Summer is synonymous with sport. Some think of Test matches. Some Wimbledon. Others still of the British Grand Prix or even certain Association Football matches.
But for the true connoisseur of summer sport there is only one event to follow. The NLC Chess Championship for the Gladstone Trophy.
Reports of the affair have been sorely delayed as the Editorial Committee has been drawn off temporarily on other matters. (Consideration is being given into whether additional correspondents need to be recruited, but that’s for later.)
For now, the Editorial Committee is pleased to bring our subscribers a bulletin covering the first two rounds of the Gladstone, with the promise of regular full match reports following rounds three to five.
Round 1 results
White – Black
- Barnett 0 -1 Khan
- Landless 1 – 0 Barton
- Birrane 1 – 0 Mooney
- Raj 0 -1 Dias (by default)
- Edgell 0 – 1 Saldanha
- Sharland 0 – 1 Filosi
- Giffin 1 – 0 Taylor
- Widdicombe 0 – 1 Jacobs
BYES for Widger, Sam and Ross.
Some excellent games in round 1 – with the dark horse Mister Landless taking a point off the Champ and favourite Mister Barton. Doctor Widdicombe fought Mister Jacobs to a drawn position, but low on time and even lower on endgame comprehension, was duly bettered by the stronger player.
Round 2 results
White – Black
- Khan 1 – 0 Birrane
- Dias 0 – 1 Giffin
- Filosi 0 – 1 Landless
- Ross 0 – 1 Sam (by default)
- Barton 1 – 0 Widger
- Mooney 0 – 1 Barnett
- Taylor 0 – 1 Edgell
BYES for Jacobs, Saldanha, Sharland, Raj and Widdicombe
Standings after round 2
| Place | Player | Score |
| 1 | Giffin | 2 |
| = | Landless | 2 |
| = | Khan | 2 |
| 4 | Saldanha | 1.5 |
| = | Sam | 1.5 |
| 6 | Barnett | 1 |
| = | Dias | 1 |
| = | Barton | 1 |
| = | Edgell | 1 |
| = | Birrane | 1 |
| = | Filosi | 1 |
| 12 | Widdicombe | 0.5 |
| = | Sharland | 0.5 |
| = | Ross | 0.5 |
| = | Widger | 0.5 |
| = | Raj | 0.5 |
| 17 | Taylor | 0 |
| = | Mooney | 0 |
It’s still wide open.
What will round 3 bring?