48th Hastings Premier, 27 December 1972 to 13 January 1973

1972/73 Hastings Premier		Nat'y	Elo	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Total
1	Bent Larsen	DEN	2625g	&;	0	1	½	½	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	11½
2	Wolfgang Uhlmann	GER	2530g	1	&;	1	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	11
3	William R Hartston	ENG	2420	0	0	&;	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	1	9½
4	Vlastimil Hort	GER	2600g	½	½	½	&;	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	0	½	1	1	1	9
5	Vladimir Tukmakov	UKR	2560g	½	½	0	½	&;	½	1	0	½	1	1	1	0	1	1	0	8½
6	Ivan Radulov	BUL	2490g	1	½	½	½	½	&;	0	½	½	0	½	½	1	½	1	1	8½
7	Walter S Browne	USA	2530g	0	½	½	½	0	1	&;	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	8½
8	Heikki Westerinen	FIN	2450m	½	1	0	½	1	½	½	&;	0	½	1	½	1	0	½	½	8
9	Vassily V Smyslov	RUS	2620g	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	1	&;	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	7½
10	Gedeon Barcza	HUN	2465g	0	½	0	0	0	1	½	½	½	&;	0	1	1	½	1	½	7
11	Ulf Andersson	SWE	2535g	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	0	½	1	&;	½	½	1	½	½	6½
12	Dusan Rajkovic	SRB	2390	0	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	½	0	½	&;	1	½	½	1	6½
13	Michael F Stean	ENG	2275	0	0	½	½	1	0	½	0	½	0	½	0	&;	1	½	½	5½
14	Robert G Wade	ENG	2375	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	1	0	½	0	½	0	&;	½	1	4½
15	Brian R Eley	ENG	2345m	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	&;	1	4½
16	A Jonathan Mestel	ENG	unrated	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	&;	3½

Average Elo: 2463, Category: 9, GM norm = 10, IM norm = 7

Prizes:- £350, £300, £250, £200, £160, £140, £120 and £100. Dr. A. Learner’s Prize for the Best British score was won by W.R. Hartston.

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BCM, February 1973, p50

Introduction (by Raymond Keene)

This year I decided to take a rest from Hastings since I felt that I had possibly played too much in the preceding year and hoped that forcible restraint from active play might whet my appetite for more chess later in the coming year, so I became a back-seat driver, an armchair critic; in other words - a chess journalist.

Imagine my horror when Jim Slater’s offer was announced on the opening day and I discovered that I had already opted out of the first race. In view of this it is possible to comprehend my mixed feelings at the excellent play of my good friend Bill Hartston as I observed him notching up his regulation ten points (for the Grandmaster norm) in machine-like style.

If the reader detects a touch of bitterness in my comments on the tournament in the coming pages, it can be ascribed to one thing: sheer envy.

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1972/73 Hastings Challengers, 27 December - 5 January

