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Day before the Opening
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The most stressful thing about the Congress is setting up the playing
hall
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Round 1
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The opening ceremony involving International arbiter David Sedgwick
who made the formal speech, the MP for Hastings and Rye Michael
Foster, chairman of the International Congress committee Paul Smith and Councillor Maureen Charlesworth the Mayor of
Hastings.
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The Mayor and the MP making the opening moves on the board 5 encounter
between local favourite GM David Howell and perennial visitor IM Petr
Marusenko from Ukraine.
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GM David Howell and IM Petr Marusenko ready for action.
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Round 2
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WGM Natalia Zdebskaya, IM Petr Marusenko, GM Yuri
Drozdovskij (top seed in the Masters). All Ukraine. Waiting
for the start of round 2. Seated is IM Dennis Breder (GER).
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Ukranian Grandmaster Yuri Drozdovskij playing German International
Master Dennis Breder
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Players in Round 2 of the Christmas Afternoon Tournament running
alongside the Masters.
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The Pairs Tournament at the Pig in Paradise
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Jurgen Goldenboog and Peter Tobczewski, two well known Germans in
Hastings playing in the Pairs Tournament
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Alexandra Wilson and Gary O'Grady contemplate their next move.
The Pairs Tournament at the Pig in Paradise. On the right is
the winning pair - Jack Rudd and Amy Hoare playing in round 2
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Round 3
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WFM Rasa Norinkeviciute, a member of the Hastings chess club, speaking
to the author of the daily website reports, Steve Giddins
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Andrei Istratescu from Romania gets ready for his board one encounter
against Keith Arkell
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Zbrynek Hracek plays his first move against Mark Hebden
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Polish Woman's International Master Joanna Worek at the start of round
3
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Round 4
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Ann Penfold the Congress treasurer.
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Patrick Donovan, (current Hastings champion and chief demonstration
board operator) with Roy Webb also of the Hastings club.
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English junior Samuel Franklin ready to play French grandmaster
Edouard Romain
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The round has just started when a mobile phone goes off causing Isaac
Sanders and Amy Hoare to turn round in astonishment. It turns out to
belong to a spectator!
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Round 5
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A New Year's Day morning view of the Horntye Park venue after an
overnight layer of snow
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Round 6
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A crowded playing hall featuring round 2 in four sections of the
Weekend Tournament and round 6 of the Masters.
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Mince pie discovered in office....
Congress expenses scandal rumbles on ....
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Congress Director Con Power and publicity Officer Pam Thomas
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Round 7
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Michael Dean shares a joke with his opponent Bill Penfold of Hastings
with Gillian Moore looking on.
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Czeck GM Zbynek Hracek faces Romanian GM Andrei Zbynek on top board
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French GM Romain Edouard takes on FM Andreas Strunski of Germany
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Anna Pontonutti from the Hastings club playing in the Weekend U120
section
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A clash of the generations. Thirteen year old Felix Haxby of Brighton
playing white against Timothy Allen.
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Polish Woman's International Master Joanna Worek playing
Hastings'
WFM Rasa Norinkeviciute
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Round 8
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The arbiters, Christine Constable, David Welch, John Constable and
Alex McFarlane, ready for action.
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Round 9
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More snow on the last morning left the Horntye Park cricket ground
unfit for play!
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All GM clash on board 2 between Danny Gormally (ENG) and Yuri Drozdovskij
(UKR)
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English IM Simon Ansell and French GM Romain Edouard before their
final round encounter
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The board 1 pairing of English GM Mark Hebden and Romanian GM Andrei Istratescu.
The game ended as a draw so both players finished as joint winners
along with David Howell and Romain Edouard
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