News items from 2000 (second half)
29/12/00: Twenty-nine signed up for leagues
Although entries for the new year's leagues, the Premier and the Conference, would still be welcomed and can be accommodated, it looks as though the final number of entrants to the two competitions will be twenty-nine, a more than satisfactory response.
Fifteen players will contest the Premier League, playing each other only once during the year, while the fourteen Conference contestants will -- in also playing each other once -- have just thirteen matches to play.
In this transitional year for league backgammon in Bristol, the fixture workload is fairly light, so for those who feel they would like more action, there will also be a new optional competition, starting in the spring, to involve players from both leagues. This competition, the Bristol Inter-League Cup, will feature two phases, a "World Cup" style group phase, with a knock-out phase as its climax.
22/12/00: Grand prix points system -- did it work?
There is little doubt that many of those who entered any of the monthly tournaments during 2000 failed to totally understand the points system operating in both of the grand prix competitions.
Although the precise criteria were not that complicated, and they were always openly on display, this lack of understanding did become apparent as the climaxes of both the IGP and the OGP unfolded.
Short of holding evening classes on the subject, it is difficult to know how this could have been remedied, but if the system worked, then it will again be in operation during 2001, and familiarity will almost certainly be more prevalent then.
But did the system work?
When the IGP reached its conclusion in October, the top two in the list were Jerry Limb and Richard Moody. A quick glance at the year's IGP match results shows that these two did, indeed, dominate proceedings, Jerry having won ten of fourteen matches played, Richard ten out of thirteen. It was a close run thing, but in the end Jerry got the main prize because the points system recognised that he won the main flight of a tournament and Richard didn't. It was also apparent that four players who otherwise did well limited their chance of success by not competing in more than two of the four IGP events. Had Tim Jefferies, Sarah Rosich or John Napier contested more than two events, and Craig Thompson more than one, the IGP could have had a very different outcome.
And in the OGP there were similar stories. In terms of sheer volume of wins Stuart Mann (won 15, lost 8) and Tony Lee (won 16, lost 8) were at the head of the pecking order. But Stuart won eleven of his matches in main flights, while Tony excelled particularly in consolation flights, gaining half of his wins there. It was this factor which held Tony back, in third place in the overall listing, behind Stuart and Blaine Buchanan. Blaine, scored heavily by winning the September Lesters tournament, and also did the bulk of his good work in main flights. Again there were many players who competed well in a limited number of tournaments, but Grant Shortland, Graham Alder, Tim Jefferies, Ian Tarr, Mike Morse, Rosey Bensley, Mike Rodwell, and Keith Wiltshire all missed out by not being tournament regulars.
The message appears to be that the points system will serve you well enough, if you compete on a regular basis. A grand prix should, after all, be a long haul rather than a sprint.
21/12/00: Initial Masters line-up decided
February's inaugural Bristol Masters knock-out event has a full list of sixteen qualifiers, who only need confirm their availability.
The twelve monthly tournament winners and the top four other finishers from the Bristol Premier League give the line-up a quality look.
If Simon Baker, Jerry Limb, Graham Alder, Grant Shortland, John Napier, Kevin White, Ed Turner, Tim Jefferies, Blaine Buchanan, Sarah Rosich, Rosey Bensley, Mike Rodwell, Charlie Hetherington, Ian Tarr, Phil Charlton, and Stuart Mann can all turn up on the night (February 15th), it promises to be a great occasion.
And if any of those players can't make it, there is a whole list of high finishers from the two grand prix competitions ready and waiting to fill the breach. The head of the reserve list reads, in order: Tony Lee, Richard Moody, Paul Watts, Phil Caudwell, Elliot Smart, Roland Herrera, John Ryan, John Lewis, Keith Wiltshire, plus many others.
21/12/00: Greetings from Birmingham
Ralph Eskinazi, who leads the Birmingham Backgammon Club, has sent us all his best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
He, like us, is looking forward to renewing our friendly rivalry in the spring. Ian Tarr has reciprocated on behalf of the Bristol backgammon scene.
20/12/00: 2000 has been a pretty good year
With the completion of the whole year's matches last night, all the issues from the year's competitions have now been resolved, so maybe this is a suitable time to take stock of what's happened over the past twelve months.
The master plan involved the launch of three main competitions, so there was a degree of risk involved from an organisational point of view. The Open Grand Prix, the Intermediate Grand Prix, and the Premier League have all been completed, and all have arguably been roaring successes.
The OGP featured eight tournaments in all, with 52 different players appearing on anything between one and eight occasions.
And the IGP, with just the four tournaments, attracted 27 players in all, most of whom, of course, also had a go in the OGP.
The ten Premier League players all fulfilled their fixtures, an important requirement of a serious league competition.
And in all events, 380 matches were contested by a total of 56 different players. And next year there should be more players and more matches, with these same three events being augmented by the new feeder league, the Conference.
19/12/00: Fruitful return for Mike
Mike Rodwell, who until last week had never won a match in any competition under our auspices, left the Live and Let Live last night with a whole host of goodies, plus an enhanced reputation.
His victory over Ian Tarr last night was the culmination of a five match Lesters Trophy campaign in which he met and beat only previous tournament winners: Rosey Bensley, Stuart Mann, Sarah Rosich, Tony Lee, and now Ian.
As well as being able to bask in his hour of triumph, Mike took the £385 first prize, £132 from the auction, the newly minted John Chidgey Cup, and a guaranteed place in February's Bristol Masters event.
Ian, who had fought back to level the match at 8-8, had no answer to Mike's final quadruple-gammon flourish, and had to be content with the £130 runner-up prize (Sarah Rosich having scooped the auction runner-up prize of £45).
Ian's failure to win means that Tony Lee's participation in the Bristol Masters, although virtually assured by other events, will only be through the back door.
19/12/00: Defeat cannot dent Simon's achievement
The Premier League season finally drew to a close last night with newly crowned champion Simon Baker losing his final match 11-6 at the hands of Phil Charlton.
The result leaves Simon ahead of Charlie Hetherington only on points difference, while Phil finishes just one win behind in fourth place -- Ian Tarr having a better difference.
18/12/00: Season ends in far-flung outposts
The last two backgammon matches of the 2000 Bristol season are both being played tomorrow night, in areas not usually associated with big-time action.
As reported yesterday, the Lesters XXXVIII final between Mike Rodwell and Ian Tarr is at the Live and Let Live, in Frampton Cotterell. And now, it emerges, the final match of the Bristol Premier League season, between Simon Baker and Phil Charlton, is being played at the Churchill Inn, Churchill, at the same time.
The league encounter is just to keep the table looking tidy, as Simon has already made sure of winning the title, while Phil will definitely finish in fourth place.