1972/73 Hastings Challengers		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Ludwig Rellstab	W.GER (IM)	♦ 1/24	◊ ½/7	♦ 1/8	◊ ½/11	♦ ½/10	◊ 1/12	◊ 1/2	♦ ½/4	◊ 1/5	♦ ½/3	7½
2	Edward W Formanek	USA	◊ 1/14	◊ 1/21	♦ 1/18	◊ 1/12	♦ ½/7	◊ 1/11	♦ 0/1	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/4	◊ 1/6	7½
3	John N Sugden	ENG	♦ 0/28	◊ 1/30	♦ ½/21	◊ 1/23	♦ ½/6	◊ 1/26	◊ ½/10	♦ 1/7	♦ 1/18	◊ ½/1	7
4	Meinrad Schauwecker	SUI	♦ 1/30	◊ 0/6	♦ 1/19	◊ ½/21	♦ ½/11	◊ 1/18	♦ 1/25	◊ ½/1	♦ ½/2	◊ ½/7	6½
5	Daniel Wright	ENG	◊ ½/22	♦ 1/13	♦ 0/11	◊ 1/8	♦ 1/15	◊ 1/21	♦ ½/7	◊ ½/2	♦ 0/1	♦ 1/12	6½
6	Leslie S Blackstock	SCO	◊ 1/19	♦ 1/4	♦ 0/28	◊ ½/15	◊ ½/3	♦ ½/25	◊ ½/27	♦ 1/17	◊ 1/10	♦ 0/2	6
7	Michael J Franklin	ENG	◊ 1/9	♦ ½/1	♦ 1/20	♦ 1/28	◊ ½/2	♦ ½/10	◊ ½/5	◊ 0/3	♦ ½/11	♦ ½/4	6
8	Andreas Huss	SUI	◊ ½/15	♦ 1/31	◊ 0/1	♦ 0/5	◊ 1/13	♦ ½/28	◊ 1/22	♦ 1/27	◊ 0/12	◊ 1/11	6
9	Milan Bajovic	YUG	♦ 0/7	◊ 0/17	♦ ½/29	◊ 1/32	♦ ½/16	◊ ½/20	♦ 1/21	◊ 1/25	♦ 0/13	◊ 1/18	5½
10	Martyn J Corden	ENG	◊ 1/26	◊ 0/18	♦ 1/16	♦ 1/27	◊ ½/1	◊ ½/7	♦ ½/3	◊ ½/11	♦ 0/6	◊ ½/13	5½
11	Zvonimir Mestrovic	YUG (IM)	◊ 1/17	♦ ½/25	◊ 1/5	♦ ½/1	◊ ½/4	♦ 0/2	◊ 1/12	♦ ½/10	◊ ½/7	♦ 0/8	5½
12	David Parr	ENG	◊ 1/16	♦ ½/20	◊ 1/25	♦ 0/2	◊ 1/28	♦ 0/1	♦ 0/11	◊ 1/15	♦ 1/8	◊ 0/5	5½
13	Simon Webb	ENG	♦ 0/29	◊ 0/5	♦ 1/32	◊ 1/24	♦ 0/8	◊ 1/23	♦ 0/18	◊ 1/28	◊ 1/9	♦ ½/10	5½
14	Gerald H Bennett1	ENG	♦ 0/2	◊ 0/19	♦ ½/30	◊ 1/29	♦ ½/23	◊ 1/16	♦ 1/26	◊ 0/18	♦ ½/21	◊ ½/20	5
15	(Louis) Alan Edwards	ENG	♦ ½/8	◊ ½/28	◊ 1/22	♦ ½/6	◊ 0/5	◊ 0/27	♦ ½/20	♦ 0/12	◊ 1/29	♦ 1d/26	5
16	Erno Gereben	SUI (IM)	♦ 0/12	◊ 1/32	◊ 0/10	♦ ½/19	◊ ½/9	♦ 0/14	◊ 1/31	♦ 1/22	◊ ½/17	♦ ½/24	5
17	Peter C Griffiths	ENG	♦ 0/11	♦ 1/9	◊ 0/27	♦ 0/22	◊ 1/31	♦ 1/30	◊ 1/28	◊ 0/6	♦ ½/16	◊ ½/21	5
18	Eugen Kurz	W.GER	◊ 1/27	♦ 1/10	◊ 0/2	♦ ½/26	◊ ½/25	♦ 0/4	◊ 1/13	♦ 1/14	◊ 0/3	♦ 0/9	5
19	Alan Phillips	ENG	♦ 0/6	♦ 1/14	◊ 0/4	◊ ½/16	♦ ½/20	♦ 0/22	◊ 1/30	◊ 0/21	♦ 1/31	◊ 1/25	5
20	Miroslav Radojcic	YUG	◊ 1/13	◊ ½/12	◊ 0/7	♦ 0/25	◊ ½/19	♦ ½/9	◊ ½/15	♦ ½/26	◊ 1/27	♦ ½/14	5
21	Terrey Ian Shaw	AUS	◊ 1/32	♦ 0/2	◊ ½/3	♦ ½/4	◊ 1/22	♦ 0/5	◊ 0/9	♦ 1/19	◊ ½/14	♦ ½/17	5
22	J Henk van Donk	NED	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/23	♦ 0/15	◊ 1/17	♦ 0/21	◊ 1/19	♦ 0/8	◊ 0/16	♦ 1/30	◊ ½/31	4½
23	Harry Lamb	ENG	◊ ½/31	♦ ½/22	◊ 0/26	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/14	♦ 0/13	♦ ½/29	♦ ½/24	♦ 1/32	◊ 1/27	4½
24	Alan G Trangmar	ENG	◊ 0/1	♦ 0/27	◊ 1/31	♦ 0/13	◊ 0/30	♦ ½/29	♦ 1/32	◊ ½/23	♦ 1/28	◊ ½/16	4½
25	Andrew P Law	ENG	♦ 1/29	◊ ½/11	♦ 0/12	◊ 1/20	♦ ½/18	◊ ½/6	◊ 0/4	♦ 0/9	◊ ½/26	♦ 0/19	4
26	C Müller	W.GER	♦ 0/10	◊ 1/29	♦ 1/23	◊ ½/18	♦ ½/27	♦ 0/3	◊ 0/14	◊ ½/20	♦ ½/25	◊ 0d/15	4
27	Giorgio Pegoraro	ITA	♦ 0/18	◊ 1/24	♦ 1/17	◊ 0/10	◊ ½/26	♦ 1/15	♦ ½/6	◊ 0/8	♦ 0/20	♦ 0/23	4
28	Claus Rupp	W.GER	◊ 1/3	♦ ½/15	◊ 1/6	◊ 0/7	♦ 0/12	◊ ½/8	♦ 0/17	♦ 0/13	◊ 0/24	♦ 1/32	4
29	David C Cox	IRL	◊ 0/25	♦ 0/26	◊ ½/9	♦ 0/14	♦ ½/32	◊ ½/24	◊ ½/23	◊ 1/31	♦ 0/15	◊ ½/30	3½
30	Jonathan S Speelman	ENG	◊ 0/4	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/14	♦ ½/31	♦ 1/24	◊ 0/17	♦ 0/19	◊ 1/32	◊ 0/22	♦ ½/29	3½
31	Guenther Jan Ballon	NED	♦ ½/23	◊ 0/8	♦ 0/24	◊ ½/30	♦ 0/17	◊ 1/32	♦ 0/16	♦ 0/29	◊ 0/19	♦ ½/22	2½
32	Alan Grant Kerr	NZL	♦ 0/21	♦ 0/16	◊ 0/13	♦ 0/9	◊ ½/29	♦ 0/31	◊ 0/24	♦ 0/30	◊ 0/23	◊ 0/28	½

