Grades

My ECF grade has been amended to 46 due to an error in that the Nottingham Rapidplay results were incorrectly stored as standard play games. Here are my current grades and it will be interesting to compare this time next year!

ECF:

Field	Value	Description
Ref	269843C	Grading reference
Name	Madden, Dean	Name of player, surname first
Sex	M
Age		Juniors only, Age on September 1st of current season
Club(s)	Spondon	Club(s) player is listed for
Nation		Nationality code
FIDE		FIDE code
Standard
Category	E	Category A-E
Grade	46	Current Standard grade (amended version, if appropriate)
	46	Standard grade (original unamended)
Games	13	Standard games played, latest season
	13	Standard games counted (total)
Rapid
Category		Category A-E or X
Grade		Current Rapid grade (amended version, if appropriate)
		Rapid grade (original unamended)
Games	6	Rapid games played, latest season
		Rapid games counted (total)

FICS:

Finger of deanmadden:

On for: 3 mins Idle: 0 secs

rating RD win loss draw total best
Blitz 865 64.4 37 110 7 154 980 (27-Mar-2007)
Standard 1397 56.5 60 71 12 143 1423 (10-Jun-2007)
Lightning 993 115.3 0 17 0 17

Total time online: 9 days, 18 hrs, 45 mins
% of life online: 2.7 (since Fri Jul 28, 00:30 PDT 2006)

Chess Tactics Server:

Handle	deanmadden
Rating	1080
RD	44.2
Tries	123
Success	68.3 %
Highest rating	1089
Date of highest rating	2007-07-22 18:58:33
Latest action	2007-07-28 15:45:22

British Championships

I had another session with David Levens last night. It's usually half an hour of problems, then 15mins going through them, half an hour of theory (French Winawer again), then playing for 45mins. He's away for the next two weeks at the British Championships in Great Yarmouth.

My CTS Stats:

Handle	deanmadden
Rating	1068
RD	45.3
Tries	114
Success	66.7 %
Highest rating	1089
Date of highest rating	2007-07-22 18:58:33
Latest action	2007-07-28 09:56:49

Final round

In the final round of the Spondon Summer Open 2007, I played probably the best active player in the club, Ian Gregory. I was supposed to play someone near the bottom but because both our opponents didn't turn up, I played and lost to Ian.

[Event "Spondon Summer Open 2007"]
[Date "2007.07.24"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Ian Gregory"]
[Black "Dean Madden"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bf5 6. O-O c6 7. Re1 e6 8. d3 Nbd7 9. Nd4 Bg4 10. f3 Bh5 11. Kh1 O-O-O 12. a3 Qc7 13. Bxe6 Bc5 14. Bxd7+ Rxd7 15. Nf5 g6 16. Ng3 Bd6 17. Nf1 g5 18. Bxg5 Nd5 19. Ne4 Rg8 20. c4 Ne7 21. Bh4 Be5 22. Nc5 Rd4 23. Bg3 Bxg3 24. Nxg3 Rxg3 25. hxg3 Qxg3 26. Re4 Rxe4 27. dxe4 1-0