Spectators will, if they can make it to these distant locations, be most welcome.
17/12/00: Big-time backgammon hits Frampton Cotterell!
The held over Lesters Trophy and John Chidgey Cup final between Mike Rodwell and Ian Tarr will now take place at the Live and Let Live in Frampton Cotterell on Tuesday night, starting at 8pm.
Mike, it should be pointed out, is no longer a resident of that splendid conurbation as was reported earlier, having long since moved to Frenchay.
Keith Wiltshire, who does still live there, and anyone else who might be interested, will be extremely welcome to attend.
17/12/00: Twenty-seven now lined up for league backgammon
With some positive replies still anticipated, there are twenty-seven players now signed up for league backgammon in 2001 in Bristol.
The Premier League looks like comprising fifteen players, unless the absent Graham Alder should suddenly reemerge from the woodwork, while twelve are so far committed to Conference action.
Further details will be announced when the lists are finalised, which should be quite soon now.
15/12/00: LESTERS XXXVIII -- all the news
15/12/00: Mike and Ian for Frampton Cotterell shoot-out?
The big story at Lesters XXXVIII was the return to competition of a couple of Frampton Cotterell residents.
While the event also hailed the debut of young Max Limb, and the return of Ron Henderson (not seen since he won last December's tournament) and Mark Oldham, who had competed only once since being runner-up to Stuart Mann in December 1998, the real story of the night concerned the appearance of Keith Wiltshire and Mike Rodwell.
Keith, director of the long-since defunct Bristol Backgammon Club, had not been seen in competition for eight and a half years, while Mike's only appearance in one of our events was in April 1990.
But anyone who expected the duo to be in dire need of match practice was soon to be proved wrong.
Keith progressed to the semi-finals with wins over John Napier, Jerry Limb and Roland Herrera, and it was as if he had never been away!
Meanwhile Mike's progress had been quicker -- and even more spectacular. Rosey Bensley, Stuart Mann, Sarah Rosich and Tony Lee all succumbed as Mike swept imperiously towards the final!
And all that stood between the Frampton Cotterell boys and the total eclipse of the field was Ian Tarr, a player not generally noted for his Lesters achievements.
Since the Lesters event moved to the BCSC, Ian's sum total of wins from eleven tournaments had been a meagre six matches, and when he drew one of his many Lesters bogey players Mark Oldham in the first round, the signs did not look auspicious. They looked even less so when, with Mark on the brink of victory, Ian's luck turned dramatically. Fortunately squeezing past form player Kevin White was the next step, while Ian's star continued to rise with a quick-fire victory over Drew Caudwell.
And, on a roll, Ian finally stopped Keith in his tracks to earn a final tilt at Mike. This, however, will have to wait. After running out of time, Ian conceded home advantage to Mike, and they are set to finish the tournament in Frampton Cotterell at a date and time yet to be decided.
15/12/00: Leader Stuart hangs on for Open Grand Prix reward
Stuart Mann, who entered the fray at the BCSC last night with a slender OGP lead, would have expected to need to add to his points tally to hold on to the top spot.
Indeed thirteen of the top seventeen players turned up to compete with anything from realistic to tenuous chances of taking the OGP title, but it was astonishing to see them fall out of contention one by one.
Of those players only one, Tony Lee, managed to win more than one match!
Stuart probably thought his chance of glory had gone when he lost his opening encounter to Mike Rodwell, thus making himself vulnerable to attack from his nearest rivals.
But with Tim Jefferies losing out to Roland Herrera, it soon became apparent that only Tony and Blaine Buchanan had the chance to move ahead. Blaine successfully negotiated a tough first round clash with Liz Chappell, and would have moved ahead of Stuart in the points with a victory over Drew Caudwell. In another tight finish, however, Drew scuppered Blaine's hopes.
Things had gone well for Tony, meanwhile. Victories over Dave Pym and Phil Charlton put him a win away from overhauling Stuart. In his semi-final, however, Mike Rodwell proved too tough, and Stuart was confirmed as the inaugural OGP title winner.
This was a victory for consistency over the whole season as, Lesters events apart, Stuart regularly picked up strong points scores by being involved in the latter stages of most events.
Blaine, who had won Lesters XXXVII, ended justed five tantalising points behind Stuart to take the runner-up spot, in what has been an eventful year for him. Click here for full OGP positions.
15/12/00: Tim and Graham qualify for Premier League
Tim Jefferies turned up to Lesters XXXVIII last night hoping to ensure what looked like a 99% certainty anyway -- confirmation of his Premier Status.
As it happened he needn't have bothered. Even without his 10 points for entering (he failed to win a match on the night), he would still have qualified easily.
Also a Premier Status player is Graham Alder, who finished sixth in the overall OGP list despite not being seen since June. If anyone knows of Graham's whereabouts, would they please let Ian Tarr know. Graham, if he cares, will need to know about his qualification for the Premier League and the Bristol Masters!
15/12/00: Masters door ajar for Tony
Tony Lee would probably feel he has done enough this year to be a certain qualifier for the new Bristol Masters event, to be held in February.
Under the rules for that competition, sixteen players who have achieved success in 2000 are invited to take part in an "all-winners" knock-out.
The twelve main flight knock-out winners, plus the four highest other finishers in the Premier League get the nod.
In April Tony just lost out at the death to Grant Shortland in the final of Lesters XXXVI, which scotched one avenue of entry, and despite regularly picking up OGP points throughout the year (Tony finished a creditable third), his chances have since then rested on a respectable Premier League finish.
But Stuart Mann (6th) is currently the lowest of the Premier League qualifiers, while Tony finished a tantalising 7th!
Nevertheless, salvation could be at hand in the unlikely form of Bristol Backgammon co-ordinator Ian Tarr. Should Ian become the twelfth knock-out qualifier, this would take him out of the Premier League qualifiers list, and Tony would get a deserved Masters invitation.
In reality, though, Tony is almost certain to get in via the other available route. Should any of the sixteen not be able to make it on the night, Tony is first on the reserve list. And since Rosey Bensley is likely to be playing in Paris, and Graham Alder has apparently vanished off the face of the earth, it is confidently predicted that Tony will get his Masters chance!
15/12/00: Thanks for the help!
Ian Tarr would like to thank those who helped in performing crucial tasks at last night's tournament.
Dave Pym bravely, and at short notice, took up the call to perform the auction, and was successful enough to bring in a creditable total stake of £177, which will be split between Sarah Rosich (who bought Ian Tarr) and Mike Rodwell (who bought himself).
Charlie Hetherington was kind enough to act as auctioneer's clerk, and Stuart Mann (who has also declared a willingness be auctioneer) collected the auction stake money.
14/12/00: Large turnout anticipated -- don't be late
Tonight's Lesters Trophy event should feature a large turnout.
