The SCCU Jamborees were once well-supported by all or most of the SCCU member teams. Sadly this support has dwindled to the verge of pointlessness. There were two sections, for teams of an average rating of U2100 and U1800.
On this occasion, there were basically only two entries for each section, from Essex and Middlesex, though six Kent players were involved, to make up Essex & Kent as one of the teams and the U1800 “Jamboree” being a triangular match by making two Middlesex teams “Young Middlesex” and “Old Middlesex”.
This year’s event was held on 29 March 2025 at Chalkhill Community Centre, Wembly.
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U2100
Essex and Kent v Middlesex 1 John Cawdery 2103 (W) ½-½ Steven Coles 2104 (B) 2 John Hodgson 2020 ½-½ Mark Davey 2084 3 Default 0d1 Anthony Fulton 2073 4 George Horan 1908 1-0 Nigel Fleming 2069 5 Philip Staniland 1898 0-1 Colin Mackenzie 2026 6 Colin Ramage 1898 ½-½ Chris Skulte 2012 7 Mark Murrell 1852 0-1 Ian Calvert 2000 8 Michael Spurr 1824 ½-½ Adam Robinson 1953 9 Ian Hunnable 1805 1-0 Greg Billenness 1887 10 Chris Bernard 1654 (Kent) ½-½ Xavier Cowan 1886 4½-5½
Report by WMBilled as a Jamboree, there were in fact only two entries, so it was played as a straight match between Essex and Middlesex, while Essex had a “filler” from Kent on Board 10.
The default on Board 3 needs some explanation. Gavin Hughes arrived at 2.05 pm which was slightly after the start time notified to Essex, of 2.00 pm. Gavin was somewhat taken aback to find himself defaulted by the Controller. It turned out that the official start time, notified to others was 1.00 pm, whereas Essex were advised the start was 2.00 pm, which was also shown on the SCCU website at the time, being last year’s start time. In view of this, games in this match where the Essex player was not present were not started until 1.30 pm – your webmaster arrived shortly before 2.00 pm to find that most of the games in both Jamborees were well under way, but the clock on our board (Board 9) had not been started. Nor, as it turned out, had the clock on Board 3; Gavin’s board.
Given this confusion and the concession over the actual start time of individual games, to decide that Gavin should be defaulted, based on a start time of 1.00 pm was, to put it mildly, questionable. A discussion took place outside the playing room – to which the Essex skipper was not invited – in which Gavin was effectively in a minority of one, ultimately accepting the fait accompli. And so, Board 3 was recorded as an Essex default.
Subsequently, we received a full apology from the Controller.
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U1800
U1800
Essex & Kent v Young Middlesex and Old Middlesex 1 Alan Riddoch 1757 [W] 0-1 Daniel Seaton 1759 (OM) [B] 2 Boye Sodeke 1746 (EK – Kent) 0-1 Arthur Cann 1756 (YM) 3 Peter Nickals 1739 0-1 Peter Hazell 1750 (YM) 4 Ben Harte 1703 ½-½ Keith Jones 1690 (OM) 5 Andrew Dovey 1659 (EK – Kent) ½-½ Charlie Cooke 1639 (OM) 6 Peter Burgoyne 1650 0-1 Kayden Tan 1598 (YM) 7 John McKenna 1614 (EK – Kent) ½-½ Riya Barbier-Ramaiah 1519 (YM) 8 David Gilbert 1605 (EK – Kent) ½-½ Peter Grant Ross 1565 (OM) 9 Zebedee Jones 1565 ½-½ Nicholas Nardecchia 1554 (OM) 10 Max Dinley 1475 (EK – Kent) 1-0 Jairus Tan 992 (YM) 3½-6½ In the above table, only the boards between Essex & Kent and one of the Middlesex teams are shown, i.e. this is the Essex & Kent side of the triangular match; Boards between the Middlesex teams are not shown. The Essex players are shown in Bold print; the Kent players are labelled “(EK – Kent)”.
