselves!

FIJI OPEN

While the executive of the ACF and the president of the Oceanic Chess Confederation are engaging in highly constructive discussions which are undoubtedly keeping them from doing something about the ACF website, one Oceanic nation is doing something that is of use to chess-players.  From the 5-12 of May they are holding an International tournament! Interested? Want to know more? Easy, just go to the Fiji Chess Federation Website! Yes, they have one, we don't. It is easy on the eye, full of useful information and up to date. Perhaps the Australian Chess Federation can take a Junket to Fiji to learn from the masters :D