e2e4 Buxton triumph

I returned last night from a great weekend at the latest e2e4 event in Buxton. Despite the online outbreak of BSE the week before, the weekend passed off without incident, with numerous players coming to Sean Hewitt to express their support for him, over the hotel rooms row. Those of us who were forced to move to Pott Shrigley on Saturday night (yes, both Sean and myself were among those affected, as was Mark Hebden) were rewarded with a night in a spectacular country house hotel and a first-rate complimentary dinner in its restaurant. Furthermore, the playing conditions at the Palace Hotel were some of the best I have ever seen at a weekend tournament, especially for the last day, when we were able to use the grand ballroom (the hotel's critics might like to note that hotel staff worked until after 3am on Sunday morning, shifting 100 tables, chess sets and clocks, into the ballroom for us).

"Of course, if the Olympic organisers had consulted me initially about the route for the flame, I could have told them I am currently on a cruise". 

We even had a visit from the Olympic flame, which passed by the hotel on the Friday afternoon. I am afraid I also showed my advancing age: when the hotel manager told us the hotel had "a prom" on Friday evening, I was expecting some classical music, rather than the several hundred partying school leavers, who actually materialised...

All in all, a great event, which looks likely to become a regular part of the e2e4 circuit, although it could do with Sean arranging somewhat better weather next time round!

The Open was won by GM Keith Arkell, to whose play I shall return later this week. In the meantime, here is the board 2 game from the final round, one of several brilliancies played in the round. The black player needed to win to have a chance of shared first, but was beaten in fine style. The winner, a Singaporean now living in Stockport (!), is just 16, yet already an IM, and clearly a player of promise.