¹ Gerald Bennett's score is given as 5½ in the table in BCM (February 1973, p71) and also in CHESS, but in fact it only adds up to 5.

Prizes:- £120, £80, £50, £30 and £20

THE CHALLENGERS’ TOURNAMENT

by W.Ritson Morry

This year's Challengers’ Tournament was a very close run affair, and the result remained in doubt well into the final round. Competition to secure a place in this tournament, with its special provision that the winner should qualify for next year’s Premier Section, was intense and the 32 players included three International Masters, E. Gereben, Z. Mestrovic and L. Rellstab. The last-named player, now a veteran, was a frequent visitor to the Congress in the inter-war years when he was consistently successful in the Premier Reserves Tournaments of those days.

The field was a strong one and the home contingent faced a stern fight. In the end, none of them proved equal to the task of gaining the coveted place among the elite. After only two rounds there were but three competitors with maximum points, namely L.S. Blackstock, E. Formanek (the U.S.A. representative) and E. Kurz of West Germany. Blackstock and Kurz had been admitted as replacements following several withdrawals, including that of Robert Bellin who was a flu victim, so it was in accordance with tradition that they should be doing well! In Round 3, Formanek beat Kurz and took the sole lead, as Blackstock lost to the German C. Rupp. Thereafter his victorious progress continued until Round 7 when he was beaten by Rellstab after spurning the draw which was open to him at one stage. The victory proved to be a double blessing to Rellstab, for it not only enabled him to join Formanek in the lead but also gave him a decisive advantage over the American in the Sonneborn-Berger count. Accordingly, after going ahead in Round 9, he was able to accept a draw in the 10th and final round to make sure of sharing first prize and gaining promotion. Even so, some time elapsed before Formanek was able to beat Blackstock and make sure of sharing the cash rewards if not the ultimate glory.

