The British Land UK Chess Challenge
GIANT AMOEBA DIVIDES OVER UK
The British Land UK Chess Challenge achieved record numbers in 2005 for the 10th year running with with 72,000 children from over 2,000 schools taking part. The event began in the Spring Term and the second stage took place in May where 8,000 qualifiers competed in 36 different area finals for the title of Supremo or Suprema. We have now reached the third stage, the Gigafinal. In previous years this has become so massive as to be unwieldy, so, for the first time, it has been split into Northern and Southern sections.
The Southern Gigafinal took place at Tidworth Leisure Centre in the Kennet Borough of Wiltshire on the weekend of 9th and 10th July, 2005. The Northern Gigafinal was held the following week at the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology (UMIST). There were 61 sections in all, each with a top prize of £100 and a cup and the title of Ultimo or Ultima. Besides this, there were hundreds of other prizes of rosettes, books and chess computers plus a certificate for each competitor who completed the course.
There were interesting differences between the make-up of the Southern and Northern Gigafinals. The Southern Gigafinal saw a preponderance of primary school players, approximately 650 playing on the first day as opposed to about 430 on the second day. In the North there were 430 players on the first day and, on the second day, when the older players participated, the numbers were 490.
The 4th and final event in this year’s competition is the National Terafinal. Sixty one players have qualified for this, to be held at British Land’s educational centre in the North, the Source at Meadowhall in Sheffield. The Terafinal will be a two day event of 6 rounds on August 20th and 21st. Time limits will be 2½ hours per game. There is over £4,000 in prizes in this, the final stage, and the overall winner, the STRAT, will receive a cheque for £1,000. Top girl wins £500, top under 11 wins £500 and top under 9 wins £200.
The British Land UK Chess Challenge is structured by age groups in its first 3 stages, with boys and girls also separated. In the final stage, age groups from 7 up to 18 years and both boys and girls play together. This gives a marvelous opportunity for younger players to test themselves against established stars, thus accelerating their progress.
Besides the Terafinal there will be two Challengers Sections each with a prize fund of over £1,500 and a top prize of £500. Players who came 2nd or 3rd in the Gigafinals qualify for this and there are 178 qualifiers this year.
Many of the competitors in the Terafinal and Challengers have played in the event for several years, for example, E Josiah Lutton, Eugene Geidelberg, Sabrina Chevannes, Kishan Lakhani, Jonathan Lappage, Li Wu, Claire Morris, Peter Constantinou, Naomi Miller, Molly Moruzzi, Sheila Dines. There are welcome returns by two players: Stephen Gordon, who was U9 Ultimo in the very first UK Chess Challenge in 1996 and Sarah Hegarty, Under 7 Ultima in the same year. However, in the face of fierce competition, it is difficult to hold your position. Out of last year’s 50 Terafinalists, only 16 managed to qualify this year, with a further 9 reaching the Challengers. A 50% casualty rate shows that junior chess in the UK is in a healthy state of flux.
We look forward to a weekend of intense competition and heroics at the chess board when our young players will lock pawns and cement new and lasting friendships.
Full Northern and Southern Gigafinal results are available for £1.95 each, add 50p postage and send your cheque, payable to UK Chess Challenge, to 7 Billockby Close, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2ED.
Michael Basman
July, 2005
For further information see
e mail: ukchesschallenge@aol.com or
telephone 07715 041320