PAIGNTON 2005

Holiday and Chess Tournament

Gillian Moore

One Week, Double Purpose  

The first week in September found me back in Paignton, for my usual week’s holiday in the popular Torbay area of Devon, which includes Paignton, Brixham and Torquay.  The weather was mostly sunny, amid sandy beeches and all the usual tourist attractions.

I stayed at the same guest house as the last two years, close to the seafront and amenities.  The proprietors were very cordial, and I think they want me to win a chess title so that they can proudly display a plaque saying that I stay there!  They are also very obliging with my dietary (vegetarian), and other needs.  How those full English breakfasts fortify me, though I come home fatter every time I’ve been away having them anywhere!

My other purpose was the Paignton Chess Congress.  I competed in the 5-round morning tournament.  For over 50 years this great event has been held at Oldway Mansions, the former home of the millionaire Isaac Singer of Singer sewing machines.  The magnificent old building, hung with oil paintings and with a museum area showing off the venerable machines, is now civic offices for Paignton council.  Very lovely setting too it is, among gardens, tennis courts and winding, rocky footpaths down to a duck pond.   

I went around with one or other of my two friends Raymond and Elizabeth in the afternoons and evenings.  Both these friends are good companions and easy to be with.  Elizabeth is not a chess player.  She lives in an alms house in Somerset, established in 1820 originally to provide individual homes for “decayed gentlewomen” who had no close relatives to support them.  She came to share the holiday with me.  Raymond lives in a flat in Derbyshire.  And I live in a flat in Hampshire!

They occupied a family flat each in the same holiday apartments, away from where I was staying.  I introduced them to each other, but I’m pleased to say that they didn’t go off spending time with each other and leaving me alone!  Now then, if we weren’t all so jolly independent, space-loving and used to living alone, we could have reduced expenses very considerably by all three of us piling into one such flat!

Outings With My Two Friends

We enjoyed various meals out, including my favourite Indian food.  The high quality Balti Vegetable curry, bhindi (okra) bhaji and mushroom bhaji dinner was Raymond’s treat.  I’m fond of Indian food and Raymond tolerates it ~he’s very traditionally English and generally prefers fish and chips.

Elizabeth can’t stand curries as they remind her of dogs dinners!  However, we both belong to the same spiritual fellowship and are single free spirits who like to write, walk and practice yoga meditation.  I’m 60 and my friend is in her late 60s, and there is nothing “decayed” about either of us.  We are physical and mental live wires and did a great deal of enjoyable walking and talking.

My first trip, with Elizabeth, was a Sunday “Round Robin” excursion on the steam train of a bygone era.  We disembarked at Kingswear, where everyone else went on immediately across the ferry to Dartmouth, but we stayed awhile.  Upon asking a railway official if this was OK to split our journey at Kingswear, I was told that it was OK but that “there is nothing there”.  On the contrary, we found this hilly and scenic harbour much to our liking.  We alternately ambled and sat enjoying the views and fresh air of woods and open spaces.  

Later that day at Dartmouth, a popular harbour town, we availed ourselves of the restaurants and shops like everybody else, as we were hungry and needed to buy some sundries.  Refreshed, the excursion then continued with a wonderful, long cruise along the Dart river, where we enjoyed so much unspoiled countryside as our boat meandered through dense woods reminiscent of the Amazon jungle.  There was a running commentary on the wildlife encountered.  Finally, at our destination at the town of Totnes we strolled around awhile eating ice-cream before catching the bus home to Paignton.

On Tuesday afternoon, Raymond and I took ourselves off to the Living Coasts aquatic zoo, Torquay, in the semi-free company of penguins, seals, ducks, puffins and rats.  Raymond hastily quitted the rat house, whereas I enjoyed watching those big black rodents in their safe enclosure.  Raymond, always the perfect gentleman, then treated me to a superb meal at his favourite Wetherspoons restaurant.

Other activities with Elizabeth included walks along the cliff-tops (a bit too long and wearying for Raymond), visits to the butterfly farm, otter sanctuary and the model village at Babbacombe.  The last evening, all three of us swayed with the waves on a cruise boat around the harbour, viewing the spectacular night illuminations and beautiful up market yachts around Torbay, the “English Riviera”.

The Wood Pushers Performances

In my first round, I was fortunate to have the least strong player in the tournament, so that was a "pushover" win for me.  Next round I had a much stronger player, as in this Swiss system of pairing, winners play winners, losers play losers and one is henceforth paired with players of equal running score.  I was very pleased to hold that player to a draw, as his grading was well above mine.  I then had 1½ points out of 2, that is 75%.  Last year in the same tournament I finished with a 50% score, and that is all I was aiming for this year.  So, after round two I was doing very well.

Then came the big test.  By misfortune of the draw, I had two more high graded "toughies" in a row, "stinkers" as my friend Dinah, another lady player, put it.  There were just three ladies, by the way, in a tournament of 49 players.  This is typical.  Dinah from Berkshire and I go back to the 1960s, when we used to compete together in the British Girls and then the British Ladies championships (those tournaments, at least, were all female!).  We are both former girls and ladies champions from that time.  As a player recently put it, we have "pedigree".  Woof and meow!!  

To continue to story, I then lost to the two tough opponents, and drew my last round to someone not so tough.  Hence I finished with an honourable 2 points out of 5, whereas last year I had 2½ out of 5.  But I enjoyed every single game.  And I shall enjoy them once again by playing them back from the notation, analysing and learning from them.  And in other, less strong, tournaments, I can hope to do better and win a prize and title, which I do occasionally.

Raymond, mind you, did brilliantly this year, coming joint 2nd with 4½ out of 5 points.  Although he and I have been friends for 40 years, we have amazingly never had to play in a serious match ~ not yet!  We have of course played many "friendlies".  One day I expect we will have to face the inevitable dual over the board, in friendly (one hopes still) rivalry.  Raymond too in his heyday was a champion, of Derbyshire.  He, Dinah and I are a trio of former big cheeses, still not to be sneezed at and soon eligible for the tournaments specially for senior citizens.  Me, I think I’m more of an old “has-been”, really.

Ah well, as Raymond says when we do not win, “It is only a game”.  And there is always another tournament another year and various matches throughout this year yet to come!  True, but to me chess is also much like life, and life is a sort of chess.  

Pictures of Paignton - To see a large picture, click on the relevant picture. Resting the mouse over the picture will give your additional information on the picture.

Gillian Moore

2005