If you wish to play, and have not pre-entered, you would be well advised to get to the BCSC in good time, in order to avoid disappointment.
Should thirty-two others get there before you, you may be condemned to an evening of spectating!
13/12/00: UK finals had small but prominent Bristol presence
Last weekend's BIBA UK Finals, at the Coventry Hilton, featured strong performances by at least three players very well known in this area.
Backgammon globetrotter John Slattery, who made his Bristol tournament debut last month, had already pre-qualified for the closing stages on Sunday, having enjoyed a wonderful year in BIBA competition, as -- amongst other things -- BIBA's grand prix champion for the year.
He was joined in the final stages, though, by Bristol Premier League stalwart Kevin White and Lesters XXXVI winner Grant Shortland, who had fought their way through as two of the eight qualifiers from Saturday's field of 60.
Although none of the three got to the business end of Sunday's main competition, Kevin did get his hands on the Consolation runner-up prize.
12/12/00: What's at stake on Thursday?
Thursday night's tournament, the 38th Lesters Trophy, is something of an event in its own right, of course.
A £20 entry tournament which may well bring in stake money of more than £500, not to mention the traditional pre-tournament auction, which is almost certain to command investments totalling three figures, is bound to get the collective juices going.
And with the winner set to be the holder of the new John Chidgey Cup, there is indeed plenty to play for.
But in many ways the outcome of the tournament itself is overshadowed by what will be the climax of the first year of the existence of the Bristol Open Grand Prix.
A competition which has already had no fewer than 47 players taking part in the seven tournaments to date will provide somebody with an honour arguably as great as -- some might say even greater than -- winning the Bristol Premier League.
Indeed, the inaugural Premier League champion, Simon Baker, still has an outside chance of completing a memorable double, although his margin for error is slight with a 90 point deficit to make up on current leader Stuart Mann.
Stuart has shown commendable consistency in amassing his current total of 250 points without actually winning the main flight of a tournament. But this could be his achilles heel as the OGP finishing line approaches, as he will need to win at least two matches to improve his overall tally, thanks to the system which ensures all but a player's best five tournament scores get discarded.
Second placed Blaine Buchanan, also needs at least a couple of wins to overhaul Stuart, while Tim Jefferies -- in third place after contesting only three events -- has nothing to discard, but must also win at least twice to stand a chance.
But with the winner probably raking in either 120 or 140 points, any one of the following players could also steal the title at the death: Tony Lee, Graham Alder (if he should make a surprise return to competition), Kevin White, Jerry Limb, Charlie Hetherington, Paul Watts, Phil Caudwell, Grant Shortland, Phil Charlton, Ed Turner, Elliot Smart or Rosey Bensley. Hopefully all of those will be present on Thursday!
And there is even more on offer. Anyone finishing in the top eight places is guaranteed Premier Status if they haven't already got it. Tim Jefferies, in particular, looks almost certain to achieve that landmark. But there are many others who could crash the Premier party with a bravura performance on Thursday.
It's hard to imagine how anyone could miss this tournament!
11/12/00: All set for the grand finale
The grand finale of the 2001 Bristol backgammon calendar is Thursday night's Lesters Trophy.
The 38th in the series, which has its roots back in 1986, is momentous for at least two reasons.
The winner of Thursday's event will be the first recipient of the John Chidgey Cup, the trophy bought to commemorate the "Grand Old Man" of Bristol backgammon, who sadly died in July.
And with the final set of Open Grand Prix points available, competition is sure to be fierce in the race for that title, as well as the race for the finalists purses, always worthwhile targets!
11/12/00: Twenty-plus for league action in 2001
Next year's two Bristol backgammon leagues, the Premier League and the Conference, have already attracted twenty entrants, and the final total is expected to be more like thirty.
The Premier already has twelve entrants, while the Conference has eight so far. Many more are expected to sign on the dotted line by Thursday night.
07/12/00: Adam back on top
Adam Clutterbuck has leap-frogged back to the top of DPS Backgammon League Division Two after beating Jeff Dando 13-5 today.
07/12/00: Two thousand mark was breached inside a year
The "hit counter" on the home page of this website this morning soared past the 2000 mark, and this inside a year.
The counter has been in existence since December 8th 1999, so that mark was reached with over a day to spare.
And although that only works out at around 5.5 hits per day, it should be remembered that there were hardly any hits for the first few months. Indeed the number has been more like 9 per day for the past few months.
05/12/00: The rise and rise of Kathy Jones
While the big guns of the DPS Backgammon League (the lunch-time competition for EDS employees in Patchway) are fighting it out in the First Division, a new face is making an impact in Division Two.
The fledgling career of Kathy Jones, who entered the league this season on the strength of a mere pair of knock-out defeats, has taken a startling turn with four successive victories taking her to the very summit of the league table.
And with half of that league boasting careers with upwards of 250 matches, that albeit small achievement still represents something of a breakthrough -- especially in an environment where it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new players.
Kathy is the first to admit, however, that there is a long way to go before any thought of popping champagne corks becomes appropriate.
03/12/00: Awards night announced
A backgammon evening with a difference has been scheduled for Thursday January 25th at the BCSC.
An award ceremony, featuring prize presentations for all the long running competitions during 2000, will be accompanied by a free buffet, a brief review of 2000, and an even briefer outline of what to expect in 2001.
And afterwards there may even be time for a little backgammon!
03/12/00: Robin Clay dies
Renowned backgammon author and BIBA member Robin Clay died on Wednesday after a long spell of poor health.
His most successful book in terms of sales was "Teach Yourself Backgammon", but many local players will be more familiar with more recent titles like "Backgammon in a Week" and "Backgammon: Winning Strategies".
What all his books have in common is their well-structured, easy-to-read approach.
29/11/00: Charlie confirmed as runner-up
After tonight's action at the BCSC, the finishing order of the Bristol Premier League is now confirmed, although one match, Simon Baker versus Phil Charlton, still remains to be played.
Phil finished off an uncompleted match against Tony Lee, and it was this result, an 11-9 win for Tony, which confirmed that Charlie Hetherington finishes second.
Phil's next result, an 11-9 victory over Blaine Buchanan, was by a sufficiently narrow margin to ensure that Ian Tarr finishes third. Phil then followed up with an 11-1 win over Phil Caudwell, and in so doing assured himself of fourth place, no matter what the outcome of the only remaining match should be.
Phil Caudwell had earlier lost to Stuart Mann, a result which confirmed Stuart in sixth place.
Given that Simon Baker and Kevin White have qualified for the Bristol Masters via knock-out wins, the Premier League's representatives in that competition will now be Charlie, Ian, Phil Charlton, and Stuart.
