19th Ealing Lightning Tournament
: Created:19 Aug 2014 , byLast night seventeen members entered Ealing's annual lightning tournament. We congratulate Alan Perkins on winning the event, losing only one game (to Mike Lambshire).
Jason Obihara performed powerfully to win first prize for under 170 graded competitors and but for a surprise loss in his last contest could could have shared overall top spot. Trevor Bates and Amr Khan shared the honours for under 135 competitors with excellent scores.
Our event is different from most lightning tournaments. We have a more generous time limit (10 minutes per side) and there is no segregation by grade or separate rounds. After finishing a game and reporting the result players seek out another opponent (helped if necessary by the organiser) in the room. Well graded players are not allowed to avoid each other.
The emphasis is on having fun and players are not encouraged to play on and on in clearly drawn positions. Competitors drop in and out of the tournament at their choosing for beer and cigarette breaks. In the past very small cash prizes have been made but for many years now winners have been given an engraved trophy. We have never charged an entry fee. At Ealing a member pays a subscription and nothing else and prospective members are generously treated.
Our new venue at the Old Actonians sports club is much more spacious than the Harvester, our home for over twenty years. We look forward to giving a warm welcome to visiting clubs in the coming season.