The final placings were:
1st Young Middlesex, 7½/10
2nd Old Middlesex, 4/10
3rd Combined Kent & Essex, 3½/10
| Essex and Kent | v | Middlesex | |
| 1 | John Cawdery 2103 (W) | ½-½ | Steven Coles 2104 (B) |
| 2 | John Hodgson 2020 | ½-½ | Mark Davey 2084 |
| 3 | Default | 0d1 | Anthony Fulton 2073 |
| 4 | George Horan 1908 | 1-0 | Nigel Fleming 2069 |
| 5 | Philip Staniland 1898 | 0-1 | Colin Mackenzie 2026 |
| 6 | Colin Ramage 1898 | ½-½ | Chris Skulte 2012 |
| 7 | Mark Murrell 1852 | 0-1 | Ian Calvert 2000 |
| 8 | Michael Spurr 1824 | ½-½ | Adam Robinson 1953 |
| 9 | Ian Hunnable 1805 | 1-0 | Greg Billenness 1887 |
| 10 | Chris Bernard 1654 (Kent) | ½-½ | Xavier Cowan 1886 |
| 4½-5½ |
Report by WM
Billed as a Jamboree, there were in fact only two entries, so it was played as a straight match between Essex and Middlesex, while Essex had a “filler” from Kent on Board 10.
The default on Board 3 needs some explanation. Gavin Hughes arrived at 2.05 pm which was slightly after the start time notified to Essex, of 2.00 pm. Gavin was somewhat taken aback to find himself defaulted by the Controller. It turned out that the official start time, notified to others was 1.00 pm, whereas Essex were advised the start was 2.00 pm, which was also shown on the SCCU website at the time, being last year’s start time. In view of this, games in this match where the Essex player was not present were not started until 1.30 pm – your webmaster arrived shortly before 2.00 pm to find that most of the games in both Jamborees were well under way, but the clock on our board (Board 9) had not been started. Nor, as it turned out, had the clock on Board 3; Gavin’s board.
Given this confusion and the concession over the actual start time of individual games, to decide that Gavin should be defaulted, based on a start time of 1.00 pm was, to put it mildly, questionable. A discussion took place outside the playing room – to which the Essex skipper was not invited – in which Gavin was effectively in a minority of one, ultimately accepting the fait accompli. And so, Board 3 was recorded as an Essex default.
Subsequently, we received a full apology from the Controller.
U1800
| Essex & Kent | v | Young Middlesex and Old Middlesex | |
| 1 | Alan Riddoch 1757 [W] | 0-1 | Daniel Seaton 1759 (OM) [B] |
| 2 | Boye Sodeke 1746 (EK – Kent) | 0-1 | Arthur Cann 1756 (YM) |
| 3 | Peter Nickals 1739 | 0-1 | Peter Hazell 1750 (YM) |
| 4 | Ben Harte 1703 | ½-½ | Keith Jones 1690 (OM) |
| 5 | Andrew Dovey 1659 (EK – Kent) | ½-½ | Charlie Cooke 1639 (OM) |
| 6 | Peter Burgoyne 1650 | 0-1 | Kayden Tan 1598 (YM) |
| 7 | John McKenna 1614 (EK – Kent) | ½-½ | Riya Barbier-Ramaiah 1519 (YM) |
| 8 | David Gilbert 1605 (EK – Kent) | ½-½ | Peter Grant Ross 1565 (OM) |
| 9 | Zebedee Jones 1565 | ½-½ | Nicholas Nardecchia 1554 (OM) |
| 10 | Max Dinley 1475 (EK – Kent) | 1-0 | Jairus Tan 992 (YM) |
| 3½-6½ |
In the above table, only the boards between Essex & Kent and one of the Middlesex teams are shown, i.e. this is the Essex & Kent side of the triangular match; Boards between the Middlesex teams are not shown. The Essex players are shown in Bold print; the Kent players are labelled “(EK – Kent)”.
The final placings were:
1st Young Middlesex, 7½/10
2nd Old Middlesex, 4/10
3rd Combined Kent & Essex, 3½/10