For latest Bristol Premier League positions, click here.
28/11/00: Simon celebrates as Ian thwarts Charlie
Simon Baker can today celebrate winning the inaugural Bristol Premier League championship.
Simon still has one match to play -- against Phil Charlton -- but no longer needs to win that one to clinch the title after a momentous lunch-time encounter between Charlie Hetherington and Ian Tarr at the EDS offices in Patchway.
Charlie needed a win to force Simon to the wire, and moved into a 3-2 lead. An interesting 4-cube game provided the turning point, however, and Charlie never got another point, as the match was concluded in just 40 minutes.
The result means that Charlie will be runner-up with Ian third, unless Phil Charlton can convert the majority of his four outstanding fixtures into wins.
Wednesday night's session at the BCSC should shed a little more light on that situation.
23/11/00: Announcing the Bristol Masters
February next year sees the introduction of a new annual tournament on the Bristol scene. The Bristol Masters knock-out will feature sixteen players, who will be invited on the strength of their achievements during 2000.
Guaranteed entry will be the winners of all twelve main flights of the monthly tournaments during the year, plus the top four finishers in the Bristol Premier League who have not qualified via a knock-out. The eleven tournament winners so far (nobody has yet won more than one in 2000) are Simon Baker, Jerry Limb, Graham Alder, Grant Shortland, John Napier, Kevin White, Ed Turner, Tim Jefferies, Blaine Buchanan, Sarah Rosich, and Rosey Bensley. Charlie Hetherington, already assured of a high Premier League finish, also qualifies.
This will be a tournament with a difference, though, in that players will need to confirm their availability in advance to make the competition a success.
Anyone who cannot make it on the night -- Thursday February 15th -- will be replaced by high finishers in the OGP and the IGP.
In future years, qualification would include the previous year's Masters winner, and top finishers from the Bristol Conference.
23/11/00: League entries trickle in
With entries now being accepted for both of next year's league competitions, the first positive replies are beginning to trickle in.
Eight players -- four in the Premier League, four in the Conference -- are so far committed to competing.
20/11/00: First Conference entries received
The first three entries have been received for the new league, the Bristol Conference.
Sarah Rosich, Roland Herrera, and Simonetta Barone are the first players to sign up.
Many more are expected.
20/11/00: Grant gets Premier Status
Easter Lesters Trophy winner Grant Shortland has achieved Premier Status, regardless of his performance -- should he play -- in the December tournament.
The latest BIBAFAX, published a week after the Townharbour Trophy at the Coventry Hilton, sees Grant featured in the rankings with a score in excess of 1500, one of the criteria which qualifies a player for Premier League action.
19/11/00: 2001 Leagues -- invitations go out
Invitations have today been emailed to potential participants in both of next year's Bristol Backgammon leagues. And surface mail versions are expected to go out within the next few days.
This serves as confirmation -- if ever there had been any doubt -- that the boast "League Backgammon for All" was not an idle one.
Subject to responses, the 2001 Bristol Premier League will have more members than this year, and they will also have an option to play in a new auxiliary competition, which may end up being called the Bristol Premier League Cup.
But arguably the most exciting development is the introduction of a new league for anyone yet to attain Premier Status, the Bristol Conference. Bristol Backgammon organiser Ian Tarr is especially hopeful for this competition, as it has the potential to attract many new players.
16/11/00: Simon holds league fate in own hands
Last night's Premier League session at the BCSC saw Simon Baker retake pole position in the league table. A league double over Tony Lee was offset by defeat at the hands of Kevin White.
This leaves both Simon and Charlie (absent last night) on 36 points with one match apiece to play. Simon has the advantage, however, of a points difference which is 29 better than Charlie's, so both remaining results must go Charlie's way, or Simon takes the title.
Either a defeat for Charlie or a win for Simon would suffice for Simon.
Phil Charlton's chance to take the title has now disappeared. Involved in four of only six matches left to play, Phil can now only catch the leaders on matches won. He cannot rival Simon's points difference, however.
The two key fixtures are Simon versus Phil, and Charlie versus Ian Tarr.
16/11/00: Stuart takes OGP lead
Stuart Mann last night beat Richard Moody in the consolation final of last week's OGP event, a result which has placed him into the overall lead in the OGP points list, moving previous leader Blaine Buchanan down to second.
15/11/00: Rosey's debut win means Tim has to wait
The OGP main flight final, held over from last week, took place in Henbury this morning, chez Jerry Limb.
And Rosey Bensley continued the recent trend of female success, when she recovered from a 2-5 deficit to defeat Tim Jefferies.
Given her intention to visit again for the Lesters Trophy/John Chidgey Cup in December, Rosey could still, incredibly, do enough to qualify for next season's Premier League.
Tim, meanwhile, who was hoping to confirm his BPL place with a victory, must now wait. In third place overall in the OGP list, however, he is almost certainly going to be a qualifier, as six players would have to overhaul him for him to miss out.
14/11/00: Finals both set for tomorrow
The finals of both of last Thursday's OGP knock-out flights are both planned for tomorrow.
The main flight climax, featuring Maidenhead's Rosey Bensley and 2000's undoubted newcomer of the year Tim Jefferies, is scheduled for a morning kick-off in Henbury.
And the consolation final between Stuart Mann and Richard Moody will be at the BCSC, during the Premier League session in the evening.
Both Stuart and Tim will be looking to get the points they need to overtake current OGP leader Blaine Buchanan.
13/11/00: Wednesday may settle Premier issues
This Wednesday's session at the BCSC may well go some -- or even all -- of the way to deciding the key issues in the inaugural Bristol Premier League.
Main championship contenders Charlie Hetherington and Simon Baker, along with outsider Phil Charlton, are expected to be in action.
12/11/00: Rosey completes Phil's lost weekend
The outstanding OGP semi-final from Thursday's tournament was completed at the weekend in Coventry.
Berkshire's Rosey Bensley completed an unhappy weekend for Phil Caudwell by earning a final meeting with Tim Jefferies, thus denting Phil's chances of strengthening his OGP title pursuit.
12/11/00: Biggest prizes still elude Bristol's finest
Eleven of our players made the trip up to Coventry for the weekend's BIBA Townharbour Trophy Swiss format tournament, making up a sizeable proportion of the field of 68. Sarah Rosich and Grant Shortland were making their BIBA debuts.
By and large their efforts were successful, although the main prize (i.e. winning the tournament) again proved elusive.
Of nine still in contention at the end of Saturday's play, there were two of our own -- Ian Tarr and Charlie Hetherington. But both succumbed at the start of Sunday's session to English-based Europeans.
Ian was defeated by Dane Erik Sorensen, the eventual tournament winner, while Charlie's chance went against Germany's Wolf Pfeiffer.