Of the home players Michael Franklin and Danny Wright were unable to attain the form of previous successful years and it was left to J.N. Sugden to make the principal British challenge after sustaining his only loss in the tournament in Round 1. Wright just gained a place in the prize-list and also won the Brilliancy Prize consisting of a reproduction of the British Museum’s Isle of Lewis chess set.

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THE GENERAL CONGRESS by W.Ritson Morry

That there has been a big increase in interest in the game since the events of the Fischer-Spassky Match of last summer seemed amply confirmed by the entry for this year’s General Congress. Last year's record total of 281 for the whole congress was left far behind and this year’s 387 burst the available playing accommodation at the seams. The Falaise Hall and White Rock Pavilion were fully occupied with the Premier, Challengers’, Challengers’ Reserves and Main Tournaments so that the Christmas and New Year Specials had to be housed in the Queen’s Hotel, which, incidentally, was the H.Q. of the Hastings Chess Club in the early years of this century.

Late withdrawals and promotions reduced the Challengers’ Reserves from 32 to 28 players but it resulted in a tough struggle for the prizes and led to a most exciting final round. It soon became apparent that a new name was coming to the fore, for D.R. Johnston of North Ferriby took an early lead and, at the half-way stage, was a clear point ahead, although defeat at the hands of R. Behling of Germany in Round 6 temporarily brought him back to the field. By Round 8 he was again in front by half-a-point but suffered another defeat, this time by the Persian Moghadam, which allowed the so far unbeaten Behling to take over from him.

The final round brought Behling his only defeat and gave Johnston a fresh opportunity to win first prize outright. This he finally did by beating John Ripley. Behling had the consolation of having the best Sonneborn-Berger total of the runners-up and therefore gained promotion to next year’s Challengers’ Tournament with Johnston.

The Main Sections were all won by overseas players and this hardly encourages the hope that the Slater dream of five British Grandmasters is on the verge of realisation. The Frenchman, Giffard, took first prize in Main ‘A’ after arriving late, being defaulted in Round 1 and losing in Round 2, hardly the most comfortable way of winning a tournament!

The Christmas and New Year Specials, originally designed as 16-player events were very popular and all of them had to be stretched a little to make room for as many applicants as possible.

Such was the plan of the Congress that it was necessary to have five prizegiving ceremonies. Those who are not too keen on such occasions (possibly because they cannot bear to see good money being devoted to what may seem to them to be unworthy causes) had reason to be thankful that at least the winners were not required to stand on a rostrum whilst their respective national anthems were played by bands not too well practised in their execution!

Full details of the various sections follow:—

Challengers’ Reserves: (1) Dafydd R Johnston 7½: (2-4) R Behling, Louis de Veauce, A S Moghadam 7; (5) Paul V Byway 6; (6-13) Pank A Hoogendoorn, David Lees, L H M Leow, Malcolm J Lightfoot, Stewart Reuben, John M Ripley, P Schaffarth, T Wickens 5½; (14-19) Robert S McFarland, Lewis Johnstone Mills, Peter G Moore, Mike J O'Hara, D Savic, Dr. L T da Silva 5; (20-21) B A Carpinter, Mike J Conroy 4½; (22-24) Michael P Cook, J Neumann, Roger Webb 4; (25) Kenneth I Norman 3½; (26) M Gielow 3; (27-28) Gerald Katz, Douglas G Shallcross 2.

Main Tournament A: (1) Nicolas Giffard 6½; (2) B Landwehr 6; (3-6) M McCarthy, K Neumann, Stephen J Taylor, George W Wheeler, 5½; (7-10) Anthony James Booth, H Helten, L S H Lim, James R Nicolson 5; (11-15) G Eichhorst, J Jarvis, R Storm, M A Walker, Geoffrey Ernest Wolfarth 4½; (16) Paul F Habershon 4; (17-19) B R Johnson, G Meinhardt, R A Walker 3½; (20) E C Kong 3; (21) G Matern 2½; (22) M Harringer 2.

