Thought it would be a good idea to document the last year (since 5 May 2017) in my life as I've started my 55th year today. In a word - EBAY. Ebay has brought me in touch with several of the chess-sets I've hoped to collect, especially the ones that stood out for their use in World Championships and Olympiads. Then there were those that were representative of the countries they were used in. So no ornamental sets. Yes it did cost a small fortune but then it's 1 item off my bucket list so... Hunting them down is perhaps the real joy..like finding a pearl on the beachfront. Then there is the bidding process which of course is nerve-wracking as the time ticks down to the final second. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose by a mere $1! But then over the past year I've learnt to live and let live..there are always other bargains if you search hard enough. The Drueke Player's Choice..a rare gem that is being reproduced by its owner this year as more colle
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I have changed the format of the Thomson Chess Fiesta this year to accommodate the Seniors, which I take it to mean those aged 45 and over. These players used to be active in chess in the Singapore Chess Renaissance in the 80's. Today many of them have had their careers and kids in their teens. Hence they would have some time I believe to return to their main hobby when in school. Many I've met recalled the fun times, the camaraderie plus friendly(now) rivalry they had while competing for top honours back in their schooldays. There were many chess enthusiasts too then who took part in every CC tournament from the Queenstown , Marine Parade, Buona Vista, Cairnhill and on to the Inter-Clubs and the popular Christmas Festivals which made it the largest tournament in numbers back from 1978 to 1982. One cannot underestimate the depth of the players in this era as they worked on the game without the help of coaches, Internet resources and chess engines which were non-existent th
5th THOMSON CHESS FIESTA June 2 – 3 2018 Thomson Community Club Hall, 194 Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574339 Organised by Thomson Chess Club with support from Thomson CCMC, YEC and SCF A026614373 THOMSON SENIORS (NOT FIDE RATED) ROUND 1 June 2 ROUND 2 ROUND 3 ROUND 4 14:00 15:30 16:45 18:00 ROUND 5 June 3 ROUND 6 ROUND 7 14:00 15:30 16:45 Who can enter? : Open to players aged 45 and above based on year of birth. PRIZES (NTUC VOUCHERS) 1 st $300 2 nd $180 3 rd $120 4 th $100 5 th $80 Time Control : 25 minutes per side with a 10 second increment per move starting at move 1. ENTRY FEE : $30 for all players. TIE BREAKS will resolve placing. A026614379 THOMSON CUP RAPID (FIDE RATED)
Looking back on my old blog posts, I am reminded of the last time I displayed my chess set collection about 4 years ago. Gee how time flies. I am once again rejuvenated in my quest to have the prominent chess-playing sets which have made their mark in World Championships and illustrious tournaments in my collection. This addictive yet soul-satisfying hobby was rekindled with the discovery of Ebay through a friend who managed to get some real bargains for vintage sets. So I tried my luck. My first succesful acquisition cost me GBP40 for a 4" King Lardy made of boxwood and rosewood. There's a soft spot for the Lardy with its elegantly shaped Knights and dainty mitres of the Bishops not found in the current FIDE tournament sets today. Since then several good bargains came and my Lardy collection now counts to 8, from 2.75" to 4.25" Kings. The Dubrovnik was a favourite but the NOJ version is simply out of my budget. So I settled for this Indian repro which co
For the Lower Div Boys I am very proud that Gerrard Lim has retained his composure despite a loss in day 1 to finish 8/9 points and emerge Champion, despite the fact that he had just recovered from HFMD a week ago. A very happy boy with his trophy The other pleasant surprise was Ho Ray Ee. He had the luck of the draw on his side bypassing some nemeses but his biggest victory came in overcoming Ethan Lai who was rated 200 points above him. Finishing 7.5 pts and coming in 4th was his best result. I congratulate him for his diligence and focus which saw him through in the last 3 rounds. RongXuan was my addition this year but this boy (5th from the left) is a fighter and a fast learner. He was troubled by poor opening play which caused him to suffer early and often succumbed to losses in his games. This time round he had good positions and was able to cash in some good wins. I am very impressed that he can record his games without skipping a move, a skill even some of my ol