Sunday was an excellent day overall, with four other Bristol tournament players winning all three matches -- Stuart Mann, Jerry Limb, Grant Shortland and John Napier.
It was a special event for Stuart, who scored five wins for the first time in his BIBA career. Not only did this net him £230 as winner of the £10 pool, but Stuart and Wolf (under the pseudonym Wolfmann) scooped £190 for winning the Saturday night doubles.
Full win tallies (38 wins, 28 defeats!): Charlie Hetherington 5; Stuart Mann 5; Ian Tarr 4; Jerry Limb 4; Grant Shortland 4; John Lewis 3; Phil Charlton 3; Kevin White 3; John Napier 3; Sarah Rosich 2; Phil Caudwell 2.
10/11/00: Several off to BIBA
The Bristol area should be well represented at BIBA's Townharbour Trophy event in Coventry this weekend.
Those expected at the Hilton Hotel for the Swiss format event include: Charlie Hetherington, Phil Charlton, Phil Caudwell, Jerry Limb, Kevin White, John Napier, Stuart Mann and Ian Tarr.
A report should appear here on Sunday evening.
10/11/00: Record turnout -- three matches held over
An extremely gratifying turnout of thirty players -- a record for the current regime in Bristol -- graced the BCSC last night for the seventh of the year's eight Open Grand Prix tournaments. And five players made their Bristol tournament debuts.
Jerry Limb now appears to be able to draw players in from all over the country, last night introducing three to the rigours of Bristol tournament life. John "have board will travel" Slattery, who has apparently already assured himself of collecting BIBA's grand prix title this year, was also accompanied by a brother-sister combination from the Home Counties, Rosey Bensley and Paul Gilbertson, both of whom are also experienced BIBA players.
Also present -- although too late, alas, to take up their slots in the main flight -- were Burnham-on-Sea duo Scott Wood and Tim Yard, who both appeared to enjoy the occasion.
In the tournament itself no fewer than fifteen of the top seventeen players in the OGP points list were slugging it out -- Graham Alder and Grant Shortland being the exceptions -- so it might have been expected that the top scores would push on from leader Blaine Buchanan's pre-event total of 240 points. So far, nobody has, although this could change by the time the outstanding matches are completed!
The night's star performer was arguably Tim Jefferies. Tim has made some impact this year, having made four previous visits and won 13 of his 16 matches. This time he added four more victims to his list (three Bristol Premier League players plus Jerry Limb, who has qualified for next year's BPL). Tim now awaits the winner of the semi between Rosey Bensley and Phil Caudwell, which is likely to take place this weekend at BIBA.
The consolation flight final is also outstanding. This will feature Stuart Mann and Richard Moody.
The effect of last night's action on the OGP points list has been to concertina several players into striking distance of the title, which will ultimately be decided at next month's Lesters Trophy event. Blaine still leads, despite failing to trouble the scorers last night, but Stuart has drawn level on points (but from more tournaments played). And of course Stuart can move ahead if he collects the 10 points available from the consolation final.
But Tim is now on 215 points, with 35 more available to him in the main final. Phil Caudwell has moved up to 10th overall on 165 points, but with 60 points to play for in the semi and the final, he could move as high as third overall.
And with a potential 140 points going to the winner of next month's tournament, as many as sixteen players are still in with a chance! For full OGP positions, click here.
10/11/00: Tony dents Phil's chances
Two of the remaining Bristol Premier League matches were completed at the BCSC last night.
And both featured wins for the bottom two in the table. Phil Charlton's outside chance of the league title took a knock when he suffered defeat at the hands of the under-achieving (this season, anyway) Tony Lee. Phil now needs to win all of his four remaining matches to retain any hope of the title.
And Blaine Buchanan scored a hard-earned victory over Kevin White, a player he has enjoyed several titanic clashes with recently.
01/11/00: John to be commemorated by trophy
A new trophy is being bought to commemorate John Chidgey, who sadly died on July 4th.
The "John Chidgey Cup" is being provided by those who knew him best as a special award for the winner of the Lesters Trophy each December.
This seems appropriate as John's one and only Lesters Trophy triumph was in the Christmas 1995 event, when he beat Charlie Hetherington in a memorable final.
31/10/00: Next year already mapped out
Dates for next year's competition nights have already been set.
Tournament nights are -- as ever -- on the second Thursday of every month, except for the very first one of the year, which is on January 18th.
League nights are set for the final Wednesday of each month, following the pattern established in the latter half of this year. Next year, though, it will be for both the Bristol Premier League and the Bristol Conference, as the motto "League Backgammon for All" finally comes to fruition.
There will also be other dates to note throughout the year, with the first two such occasions being a social get-together, featuring a prize award ceremony and a free buffet (this is set for January 25th), while a new "Winners" tournament, the Bristol Masters, is scheduled for February 15th. Fuller details of all events will be published in due course.
All the dates so far set can be found in Calendar of Events.
26/10/00: Premier title between three
Only three contestants are now in a position to take the inaugural Bristol Premier League championship.
Charlie Hetherington won both his matches last night to open up a six point lead over second placed Simon Baker, who also won his only completed match. While Ian Tarr, Kevin White and Phil Caudwell all saw their last vestige of hope disappear, only the absent (last night) Phil Charlton can now catch the top two.
Phil now has five matches left to play, Simon four, and leader Charlie just one. Should Charlie win his final match, against Ian Tarr, Phil would need to win all five to finish level with him. Who would have the better points difference in that case is anybody's guess.
But Simon has a valuable points difference advantage over everyone, which means that three wins out of four would virtually guarantee him the title. If Charlie and Phil were to suffer defeats, that would make Simon's job a lot more feasible. His most urgent task, however, is to claw back the 2-8 deficit he faces in an adjourned encounter with Kevin.
Meanwhile, with less than a week of the official season remaining, the organiser clearly has a problem. A total of fifteen uncompleted matches makes it certain that the end-of-October deadline will probably not be met by any of the ten contestants, with Phil Charlton and Tony Lee the worst of the procrastinators.
To this end, two more Premier League nights have been designated in November, on the 15th and 29th. The final date on which results could be accepted is Lesters Trophy night, December 14th. Preparations for next year's competitions must then be undertaken, so that they can make a timely start.
23/10/00: Premier denouement approaches
Although it appears unlikely that the Bristol Premier League will reach its scheduled conclusion by the end of October, this Wednesday's session may well go some way towards deciding the weighty issue of just who will win the inaugural championship.
Top two Charlie Hetherington and Simon Baker remain the likeliest contenders, although at least four others can move into the frame with a strong run-in.
A report should appear here on Thursday.
17/10/00: Charlie looking dangerous
Bristol Premier League leader Charlie Hetherington is also going extremely well in his domestic league, the First Division of the DPS Backgammon League.