Round 8

Steven J Burke 161 1½ - 0 Douglas Bramley 99

Mark Carter 123 0 – 1½ David J Brown 120

Mick Orridge 80 0 - 1½ David Williams 144

Barry W Archer 94 1½ - 0 Harry A J Ratner 70

Ian Gregory 146 1½ - 0 Dean Madden ug

Gethin T Bowes e80 ½ - ½ Herbert T Loomes 99

Nathan Atkins 94 1½ - 0 Gary Davison 80

Adrian Murfin e60 0 – 1½ Graham J Pace 95

Malcolm Somers 66 0 – 1½ Joseph A Pacitto e35

Ted Pye 48 0 – 1½ Phil Smith 75

Phillip Sheldon 97 1½ - 0 Howard Bradbury 84

R8 Total 6/8

Harry A J Ratner	70	0	5	5
Barry W Archer	94	1½	6	6	U110
Ian Gregory	146	1½	7	7
Dean Madden	ug	0	2	2
Gary Davison	80	0	4½	4½
Joseph A Pacitto	e35	1½	4½	4½
Howard Bradbury	84	0	2½	2½
Ted Pye	48	0	2½	2½
Gethin T Bowes	e80	½	6	6	U90
Phil Smith	75	1½	4½	4½
David J Brown	120	1½	8	8	2nd
Mark A K Carter	123	0	6½	6½
Richard Hilkling	e75	def	5	5
Douglas Bramley	99	0	6	6
Graham J Pace	95	1½	5	5
David Williams	144	1½	8	8	3rd
Maitreya Thakur	e120	bye	4	4
Steven J Burke	161	1½	10	9	1st
Phillip Sheldon	97	1½	5	5
Herbert T Loomes	99	½	7	7	U130
Mick Orridge	80	0	4½	4½
Martin J Gibson	46	bye	1	0
Malcolm Somers	66	0	3½	3½
Stuart Tabberer	61	bye	½	0
Adrian Murfin	e60	0	4½	4
Nathan Atkins	94	1½	6	5

Final standings:

Steven J Burke	161	9
David J Brown	120	8
David Williams	144	8
Ian Gregory	146	7
Herbert T Loomes	99	7
Mark A K Carter	123	6.5
Barry W Archer	94	6
Gethin T Bowes	e80	6
Douglas Bramley	99	6
Harry A J Ratner	70	5
Richard Hilkling	e75	5
Graham J Pace	95	5
Phillip Sheldon	97	5
Nathan Atkins	94	5
Gary Davison	80	4.5
Joseph A Pacitto	e35	4.5
Phil Smith	75	4.5
Mick Orridge	80	4.5
Maitreya Thakur	e120	4
Adrian Murfin	e60	4
Malcolm Somers	66	3.5
Howard Bradbury	84	2.5
Ted Pye	48	2.5
Dean Madden	ug	2

Chess Tactics server

I've just started using Chess Tactics server, it's basically a website that serves up loads of tactical puzzles and rates you depending on how quickly and accurately you solve them. A good thing about the site compared to other applications is that the examples it uses look like they could come from real games. I've attempted 21 problems so far and have an elo rating of 1071. It will be interesting to see what it gets to if I keep practicing.

My grade: 50!

I've just found out my grade in the new grading list: 50. Very pleased with it.

Field	Value	Description
Ref	269843C	Grading reference
Name	Madden, Dean	Name of player, surname first
Sex	M
Age		Juniors only, Age on September 1st of current season
Club(s)	Spondon	Club(s) player is listed for
Nation		Nationality code
FIDE		FIDE code
Standard
Category	D	Category A-E
Grade	50	Current Standard grade (amended version, if appropriate)
	50	Standard grade (original unamended)
Games	19	Standard games played, latest season
	19	Standard games counted (total)
Rapid
Category		Category A-E or X
Grade		Current Rapid grade (amended version, if appropriate)
		Rapid grade (original unamended)
Games		Rapid games played, latest season
		Rapid games counted (total)

Grade history

Date	Cat	Standard	Cat	Rapid
July 2007	D	50

The new grades are posted here.

Unfortunately I'm bottom of the list at our club, but have got a better grade than what some peoples were last season. So it looks like we're improving as a club.

Ref	Name	Category	Grade	Last Year	Cat	Rapid	Last Year
110076C	Edge, John A	C	174	179
111035E	Gamble, Raymond J	A	152	149
107427B	Brown, David J	A	148	120
231082L	Gregory, Ian	B	142	146
210967A	Makinson, Paul A	D	137	138
164809D	Carter, Mark AK	C	128	123
166596A	Sands, J Graham	D	114	119
166028H	Woods, Roy	D	109	110
116587C	Pace, Graham J	A	105	95
269838K	Cooper, Ben	E	105
253102B	Wright, Nigel	A	99	98
187429K	Sheldon, Philip	B	98	97
265846L	Atkins, Nathan	A	95	94
114581C	Loomes, Herbert TT	A	94	100
107075H	Bowes, Getting T	E	92
233557J	Bradbury, Howard	A	91	84
107186F	Bramley, Douglas	A	91	99
268242E	Hickling, Richard P	D	85
117666D	Ratner, Harry AJ	B	78	70
231470J	Davison, Gary	B	77	80
116506K	Orridge, MJ	B	71	80
265349H	Tabberer, Stuart	D	61	61
265851D	Gibson, Martin	A	55	46
265866F	Pye, Ted	D	55	48
265869A	Sanders, Robert	D	55	51
269843C	Madden, Dean	D	50

