Tournaments 2008

The Nicky Check 'Birthday Boy'

British Open, 4, 5, 6 April. 2008

The Winners

1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Rick Janowski
Nigel Merrigan
Barry Williams
Graham Seivers
Stephen Turner
Dave McNair
John Broomfield
Neil Kazaross
Rachel Rhodes
Steve Hallet
Murat Imamoglu
Ian Shaw
Mike Greenleaf

Rachel Rhodes

Nigel Merrigan

Brian Lever

Ann Pocknell

Ann Pocknell. 2008 British Champion

Main (79)

1

2

3/4

3/4

5/8

5/8

5/8

5/8

Ann Pocknell
Uldis Lapikens
Tom Duggan
Dave Moon
Dave Treacy
Ian Tarr
Paul Gilbertson
Peter Christmas

Consolation (75)

1

2

3/4

3/4

5/8

5/8

5/8

5/8

Peter Christmas
Mike Heard
Rachel Rhodes
Ray Tannen
Arthur Wright
Roland Herrera
Julian Fetterlein
Cecilia Sparke

Last Chance (64)

1

2

3/4

3/4

5/8

5/8

5/8

5/8

Brian Lever
Peter Bennet
Tony Walters
Lawrence Powell
Cynthia Roberts
David Nathan
Stuart Mann
Steve Hallett

The Noodle (32)

1

2

3/4

3/4

5/8

5/8

5/8

5/8

Tony Fawcett
Marcus Wrinch
Linda Taylor
Roland Herrera
Marc Turner
Mark Dixon
Kevin Stebbing
Jon Sharpe

Friday 500 (40)

1

2

3/4

3/4

5/8

5/8

5/8

5/8

Paul Gilbertson
Julian Fetterlein
Rida Hassan
Mike Waid
Nicky Check
Ed Turner
Crispin Duke
David McNamara
Poker (32)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Steve Hallett
Jon Sharp
Kevin Stebbing
Paul Gilbertson
Felix Vink
Paul Watts
Crispin Duke
Ann Pocknell
Team (12)

1
Marcus Wrinch
For latest Championship table click here

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Grand Prix points for this tournament

Ann Pocknell
Uldis Lapikens
Mike Heard
Dave Treacy
Dave Moon
Peter Christmas
Rachel Rhodes
Brian Lever
Ian Tarr
Sean Casey
Tony Fawcett
Tom Duggan
Ray Tannen
Julian Fetterlein
Arthur Wright
Peter Bennet
Lawrence Powell
Liz Perry
Kevin Stebbing
David Nathan
Mark Dixon
Paul Gilbertson
Cecilia Sparke
Jon Barnes
Roland Herrera
Adrian Jones
Daniel Tutchings
Tony Walters
Nigel Merrigan
Peter Chan
Jeff Barber
Martin Barkwill
David McNamara
Raymond Kershaw
Stuart Mann
Felix Vink
Myke Wignall
Neil Young
Carter Mattig
Crispin Duke
Miles Farren
Rida Hassan
Steve Grundy
Gaz Owen
Andreas Vrhosek
Steve Hallet
Paul Watts
Stuart Pemberton
Lewis Young
Sam Goodwin
Cynthia Roberts
Marcus Wrinch
Tim Mooring
Edwin Turner
Tim Line
Dorothy Lee
Mike Waid
Marc Turner
John Spraque
Mardi Ohannessian
David Motley
Rosey Bensley
Jeremy Limb
Irving Czechowicz
Linda Taylor
Paul Barwick
Nicky Check
Blaine Buchanan
Julian Minwalla
Gerry Enslin
Phil Tutchings
John Hedge
Jon Sharpe
George Hall
24.77
24.77
18.57
13.42
13.42
13.41
13.41
13.40
9.29
9.29
9.29
9.29
9.28
9.28
9.28
9.27
6.19
6.19
6.19
6.19
6.19
6.19
6.19
6.18
6.18
6.18
6.18
6.17
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.13
4.12
4.12
4.12
4.12
4.12
4.11
4.10
2.58
2.58
2.58
2.58
2.58
2.58
2.58
2.57
2.57
2.57
2.57
2.57
2.56
2.06
2.06
2.06
2.06
2.06
2.06
2.06
2.05
1.55

 

 

The Nicky Check 'Birthday Boy'

British Open, 4, 5, 6 April. 2008

Report by Michael Crane

 

Friday 500 (40)
What a great turnout! Forty players battling it out in the 500. With such a big field it was important to get off to a 9 o'clock start as advertised, and this we did. However, two players were absent at the beginning and incurred penalty points for turning up late. Thus, Paul Gilbertson sat down at 2-0 down to five points . . . and won! He then tore through the remainder of his opponent's like a man possessed! Even a player of Julian Fetterlein's ability couldn't stop him as Paul triumphed over Julian in the final. Well done, Paul; perhaps you should turn up late more often!