Main Tournament B: (1) W Gergs 6½; (2-3) G Bromley, Lucien Mouillaux 6; (4-6) Percy B Cook, R E Evans, David W Murphy 5½; (7-9) W Grube, Roger Hardy, N R Keene 5; (10-11) Friedrich Bachmann, John A Gorman 4½; (12-14) John Bertram Goodman, M P Osmond, Leigh A Trangmar 4; (15-18) Dr. Reinhard Cherubim, L J Dent, M Goll, P Petersen 3½; (19-20) A Delanoy, M Perryman 2½.

Main Tournament C: (1-3) A Jacob, B J Little, H G Schafer 6½; (4-5) G Andrews, K A Howell 6; (6-11) P Boghurst, L J Fincham, F Just, D Pardoe, Walter R Rayner, K Riethmann 5; (12-14) Sydney Ross Capsey, J van Rennenkampff, E J Smith 4½; (15-17) Ian P Eustis, M J Meakin, H Rheinbold 4; (18-19) J G Marsh, I P Strachan 3½; (20-22) G Lange, H Menzel, S Neuhaus 3; (23-24) H Berrevoets, A Marshall 2½.

Main Tournament D: (1) M Faber 7½; (2-3) Dr. A Chowdhury, W Klobutowski 6½; (4-5) Fridolin Jaeck, Shaun M Taulbut 6; (6-7) M Duinmayer, A Kerry 5½; (8-12) D A Burrows, G T Carter, Mrs. Olive Chataway, (Richard) Nevil Coles, J P Scragg 5; (13-15) J A Edwards, H Helmrich, V Noujoks 4½; (16-18) K Franke, Eric Wilfred Knapp, Ronald Ernest Rushbrook 4; (19-21) Roger L Baker, Truman V Parrott, K H Timpe 3½; (22-24) J Eyre, P Griffiths, H Tassell 3; (25) H G Crews 2½; (26) J Ogilvie 1.

Main Tournament E: (1-2) W Schmidt, R Wentzell 7; (3) D T Fairbank 6½; (4) S M Willey 6; (5-6) P Baker, G Krimer 5½; (7-12) E Chambers, E Mitchell, S C Sellick, Leslie E Vine, J Wood, J C Wiseman 5; (13-16) William Edward Busbridge, J Macgregor, I L F Morris, W G Oliver 4; (17) P A Baldwin 3½; (18-19) Miss A Enstone, P Tabezewski 3; (20-21) F Gergs, J G Wright 2½; 22. Miss Elsie Grace Coulson 1.

Christmas A: (1) Robert Walter Lambert Moberly 4½; (2) R Hughes-Hallett 4; (3-5) Raymond J Gamble, Peter Campbell Gibbs, Dr. Peter W Hempson 3½; (6-7) Heinrich Jühe, (James) Stuart Ridgway 3; (8-11) C D Carr, Dr. J Fidler, H Heemsoth, H Trevor Jones 2½; (12-15) P Ganszczyk, Michael C Goodland, H A Killick, J Wise 2; (16) V Sigouin 1½; (17) K Norbury 1; (18) A Gray ½ (withdrew).

Christmas B: (1-2) J Rowley, D Towers 4; (3-4) James Pattle, Michael Sheehan 3½; (5-7) D Beattie, Nigel W Dennis, E Houghton 3; (8-12) John A Felton, R Glew, P A Hann, Kenneth Henry Staines, Kevin J Thurlow 2½; (13-15) C Bryan, P Stoneham, J West 2; (16) R J Nash 1½; (17-18) J Barrett, P Wilson ½.

Christmas C: (1) R C Murphy 4½; (2-3) David Gleave, Alfred Milner 4; (4) D Hardcastle 3½; (5-7) R Dixon, C J Lamb, P Rooney 3; (8-11) N Brat, C Chamberlain, G Glover, H Viets 2½; (12-16) K Claudius, A Havey, I New, W Pethybridge, R Quaye 2; (17-19) H Carter, G Ramsay, J Weston 1½; (20) A Wilson ½.

Christmas D: (1) R Fidler 4½; (2-3) V J Clark, V Musgrave 4; (4-6) I Baker, S Hibble, S Quilter 3½; (7-10) P A Bond, C Hills, H Rawcliffe, S Wavell 3; (11-12) D J F Bull, Sir J Latey 2½; (13-16) G Burnett, D Francis, W Latey, P W State 2; (17-20) R D Baker, E Carey, J C Hamer, C Hann 1½; (21) L Watkins 1.