David Levens

Last night I went to my first chess class with David Levens. He usually coaches juniors, but agreed to do a class for adults. There were four students and it was great. I was worried it might be set at too easy a level, but if anything it was at too high a level for me personally. He started off by giving us a few problems to solve, which were actually mate-in-3s. It took me a long time to just solve 2 out of 6. They were usually sacrifices and had a common theme of discovered attack and double check. He went through the answers and talked about the idea behind the course leading to the ECF Gold Certificate. He then played over a few games using the French Winawer opening. I was amazed how tactical and wide open the main line is! We then paired up and played each other using the opening. I'll definitely be going back next week.

It felt good listening in person to someone with such a wealth of experience, rather than just reading a dry chess book.

Adrian Murfin

I played Adrian Murfin in Round 7 of the Spondon open last night. I made two big tactical blunders and got smashed. Tried playing on but it was quite pointless.

[Event "Spondon Summer Open 2007"]
[Date "2007.07.17"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Dean Madden"]
[Black "Adrian Murfin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C55"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. O-O Bf5 9. d4 O-O-O 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Nd2 Ng4 12. f3 Ne3 13. Qa4 Nxf1 14. Nxf1 a6 15. Bf4 Qb5 16. Qxb5 axb5 17. Ne3 Bd3 18. a4 Bd6 19. Bxd6 Rxd6 20. axb5 Kd7 21. Ng4 f6 22. Ra7 Rb6 0-1

I've been playing the Moller attack variation of the Giuoco Piano recently, so when he played 3...h6, I carried on as normal, but better would have been d4 instead of c3.

First blunder was below. I played 10. Nxe5, totally miscalculating that after he takes back the knight, if I take his knight with the pawn then he is up a rook after QxQ, RxQ, RxQ.

Second bit of blindness was below when I stupidly played f3, allowing the knight fork of Queen and Rook. Doh!

Round 7. 17 07 07

Mark Carter 123 ½ - ½ Steven J Burke 161

David Williams 144 1½ - 0 Mick Orridge 80

Richard Hilkling e75 def –1½ Herbert T Loomes 99

Douglas Bramley 99 1½ - 0 Gary Davison 80

Mick Orridge 80 0 - 1½ Ian Gregory 146

Harry A J Ratner 70 1½ - 0 Malcolm Somers 66

Graham J Pace 95 0 - 1½ Nathan Atkins 94

Joseph A Pacitto e35 0 - 1½Gethin T Bowes e80

Howard Bradbury 84 ½ - ½ Ted Pye 48

Dean Madden ug 0 – 1½ Adrian Murfin e60

Phil Smith 75 1½ - 0 Martin J Gibson 46

R7 R/T

Harry A J Ratner	70	1½	5
Barry W Archer	94	0	4½
Ian Gregory	146	1½	5½
Dean Madden	ug	0	2
Gary Davison	80	0	4½
Joseph A Pacitto	e35	0	3
Howard Bradbury	84	½	2½
Ted Pye	48	½	2½
Gethin T Bowes	e80	1½	5½
Phil Smith	75	1½	3
David J Brown	120	bye	6½
Mark A K Carter	123	½	6½
Richard Hilkling	e75	def	5
Douglas Bramley	99	1½	6
Graham J Pace	95	0	3½
David Williams	144	1½	6½
Maitreya Thakur	e120	bye	4
Steven J Burke	161	½	8½
Phillip Sheldon	97	bye	3½
Herbert T Loomes	99	1½	6½
Mick Orridge	80	0	4½
Martin J Gibson	46	0	1
Malcolm Somers	66	0	3½
Stuart Tabberer	61	bye	½
Adrian Murfin	e60	1½	4½
Nathan Atkins	94	1½	4½