He registered his fifth straight win today, beating early season leader Mark Oldham, whose form has faltered of late. Mark was also on the end of a defeat at the hands of Rachael Moody today.
Also going well is Adrian Miles, who leads the table with five victories from his opening six matches. He leads Charlie on average points difference. See DPS Backgammon First Division standings.
15/10/00: Birmingham shade Inter-Cities Challenge
In another closely contested, enthralling encounter, it was the home team who prevailed in yesterday's Inter-Cities Challenge at the Moseley All Services Club in Birmingham.
With fourteen players from each side contesting three 9-point matches, Birmingham made most of the running, falling behind only once -- when the fifth of 42 results was reported.
By the end of the first series of matches, Bristol found themselves 6-8 in arrears. Whereas back in June, it was the second series that saw Bristol establish command, this time they fell a further two points behind, which left them a tough task in series three, needing ten victories to succeed.
But as Birmingham pulled further ahead, the prospect of a heavy defeat loomed. And when Kevin White succumbed to Fak Laight, the home team knew that they were at least assured of a draw, and needed only one of the last five matches to go their way. But wins for Ed Turner, Stuart Mann, and Bristol's man of the match Richard Moody kept hopes of a successful fightback alive.
It was the only lady present, however, who had the last word. Jan Golding secured her only win -- over Jeremy Axford -- and Birmingham had triumphed. Elliot Smart's victory in the final match was therefore to no avail, with Birmingham finally running out 22-20 winners.
For full results, see Inter-Cities Challenge.
13/10/00: Fourteen off to Birmingham
The long awaited return match -- Birmingham versus Bristol -- takes place at the Moseley All Services Club in Birmingham tomorrow.
The full Bristol team, in its full pecking order, is: Charlie Hetherington, Tony Lee, Phil Caudwell, Ian Tarr, Stuart Mann, Phil Charlton, Blaine Buchanan, Jerry Limb, Ed Turner, Kevin White, John Lewis, Richard Moody, Elliot Smart, and Jeremy Axford. No fewer than seven of the team will be making their representative debuts.
A report on the efforts of this intrepid band should appear here by Sunday.
13/10/00: Richard is third to ensure Premier Status
Richard Moody may have missed taking the IGP title by a whisker, but his consolations should be more than adequate.
As the top two finishers in the IGP were guaranteed Premier Status for next season, Richard can now look forward to pitting his wits against the elite on a regular basis next year.
Inaugural IGP champion Jerry Limb had already secured his step up by virtue of his BIBA ranking breaching the 1500 barrier during the year, while John Napier -- called to Denmark at short notice -- had (unknown to him) also won his elevation when he won the second tournament main flight of his career in July.
The race is now on for the top eight places in the Open Grand Prix. With two tournaments still to play, that competition is also boiling up to an exciting climax, with many players well within reach of the top eight positions, the requirement for securing Premier Status from that competition.
Of course in the OGP it is probable that several of those places will be filled by players already in the Premier League, but the opportunity is there for the "new wave" to get amongst them, and it would be a surprise if that didn't happen.
13/10/00: Jerry's debt to Sarah
The conclusion of this year's Intermediate Grand Prix at the BCSC last night was a fitting climax to what has been an excellent competition.
A slightly disappointing turnout of fifteen players contested the fourth and last event of the series, with overall leader Jerry Limb deciding in the end to make the trip down from Blackpool.
The reward for his perseverance was enough points from his run to the semis of the main flight to ensure that Richard Moody -- who turned out to be his closest challenger for the title on the night -- would need to win the tournament outright to grasp the crown.
Richard's valiant effort took him all the way to the final, where he was overcome by Sarah Rosich, who thus scored her first ever main flight triumph.
Tim Jefferies beat Ed Turner in the consolation final, Ed failing to do enough on the night to press his claims for the overall title, although he has enjoyed an excellent season.
Two new players took part -- Sarah Webber and Adam Hayward -- and they will hopefully become regulars. For IGP positions (subject to final scrutiny), see IGP standings.
13/10/00: Charlie and Simon take over
Charlie Hetherington and Simon Baker moved into the leading two positions in the Bristol Premier League last night.
Seven of the ten participants were in action last night, and eight matches were completed. Charlie added three wins to his tally to move into top spot, while Simon won both of his encounters, and now lies second with two matches in hand.
For the latest positions, click here.
12/10/00: Trophy on display tonight
The new trophy which will be held for twelve months by the inaugural Bristol Intermediate Grand Prix winner will be on display at tonight's tournament.
The trophy is a pleasing stand-up plaque with a tasteful marbled surface. Hopefully we will know tonight whose name will be first to be engraved on it!
Other trophies -- for the Open Grand Prix and the Premier League -- have also been purchased, but will be unveiled at more appropriate moments.
11/10/00: Intermediate finale sets up important week for Bristol backgammon
In what is arguably the biggest week for some time in Bristol backgammon circles, many would say that tomorrow (Thursday) night's Intermediate Grand Prix climax takes pride of place.
No fewer than fifteen players are still in with a theoretical chance of winning the overall IGP title. Some will depend on a big turnout to make up the requisite number of points, but with the top two unlikely to add to their points tally, there remains a great chance for those within striking distance to be first to the winning post.
Second placed John Napier will be absent abroad, while leader Jerry Limb may not make it down from Blackpool. Jerry has already made sure of Premier Status for next season through his BIBA ranking score, so his incentive for making the trip is not quite as great as it might have been. And even if he does come, there is no guarantee that he will improve his situation as he has a score to discard and would need to win at least one match.
With the possibility of a few debutants in the line-up, an exciting evening is in the offing.
11/10/00: One in, one out of Birmingham team
The Bristol team for Saturday's match in Birmingham has undergone a further change or two.
John Lewis is now joining the squad, but John Napier has had to go to Denmark and will not be back in time to make the trip.
Tomorrow night's intermediates will be invited to make up the numbers, although at such short notice, it remains to be seen whether or not we can raise the full fourteen.
10/10/00: Birmingham match getting closer -- and bigger -- by the day!
Saturday's Birmingham versus Bristol match in Moseley, Birmingham, is not only getting closer. It's also becoming a bigger undertaking almost on a daily basis.
June's match in Lockleaze featured teams of ten and eleven respectively, but the twelve handed teams originally envisaged for this encounter have now stretched to fourteen!
Confirmed for the Bristol side so far are: Charlie Hetherington, Tony Lee, Phil Caudwell, Ian Tarr, Stuart Mann, Phil Charlton, Blaine Buchanan, Ed Turner, Kevin White, John Napier, Richard Moody, and Elliot Smart. Two further players are yet to be confirmed.