New Year A: (1) Ronald F A Harman 4½; (2-3) G Mitchell, Miss Eileen Betsy Tranmer 4; (4) R Oxenham 3½; (5-9) (Sydney) Hugh Brocklesby, Anthony C P Milnes, R Roberts, Miss (Patricia) Anne Sunnucks, D Towers 3; (10-13) Charles Ambrose Scott Damant, James Rushton, W Starling, J Watson 2½; (14-19) J Bruce, John A Felton, J P Knee, I Peters, V N Rains, Robert P Ross 2; (20-21) Miss Susan Caldwell, J Curtis 1; (22) J Wise 0.

New Year B: (1-2) E Houghton, P C Wood 4½; (3) G Frost 4; (4-5) W.Hollingdale, L Wheatley 3½; (6-9) D R Brown, P Halfman, A O’Broin, P Rooney 3; (10-12) R Evans, T H Gorton, G Speigel 2½; (13-17) G Bishop, P del Nevo, Stuart Fancy, Alfred Milner, R Quaye 2; (18) K Lehmann 1½; (19-20) Mrs Sandra Osmond, P N Record 1; (21-22) G F Ramsay, E R Yates 0.

New Year C: (1) S Hibble 4½; (2-5) James Essinger, F H Hill, H Rawcliffe, D G Smith 3½; (6-8) P A Bond, E Newham, Miss Walther 3; (9-11) A E Baker, V Litvin, W Preston 2½; (12-14) G Burnett, J Hatton, S Quilter 2; (15-16) Lady Gwendolen Herbert, A Wakefield 1½; (17) D Begarnie 1; (18) Miss Milner 0.

Third Week A: (1) Andrew Rowland B Thomas 4½; (2) Michael John Dymond 4; (3-7) A Henderson, J C Owen, Ronald G Rusha, Miss Eileen Betsy Tranmer, Mrs Dinah M Wright [Norman] 3; (8-11) Charles Ambrose Scott Damant, Ronald F A Harman, E McCarthy, Lewis Johnstone Mills 2½; (12-16) (Sydney) Hugh Brocklesby, A Doelman, J Kallenbach, Miss (Patricia) Anne Sunnucks, P C Wood 2; (17) B A Fewell 1½; (18) G Stonehill 0.

Third Week B: (1) P Rooney 4½; (2-6) D Brydon, A Chapman, J Druce-Powell, Jack Speigel, L Wheatley 3½; (7-8) A S Grant, Geoffrey Naldrett 3; (9-10) L Burrows, C Stonehill 2½; (11-14) R Brain, C Chamberlain, P Newing, D C Read 2; (15-16) Alfred Milner, A O’Broin 1½; (17) E Mitchell 1; (18) L Gale 0 (withdrew).

Third Week C: (1) E Newham 5; (2) D Rawlinson 4; (3-5) E Chambers, V Litvin, S Quilter 3½; (6-9) N A Hoad, G Murray, R Park, D J Smith 3; (10-12) A E Baker, Lady Gwendolen Herbert, S Hibble 2½; (13-16) W Busbridge, R Richards, A Wakefield, Rev. Whitehead 2; 17 Miss Milner 1½; (18) F Copping 1; (19) W Preston ½.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
Previously	Uploaded as part of the Hastings collection some time ago.
26 January 2023	Uploaded the 120 Premier games plus 33 games from other events, crosstables, results, etc. The games now have dates. Note that Andersson-Hartston (with its well-known finish) is correct here but is incorrect on 2022 CB Mega/Big Databases. I have also added instances of players losing on time, etc.
28 January 2023	Added one game from Hastings Challengers Reserves: J.Ripley 1-0 S.Reuben. Many thanks to Andy Ansel.
19 September 2023	The part-game J.Speelman 1-0 M.Schauwecker (Challengers, rd 1) has been replaced with the complete score, from Jon Speelman's Best Games by Jon Speelman (Batsford, 1997), ppn 43-48.