A total of 29 people took part in this year’s lightning championship, boosted by a contingent of very strong guests. Apart from WIM Agnieszka Matras and WIM Katarzyna Toma, IM Andrew Greet and Alex Posazhennikov (grade 202) also took part. Not surprisingly, these four (playing hors de combat as far as the championship was concerned) took the top places, finishing in a four-way tie on 5 points out of 6. Andrew took first place on tie break.
The various West Nottingham titles were won by the following:
The table shows the full round by round results.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IM Andrew Greet | +25b | +3w | +8b | +2w | +5w | –4b | 5 |
| 2 | Alex Posazhennikov | +12w | +6b | +10w | –1b | +9w | +5b | 5 |
| 3 | WIM Katarzyna Toma | +22w | –1b | +14w | +8w | +7b | +10w | 5 |
| 4 | WIM Agnieszka Matras | +28w | –5b | +6w | +12b | +18w | +1w | 5 |
| 5 | Kishan Lakhani | +7b | +4w | +18b | +9w | –1b | –2w | 4 |
| 6 | David Levens | +21b | –2w | –4b | +17w | +19b | +13b | 4 |
| 7 | Eric Williamson | –5w | +29b | +19w | +21b | –3w | +12b | 4 |
| 8 | Lateefah Messam-Sparks | +13b | +20w | –1w | –3b | +11w | =9b | 3½ |
| 9 | John Collins | +29w | +24b | +11w | –5b | –2b | =8w | 3½ |
| 10 | Ian Kingston | +27w | +14b | –2b | =18w | +15w | –3b | 3½ |
| 11 | Toby Thurgood | +23w | =15b | –9b | +20w | –8b | +18b | 3½ |
| 12 | Daniel Lin | –2b | +13w | +16b | –4w | +21b | –7w | 3 |
| 13 | David Amirabadi | –8w | –12b | +22w | +14b | +20b | –6b | 3 |
| 14 | Anjali Lakhani | +16b | –10w | –3b | –13w | +27b | +21w | 3 |
| 15 | Thomas Quinn-Gregson | +17b | =11w | –20b | +25w | –10b | =19w | 3 |
| 16 | Robert Willoughby | –14w | +23b | –12w | –19b | +25b | +20w | 3 |
| 17 | Davoud Amirabadi | –15w | –19b | +28w | –6b | +23w | +27w | 3 |
| 18 | Phil Burley | +26w | +27b | –5w | =10b | –4b | –11w | 2½ |
| 19 | Kordian Goslawski | –20b | +17w | –7b | +16w | –6w | =15b | 2½ |
| 20 | Pete Williamson | +19w | –8b | +15w | –11b | –13w | –16b | 2 |
| 21 | Zahra Amirabadi | –6w | +22b | +25b | –7w | –12w | –14b | 2 |
| 22 | Ashton Alfred | –3b | –21w | –13b | +23w | –28b | +25w | 2 |
| 23 | Hugo Alves | –11b | –16w | +27w | –22b | –17b | +28w | 2 |
| 24 | Ben Palmer | Bye | –9w | Withdrawn | 1 | |||
| 25 | Michael Zhang | –1w | +28b | –21w | –15b | –16w | –22b | 1 |
| 26 | Sam Henegan | –18b | Bye | Withdrawn | 1 | |||
| 27 | John Crawley | –10b | –18w | –23b | +28w | –14w | –17b | 1 |
| 28 | Lawrence Alfred | –4b | –25w | –17b | –27b | +22w | –23b | 1 |
| 29 | Ella Macleod | –12b | –7w | Withdrawn | 0 | |||
Key:
+ : Win
= : Draw
– : Loss
w : white
b : black
The 2004 WNCC Lightning Championship was held at the club on 19 July. A healthy entry of 18 contested the six-round Swiss, playing at 10 seconds per move.
Early upsets for first team members John Collins and David Levens opened the way for anyone with a cool head and plenty of luck to take advantage. After three rounds, Ian Kingston, John Crawley, Amarjit Mehton and Phil Burley shared the lead with maximum points. John missed the chance to win a piece against Ian and was ground down in the endgame, setting up a decisive fifth round meeting between Ian and Amarjit. At the same time, David Levens’s efforts to stay in contention were wrecked when he overlooked a knight and bishop mate against Robert Willoughby while two pieces ahead.
In Round 5, Ian launched a mating attack against Amarjit that proved just sufficient to break through and win. Thus Ian needed just a draw against Phil in the final round to win outright. An oversight by Phil cost a rook and led to a swift mate, giving Ian the championship by a decisive margin.
The full round-by-round results are listed below.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Kingston | +14 | +10 | +11 | +5 | +4 | +7 | 6 |
| 2 | David Levens | +8 | +12 | =3 | –10 | +5 | +4 | 4.5 |
| 3 | John Collins | +15 | –4 | =2 | +16 | +10 | +11 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Amarjit Mehton | +16 | +3 | +14 | +7 | –1 | –2 | 4 |
| 5 | John Crawley | +9 | +13 | +12 | –1 | –2 | +8 | 4 |
| 6 | Chloe Langsdale | –12 | +16 | +13 | –8 | +9 | +10 | 4 |
| 7 | Phillip Burley | +13 | +17 | +8 | –4 | +11 | –1 | 4 |
| 8 | Daniel Lin | –2 | +15 | –7 | +6 | +14 | –5 | 3 |
| 9 | Davoud Amirabadi | –5 | –11 | +15 | +14 | –6 | +13 | 3 |
| 10 | Robert Willoughby | +17 | –1 | +18 | +2 | –3 | –6 | 3 |
| 11 | Gurvinder Mehton | +18 | +9 | –1 | +12 | –7 | –3 | 3 |
| 12 | Zahra Amirabadi | +6 | –2 | –5 | –11 | –13 | +17 | 2 |
| 13 | Thomas Quinn-Gregson | –7 | –5 | –6 | +17 | +12 | –9 | 2 |
| 14 | David Amirabadi | –1 | +18 | –4 | –9 | –8 | +15 | 2 |
| 15 | Ric Dawson | –3 | –8 | –9 | +18 | +16 | –14 | 2 |
| 16 | Soraya Amirabadi | –4 | –6 | +17 | –3 | –15 | +18 | 2 |
| 17 | Michael Zhang | –10 | –7 | –16 | –13 | +18 | –12 | 1 |
| 18 | Kerry Langsdale | –11 | –14 | –10 | –15 | –17 | –16 | 0 |
Key:
+ : Win
= : Draw
– : Loss