Guernsey Chess Club and Federation Reports

Fred Hamperl reports from Paignton September 2005

The Paignton tournament is set in the impressive Oldway Mansion the former home of the Singer family.

The original of this painting used to hang here but is now in the Palace of Versailles in Paris (the mansion was modelled on this palace).

The ceiling above the main marble staircase.

Peter Kirby in the front, in the background from left to right, Mark White, Eddie Hurwitz, Clive Davies and Ihor Lewyk. This was the first time I'd met Peter Kirby now living in yorkshire, his mother was born in Guernsey and he was going to play-off with Mark Ozanne for a Guernsey Olympiad team place at the tournament. The guys from yorkshire were keen on walking each morning and this proved to be an excellent way of relaxing before the afternoon game. Crazy golf would usually feature as well.

The steam train that runs along the coast line at Paignton.

Peter Kirby (white), Mark Ozanne (black) during their match, in the background the Paington morning tournament is also underway.

It dawns on Peter, his Guernsey opponent is well prepared. After the first game was drawn Peter asked who this Tim Knight was that had assisted Mark in preparation

Mark ponders his moves outside the main playing room. In the background Steve Boniface reviews the crosstables. This week was the last time I saw him before his passing away before our Guernsey tournament that he was looking forward to controlling just a few weeks later. Steve regularly teased me about our Guernsey match running during his Paignton event. He thought it was really amusing how our time controls and match set-up kept changing. Peter eventually won the match in the second game, after Mark, a pawn up, got into time trouble and lost his advantage.