08/10/00: Jerry's BIBA award -- read all about it!
At last weekend's BIBA tournament, the Sandy Osborne Memorial Trophy, there was something of a novel presentation.
At the behest of one of BIBA's top players, Dod Davies, there was a "Sportsman of the Year" award, for which Dod and BIBA Director Michael Crane had nominated ten players, including two from our own area.
When the votes were counted and cast, the poll was topped by our very own Jerry Limb, who is now renowned throughout the British backgammon world for making light of what most players would regard as something which puts their own hard luck stories well and truly into perspective!
A write-up, complete with glorious colour photograph of the presentation can be found at the BIBA website, clicking on "Latest news".
05/10/00: Adam's Shield triumph as Charlie develops unwanted habit
Adam Clutterbuck yesterday won his first major DPS Backgammon title when he pipped Charlie Hetherington 21-20 in the final of the DPS Backgammon Shield.
Charlie, who was hoping to become the first player to win the Shield three times, was out of luck in the final game, when he had several chances of a probable match-winning hit. On one occasion he needed a 1, 2, 4 or 6 to claim the advantage, but rolled 5-3!
It's Charlie's third runner-up spot in a major DPS event this year -- which is remarkable when you consider that there are only two major DPS competitions!
Back in March Colin Smith pipped Charlie in the held over 1999 Shield final, then the following month Charlie had to settle for second behind Ian Tarr in the DPS Backgammon League.
28/09/00: Strong team set for Birmingham trip
Bristol's return match with Birmingham on Saturday October 14th will feature a strong Bristol line-up of twelve players.
The ten who have confirmed their availability so far are: Blaine Buchanan, Phil Charlton, Charlie Hetherington, Tony Lee, Stuart Mann, Richard Moody, John Napier, Ian Tarr, Ed Turner and Kevin White.
Graham Alder and Simon Baker have also been selected, but have yet to confirm their availability.
Having won the inaugural Inter-Cities Challenge on home soil in June, the Bristol team will be eager to hold on to the trophy on their travels.
27/09/00: Kevin moves into contention
Seven players turned up to further their Premier League claims at the BCSC on Wednesday evening, and the player to derive most satisfaction would have been Kevin White.
The four major contenders mentioned in this column two days ago all broke even on the night, Charlie Hetherington being otherwise engaged, while Ian Tarr, Phil Charlton and Simon Baker each won one and lost one.
But with victories over both Phil and Ian, Kevin is now tucked handily in just behind the leaders. For latest table, see Premier League positions.
25/09/00: Premier League race hots up
The race to win the inaugural Bristol Premier League gathers pace this Wednesday evening when at least six of this year's contenders visit the BCSC for the monthly Premier League night.
Simon Baker, Phil Charlton, Ian Tarr and Charlie Hetherington have all done well enough to put themselves well in contention without totally stamping their authority on proceedings just yet.
At least four other players are poised to emerge from the pack as the race enters the home straight. Anyone who manages to put together a few victories between now and the end of the campaign has a real chance of success.
For latest Premier League positions, click here.
25/09/00: Adam's good day
Charlie Hetherington's return to action today after two weeks of holiday was not the seamless exercise he might have hoped for.
Adam Clutterbuck came from behind to snatch a DPS Backgammon Shield semi-final victory over Alan Parfitt, and then moved straight into final action against Charlie.
The end-of-session score of 9-0 in Adam's favour dealt a hammer-blow to Charlie's hopes of becoming the first player to win the Shield -- EDS's premier lunch-time knock-out competition -- three times.
With the target at 21 points, however, there is still a great deal to play for. For full 2000 Shield scores, click here.
15/09/00: Blaine wins low-key Lesters
Fresh from his success in Bedminster (see story dated 30/08/00), Blaine Buchanan stepped up in class to win his first Bristol Backgammon main flight event, last night's 37th Lesters Trophy.
For reasons outlined in the two previous items the turnout was, as anticipated, very low! In fact it was the lowest for such a prestigious tournament since 1987!
The nine players who took part, though, still had significant rewards to play for, including the very worthwhile prizes, and the Bristol Open Grand Prix points on offer.
And Blaine's triumph, achieved with wins over Ian Tarr, Tony Lee, and runner-up Ed Turner, scooped him enough points to take over the leadership of the OGP (see latest positions).
Ever presents Stuart Mann and Paul Watts both failed to improve on their year's points tally, so only Blaine and Tony Lee from the top twelve managed to take advantage of the absence of so many contenders.
13/09/00: Fuel crisis may further reduce Lesters numbers
With the fuel crisis ongoing, it is likely that the turnout for tomorow night's Lesters XXXVII event will be even lower than envisaged yesterday, with players from outlying areas obviously the most likely to be affected.
Furthermore, recent winner Kevin White will also be away due to a meeting in London.
12/09/00: Big name absentees leave Lesters wide open
Lesters XXXVII, at the BCSC this coming Thursday, will be hit by the absence of at least two, possibly three, of the usual major contenders.
With record seven-times winner Dave Pym and four-time winner Charlie Hetherington absent on holiday, and Phil Caudwell -- who has also won Lesters four times -- due at Stansted the next day at 6am, the tournament is likely to be as open as ever.
Of previous Lesters winners, only Phil Charlton (4 titles), Simon Baker, Tony Lee, Stuart Mann and Ian Tarr (2 each), plus recent winners Kevin White, Ron Henderson, and Grant Shortland are likely to be present.
There will probably never be a better opportunity for somebody to score a maiden Lesters title.
12/09/00: Time statistics make interesting reading
Local tournament director Ian Tarr, who resolved to tackle slow play a few months back, has not been idle on that front.
In the last three tournaments -- in June, July and August -- all the matches were timed, with the exception of the odd final held over to a later session.
This means he has accumulated data on 41 7-point matches and 19 5-point matches, which average out at 63 and 52 minutes respectively.
There is as yet insufficient information to draw any conclusions with regard to individual players -- not one has recorded as many as ten matches individually -- but there is already evidence of wide disparities emerging.
One player is clocked at 445 minutes to complete five 7-point matches (average 89 minutes), while another took only 218 minutes to complete six such matches (average 36 minutes). When more substantial evidence is available it will be published.
10/09/00: Paul excels at Coventry
A perusal of the BIBA website today brought to my attention the achievement of Paul Watts in BIBA's Roy Hollands Trophy event last weekend.
Paul was one of only eight players to emerge from the Saturday Swiss format phase to contest the Sunday knock-out phase, but was then eliminated by tournament winner Peter Wilson, who will be remembered by those who contested the Bristol versus Birmingham match in June.