Main (79)
Thanks to Nicky's generosity we had a great turnout. Who'd have thought that 79 people would be so keen to get their hands on Nicky's hundred quid?!This weekend we had four previous winners: Steve Hallett, Rachel Rhodes, Nigel Merrigan and Brian Lever. Two of them, Rachel and Nigel have won it twice and each was hoping for a 3rd win and getting into the record books. Nigel made it to the 3rd Round, and so did Brian, but Rachel and Steve fell early on - Rachel to Mike Heard in Round 1, and Steve in Round 2 (he had a 1st Round bye!) to Peter Christmas ... more on Mike and Peter in the Consolation, later.

Nigel was pitted against new-member, Gaz Owen; and Brian against another new-member, Cecilia Sparke. Brian crashed out to Cecilia, but Nigel triumphed over Gaz ... and then fell to another new-member, Dave Moon in the next round; thus ended the hopes of the former British champions.

So, we were down to the last 8:Dave Treacy vs Uldis Lapikens; Tom Duggan vs Ian Tarr; Ann Pocknell vs Paul Gilbertson and Peter Christmas vs Dave Moon. Of these eight, Tom and Uldis met in the semi as did Ann and Dave. Uldis was soon down 10-1 and it looked as if it was all over for him; however, he survived the Crawford, fought back and ended up winning 11-10! Ann had a tough match against Dave but it was she that prevailed in the end to give us an Ann vs Uldis final.

Again, Uldis went down quickly to 10-1! He fought back again but only managed to make it 10-6 before taking home the runner-up trophy at 11-6 to Ann. Well done, Ann. It's great to see another female player at the top and the delight at being there clearly shows in Ann's smile. Uldis might be a bit down after losing in the final but his performance propelled him to the top of the Grand Prix and Ranking championships!
Uldis and Ann

Progressive Consolation (75)
I mentioned Mike Heard and Peter Christmas earlier, and here's Mike again, entering in the non-progressive side and facing six opponents, one of which was Peter in the Final. Peter had entered via progressive side from the last 8 of the Main. He then despatched Crispin Duke, Paul Gilbertson, and Julian Fetterlein before meeting Mike in the final. The match was going well in Mike's favour until . . . . and here I'll let Mike explain what happened! "A sicko from my side - Peter won at DMP on a Coup Classique! Perfect bear off for me until I just left three men on the 2-point and three men on the 3-point, with his two men on my ace-point. I then roll double-two, leaving three men on the 3-point. He escapes one man from the back. Instead of rolling a double, or even something reasonable, I roll a 41 or something - and the rest is history!"

Peter reported something similar: "It went right down to 5-5 DMP and he left me a coup de classic, I managed to pick up his last two checkers and close them out before winning on the very last roll!"
Peter and Mike
Last Chance (64)
How hard a draw can a player get in this 5-pointer? Well, how's this for hard? Brian Lever (defending - and now defeated - British champion) had to beat Carter Mattig (worldclass player), Martin Barkwill, Rosey Bensley, Steve Hallett (former British champion) and Lawrence Powell; and this was just to get into the final to meet another very strong opponent, Peter Bennet! Of the two of them, Brian's passage into the final was the harder, and perhaps it was this tough draw that galvanised him into action so much that his winning streak continued and he emerged the victor.

 
Last Chance - Peter and Brian
The Noodle - Tony and Marcus
 

The Noodle (32)
Being knocked out in the last 16 of the Main, and the Consolation, Tony Fawcett was determined to do better in the 3-point Noodle. Being knocked out in the 1st rounds of the Main and the Consolation, and the Last Chance, Marcus Wrinch was even more determined to do well in the Noodle. Thus the course was set for these two to meet in the Noodle final. Unfortunately, Marcus didn't manage to come out of the encounter better than as runner-up, and it was Tony who took the winner's trophy.

Team (12)
Twelve brave souls signed up for the Team event and soon they were down to two teams of three as 'my team' were robbed by two rolls of 61 after being in a winning position. The threes were whittled down to a two vs one and it was the 'one' that came out on top; the 'one' being last month's runner-up, Marcus Wrinch. It seems that if I don't win the Team event, Marcus does!

Poker (32)
There were some last minute entries this time and organiser, Tony Fawcett had his work cut out fitting in the extra five players. In future the only entrants allowed will be those that register prior to 12:30 during the backgammon registration. Three 1st-timers ended up taking three of the top five places: Steve Hallett, 1st; Jon Sharp, 2nd; and Felix Vink, 5th. This left 2nd-timer, Kevin Stebbing in 3rd, and regular, Paul Gilbertson in 4th.
Finally
I'd like to thank Nicky for his sponsorship and the £100 prize money that Ann was very pleased to take off him! He liked his tee-shirt that I made especially for him and the cake I bought that was enjoyed by all of us. Sadly, not many entrants bothered to get him a present (meanies!), but of those that did, Rosey Bensley won the free Friday night accommodation for The English Open. I would also like to thank my assistant, Deena Fawcett for her brilliant work with the spreadsheet and the money-handling. Now that I have Tracey and Deena to help me I know I am in safe hands.
I'm 40, you know?
 
 

 

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