The penultimate round of the 2019 Gladstone Trophy was upon us. Much was at stake. Far from the leaders breaking from the pack the field was still bunched. Results in this round were vital to set up chances for the final, fifth, round.
With nerves jangling, clocks were started.
Board 1
The top of the table clash, with both players leading on 2.5 before hostilities commenced. Mister Widdicombe had done his homework and expected the ever-solid Captain Chamberlain to open with either 1.c4 or 1.d4 as he had in just about every other recorded game as white. For the second consecutive Gladstone game Mister Widdicombe was foxed by his opponent’s opening choice, stifling a shriek of angst as the Captain played 1.e4. Recoving his composure by move 10 Mister Widdicombe was able to press an advantage through the game before it petered out to a position where Mister Chamberlain accepted Mister Widdicombe’s draw offer.
Board 2
A tough and close game on the second board, with no player getting the clear upper hand until an inaccuracy by black on move 43 meant the win was secure for white. But for the tiniest of moves black could well have held.
Board 3
Doctor Kirby meant business. He knew that a solid point would position him nicely for the final round, and he duly polished off Mister Sharland in fairly short order before paying close attention to the Captain Chamberlain – Mister Widdicombe game.
Board 4
Doctor Hamme has gone full academic since gaining his PhD, becoming the absent minded academic and completely forgetting he had a chess match to play. He’d no doubt lost himself in the latest edition of the Quarterly Journal of Sarawak Basket Weaving Studies. Young Master Jacobs didn’t mind, however, as he happily bagged the walkover point that leaves him nicely positioned with a shot at the Trophy.
Standings and Tiebreaks
The field is crowded at the conclusion of round 4. Here’s how it stands:
- Doctor Kirby – 3
- Mister Widdicombe – 3
- Captain Chamberlain – 3
- Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) – 2.5
- Young Master Jacobs – 2.5
- Mister Whitelely – 2.5
- Doctor Hamme – 1.5
- Our Good Friend Mister Taylor – 1
- Mister Pitt the Younger – 0.5
- Mister Sharland – 0.5
The trophy can still be won with 3.5 points if results fall in a certain way, meaning that any of the top six could be crowned Gladstone Trophy 2019 winners at the end of round 5. Tiebreaks will be crucial.
Tiebreaks will work as follows:
- Players will be ranked according to the score they have achieved (1 for a win, 0.5 for a draw, 0 for a loss).
- Where players’ scores are tied, the scores of each players opponents will be totaled. The tied player who has the higher aggregate of opponents’ scores will be placed higher in the rankings. (This is the ‘Buchholz method’ and is recommended for swiss system tie breaks by Harry Golombek in his 1977 book Golombek’s Encyclopedia of Chess).
- If players have the same Buchholz score, the player with the highest number of wins will be placed higher (i.e. draws count as 0 points at this stage).
- If players are still level, the Trophy is shared.
The final round draw
Gladstone’s always been one for drama and he hasn’t disappointed in the final round draw. With a late bye request coming in from Our Good Friend Mister Taylor there was to be an unpaired bye. Who was it to be?
So here they are – the final match ups. Hold your breath. It all comes down to this….
Round 5 – Wednesday 14 August
White – Black
- Mister Giffin QC MA (Oxon) v Captain Chamberlain
- Mister Widdicombe v Young Master Jacobs
- Doctor Hamme v Mister Whiteley
- Mister Sharland v Mister Pitt the Younger
- Our Good Friend Mister Taylor – BYE
- Doctor Kirby – Unpaired BYE
Tough stuff on the Doctor, who was hoping to power through the final rounds to nose over the line in round five. But Gladstone’s been toying with the Doctor as if he were Disraeli – first giving him a critical early victory over Mister Whiteley in round, then back ranking him in round 3, then giving him a decent draw in round 4 to raise his hopes only to snatch them back with a unpaired final round bye. Doctor Kirby was the last remaining player not to have taken a bye or had an unpaired bye forced upon him, so Gladstone’s even hand ensured it went to the Doctor. Fair, but tough. Now the Doctor will be a spectator to his fate on the evening of the final round…
Who will lift the Trophy? Who will Make Gladstone Proud?
Oh well, way it goes. I don’t think my tie break score will be enough even if no-one gets 4/5.
Good luck all in the last round. At least it means I can enjoy it.
I think it’s still possible for Nick to win – if BW and PC both lose; or if BW loses, PC draws and Mister Sharland beats Mister Pitt.