‘Easter would not be complete without a trip down to Southend!’
The Southend Easter tournament has become a regular fixture for a crowd of English chess players and it normally involves a lively little chess trip. With all the pubs, fish and chip shops, amusement rides, nightclubs and casinos many a young man has woken up with a sore head.
After catching a 6am flight from Iceland to Paris I made my way to the final weekend of the French League (via the Aviation club on the Champs-Elysées! Well worth a visit if you get a chance). My team, Rueil Malmaison had a mathematical chance of getting promoted to the first division if we won both our matches and all the other teams lost. Not very likely but still a punt is a punt.
Important! It is necessary that everyone playing in the 1st Big Slick Chess Tournament is registered with the Big Slick club. Registration is free but you will need to bring some form of photo ID.
A view in Reykjavik (photo - Stuart Conquest)
I had previously taken a trip to Iceland in 2005 for the Reykjavik open. My memories were rather hazy to say the least but I had become very fond of this windswept city perched on the edge of an ocean.
Some characters that I enjoyed sharing the odd Viking beer with stuck in my mind. For a start there was the American trio, Ylon Schwartz, an American 2255 player who was visiting Reykjavik with his friend Ben Johnson and finally John Bick, a crazy but fun guy from New Orleans.
In round two, I had the challenge of facing Ivan Sokolov with Black.
There is an updated entry form for the 1st Big Slick Chess Tournament. Download it here: 1st Big Slick Chess Tournament Entry Form [DOC].