04/09/00: Alan progresses to semis
Alan Parfitt, having completed a 22-14 quarter-final victory over Phil Charlton today, wasted no time in taking on his next opponent in the DPS Backgammon Shield, the top annual knock-out event in EDS lunch-time competition.
His chances of a second Shield title were given a double boost with the victory being followed by an initial 5-2 lead over Adam Clutterbuck in the semi-final.
The winner will meet Charlie Hetherington.
31/08/00: Premier wins for Ian, Phil and Kevin
Premier League night at the BCSC last night saw five players in action, with three results recorded.
There were victories for Ian Tarr, Phil Charlton and Kevin White, with two further matches adjourned.
For latest Premier League positions, click here.
30/08/00: Blaine won in Bedminster
The inaugural tournament at the Full Moon in Bedminster on August 17th was won by none other than our old friend Blaine Buchanan.
Blaine reports that the rules at Full Moon tournaments are slightly out of step with ours, in that there is no use of the doubling cube, and every other event is subject to "English" rules (step forward Paul Watts!).
They are apparently hoping to introduce the cube at some future stage. Whatever, all power to their collective elbows. It's great to hear of any new backgammon venture in the area.
The next event at the Full Moon is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday 31st), with the draw at 7.50pm.
30/08/00: Creditable debut for Amanda at MSO
A new name on the local backgammon scene is that of Amanda Ransom.
Amanda made her competitive debut at the Mind Sports Olympiad recently at Alexandra Palace, and came out of the experience (which she enjoyed) with two victories from her four matches.
We look forward to her local tournament debut in the not-too-distant future.
14/08/00: Back in two weeks
As I'm on holiday for the next couple of weeks, there will be no updates to the site during that time. The house-sitters are not authorised to do updates!
But that's no reason not to visit the site. I wouldn't mind betting there's a lot you never realised was here.
Anyway, see you soon, and if you have any news, please send me an email so I can get things up to date on my return.
14/08/00: Full Moon rising?
Blaine Buchanan has drawn our attention to an apparently new venture in local backgammon circles, which is to be heartily encouraged.
Robbo, until recently the landlord at The Full Moon in Bedminster, is to stage a £5 tournament there every other Thursday, starting on August 17th, with the draw at 7.50pm.
There will be sandwiches, and a trophy plus cash for the winner.
12/08/00: John Chidgey (1921-2000)
I yesterday learned the extremely sad news of John Chidgey's passing.
John died peacefully in his sleep early on the morning of July 4th at the age of 79. He had suffered from ill-health and hospital waiting lists for some time, but always -- it appeared to me -- with fortitude and good humour.
And when he felt well enough, he always made it to tournaments, the last occasion being last November's pilot intermediate tournament, when he reached the semi-finals.
For A fuller appreciation of John Chidgey, the man and the player -- and his influence on Bristol backgammon, click here.
12/08/00: Reformed chess player Tim wins August OGP event
Long standing chess player Tim Jefferies has found a new love in his life -- backgammon!
Unlike many chess players of my acquaintance, Tim now prefers backgammon to chess, and is eager for more.
In only his third tournament, at the BCSC on Thursday night, he swept all before him, beating Will Caudwell, Liz Chappell, Phil Caudwell and Stuart Mann to take his first main flight title, 100 OGP points, and a small brown envelope!
Despite contesting only two of the five OGP tournaments so far this year, Tim has moved into ninth place overall, having won the consolation flight in his previous foray.
Losing finalist Stuart Mann picked up 65 points to move to the top of the list, displacing the absent Graham Alder. Others to collect useful points were losing semi-finalists Phil Caudwell and Charlie Hetherington, and consolation flight winner Tony Lee, who beat Ed Turner in that final.
Click here for the latest OGP positions.
12/08/00: Birmingham trip set for October 14th
In the absence of any objections, the date of the return match in the Inter-Cities Challenge in Birmingham is set for Saturday October 14th.
Bristol won the first encounter, at the Fellowship in Filton Avenue, 17-13, and will be looking to hold on to the trophy.
12/08/00: Colin into Handicap Cup final
Colin Smith, current holder of the Shield -- the most prestigious of the knock-out tournaments held at the EDS offices in Patchway, has now reached the final of the 2000 Handicap Cup.
After defeating former DPS Backgammon champion John King, he now faces a lengthy wait for an opponent as there is still a second round match outstanding in the other half of the draw.
08/08/00: Charlie races to fifth Shield final
Charlie Hetherington yesterday reached the final of DPS Backgammon's biggest annual knock-out tournament -- the Shield.
And he did so in double quick time, taking just two games to beat Mark Oldham 24-0!
Both games saw the cube on eight, with the opening game a gammon.
The final will be Charlie's fifth in this competition, although the most recent of his two Shield triumphs came ten years ago, when he beat Marie Fenlon 21-15.
06/08/00: Stuart and Ian recover to respectability
Stuart Mann and Ian Tarr, the only two Bristol area representatives at BIBA's SAC Trophy event in Coventry this weekend, each recovered from a disappointing Saturday performance to end up with four and three victories respectively from their six Swiss format matches.
Ian's blank Saturday threatened his record of never having failed to win at least two matches in any BIBA Swiss event entered, while Stuart scored the duo's solitary Saturday victory against a visitor from Turkey who didn't know about post-Crawford doubling!
But neither was defeated in Sunday's matches, Stuart equalling his personal best performance at BIBA, a PB surely due for revision soon.
20/07/00: Ed goes second
Ed Turner last night gained the victory he needed to push on into second place in the IGP.
His 7-3 victory in the held over final against Elliot Smart gave him an extra 35 points, placing him just 15 points behind leader Jerry Limb, with one event -- in October -- to go.
For the up-to-date standings in the IGP, click here.
14/07/00: Ed and Elliot make a move
Thursday's IGP tournament at the BCSC was entered by a mere eleven players, the lowest entry yet since monthly tournament action began in November.
The main flight is one match short of completion, with finalists Elliot Smart and Ed Turner set to thrash things out next Thursday at The Leap in Downend.
IGP leader Jerry Limb suffered an early exit from the main flight, but did enough in the consolation flight to hang on to his overall lead going into the final phase in October.
His final -- quick -- victory over Ted Morgan has moved him on to 145 points, a total which neither Ed nor Elliot would match by winning next Thursday.
10/07/00: Intermediates heading for make or break
This Thursday's IGP tournament at the BCSC (7.30pm) should begin to clarify one or two issues in that competition.
Leader Jerry Limb has 115 points to his name, with John Napier breathing down his neck on 100. But it is fair to say that, with two of the four events remaining, even someone who did not even enter either the February or May events could still come out on top, as approximately 100 points will be scored by the winner of the main flight of each tournament.
One thing is for sure. Not entering is the surest way to ruin your chances! See IGP current standings.
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