Perth City Hall

March 20, 2005

Report by Lynsey Shovlin

This year’s event was a raging success with 166 entrants. This was our biggest turnout EVER! What a fantastic way to celebrate our tenth year of the Fair City event. Thank you to all those who turned up to play and those who gave donations, all the arbiters and helpers including Donald Wilson, Trevor Davies, Fiona Petrie, Peter Woods, Kim Ingram, Stephen O'Donnell and to those who helped out in the café, Sheena Shovlin and Anne Grant.

We were worried with mid week numbers of around 75 entrants, by Saturday evening 130 and by 10.15 am on Sunday morning well over 160 entrants. Luckily the large amount of equipment owned by Fair City Chess and Perth chess club just managed to cover the tournament with enough chess sets.

Sadly 2005 was to be the last year in which we will stage the tournament in Perth City Hall due to it being scheduled to be demolished later this year. Hopefully we will find another venue within Perthshire to continue this event although at this time the future of the Fair City Chess Tournament looks uncertain, but we'll try our best!

Prize winners were as follows:

Pawns: (P5 & Under) Trophies:

1st Thomas Murray (Aberdeen) 6/6,

2nd Connor Davies (Bankton) 5/6,

3rd= Alana Thompson (Aberdeen), Alex Smythe (Fair City, Perth) 4.5/6, 4th= Clare Fordyce (Aberdeen), Daniel Thomas (Giffnock), Loni Anderson, Steven Dunbar (Aberdeen), Laura Ryan (Perth), Calum Birkett (Inverness), Emma Grant (Stonehaven) 4/6.

Knights: (Under 950 ~ Total £90):

1st Ian McDonald (Aberdeen) 5/5 £30,

2nd= John Tawdrous (Bankton), Kevin Childs (Hamilton) 4.5/5 £10 each,

3rd= Kevin Martin (Baldragon High), Iain Hodgeson (Bon Accord), Steven Craig (Hamilton), Ryan Cormack (Robert Gordon’s), Sean Duff (Bankton), Ross Gover (Aberdeen), Jonathon Scott (James Gillespie’s), Ali Roy (Carrick) 4/5 £5 each.

Rooks: (Under 1350 ~ Total £105):

1st= Lynsey Shovlin (Fair City), Connor Blair (Hamilton), Alisdair Pert (Cathcart) 4/5 £35 each

Kings and Queens: (Open ~ Total £105)

1st= Richard Birkett (Inverness), Hugh Brechin (Edinburgh), Andrew Green (Edinburgh) 4/5 £35 each

Hopefully it was an enjoyable day for all; we received some very positive comments from those attending. One parent commented that the Fair City event was recommended to her “as the most child friendly event she had ever attended” another participant mentioned “I enjoyed Perth so much last year that I wouldn't miss the opportunity to come through again”.

Thank you for again supporting the Fair City for its 10th year, we look forward to seeing you soon in some of our other events. The Fair City Team