Cardiff Chess Club

plays host to

A Simultaneous Display by GM Yasser Seirawan

Report by Charles Summer

30th April 2006.

A simul was proposed by the committee last year and I was the person given virtually a free hand in organizing it. The first order of business in arranging such an event is to obtain the services of a strong Grandmaster, no problem for me of course as one of my friends, namely Arnie Garcia from Seattle, and a regular visitor to Cardiff, appears to know them all!!

I send Arnie the proposal via email, the answer comes quickly. "I'm having lunch with Yasser today, how about he does the simul?" To the uninitiated, Yasser Seirawan has won the American Championship on no less than four occasions, has beaten the likes of Kasparov and Karpov in his time, has been the editor of Inside Chess and has written some impressive books about chess.

So an excellent choice for our simultaneous and the committee agree with me, now all that's left is to agree the price and fly him from his second home in Amsterdam to Cardiff. First major problem is that he has to cancel the original agreed date (23rd April 2006), so we proceed with the 30th April 2006, which causes me a slight problem as the 4NCL weekend clashes, so no major high graded local players are available.

No matter I conclude as they probably would not have played anyway, as they are on a hiding to nothing, all the time knowing that I would have probably got about 6 high graded players included, had it not been for the 4NCL. Bloody minded as ever, I get stuck into emailing as many players outside the (Cardiff) club as I can, as thankfully Gary Wakeham does the honours of securing as many CCC players as possible.

This is the start of many emails back and forth between Gary and myself, who ridicules me for ringing as soon as I've sent him an email, well you've got to be sure haven't you? :)

With a few weeks to go, I get a breakthrough on the publicity stakes as one of the producers of ITV Wales has played chess in the past and we have an amiable 15 minute chat about the simul and perhaps covering it on the ITV local news. The last, and best outside help in making the event successful, comes in the guise of Jon Gilbert who manages to bring in about 6 extra players, mostly from the Gwent area.

With just a few days left, we realise finally, that we have a fairly good turnout (between 35 to 38). Perhaps no less than Gary and myself deserved, neither of us can be looking forward to this month's phone bill :(.

Gary Wakeham and Arnie Garcia are despatched at 10.00pm on Friday 28th April 2006, to collect Yasser and his wife Yvette from Cardiff Wales airport. Gary takes him to his base for the next four days in Cathedral Road, Pontcanna.

The day of the Simul arrives and I now know that 37 of the proposed 40 people have taken up the offer to play in the simul, equalling the record in Cardiff Chess Club simultaneous history, a record set by former world champion Capablanca in 1919.

Better news is that when I ring ITVWales I receive a very positive "we'll be there Charles". BBC Wales remain evasive and uncommital on coverage. I'll be a little evasive when they ask me for my TV licence money in December :).

I'm also in receipt of the knowledge that GM Julian Hodgson is going to show up to see his old friend Yasser at the simul. The only people that know is Gary and myself, as it's a surprise visit! So on the day itself, firstly I have to pick up Yasser after I've picked up Dylan Summers (my son, no prize for guessing :) and Arnie Garcia from Cardiff Bay.

I need to check arrangements on arrival, see that the TV company has access to Yasser and the competitors, assure my son that it's just a game against one of the strongest players in the world, oh and try to give him something of a game myself, no pressure :).

Former Cardiff Castles captain and old friend John Fletcher arrives in Cardiff at 2.45pm and Peter Davies volunteers to taxi him from the station. So we are all set.

Yasser starts the afternoon with an amusing and informative tutorial, meanwhile I meet the reporter and cameraman from ITV WALES. When the photo opportunities are finished and the lecture finishes, the TV reporter is invited to interview Yasser where a suckers checkmate is presented to the public (well we have to go easy on the non chess playing audience).

The simultaneous starts with the reporter talking to competitors as they are playing their opening moves with Yasser (Capablanca would be turning in his grave). In my game I am slowly turned over by force of strong positional play from Yasser, within 20 moves or so the result is never in doubt, and on losing a pawn on move 32 I resign as the next six or seven moves are going to win extra material.

The only player who appeared to be winning in games that I saw, was Lee Davis from Barry Chess Club, who until the final 20 minutes was a full bishop up in a difficult ending. Unfortunately, he dropped the bishop and a draw was proposed and accepted.

There were 6 draws and no losses from Yasser, who proved to be a worthy adversary for all who entered. Julian Hodgson and his wife showed up towards the end of the simul and accompanied John Fletcher, Gary Wakeham, Bill Harle, Peter Davies, Hugh Price, Arnie Garcia, Bill Hunt and myself to Wetherspoons in City Road for a couple of beers with Yasser and Yvette and Joyce Garcia.

The chess board came out in the pub, where five minute fanatic Arnie took me on and duly lost 4 to 1 in my favour, only the second time I've ever beaten him in a session of 5 minute chess!! We ended the evening in a curry house on Albany Road.

Yasser's favourite player? David Bronstein "he's got a move in every opening"!

My thanks are to all who helped in making the Simul a success, especially Gary Wakeham (we worked very well together), Jon Gilbert, Hugh Price and of course Arnie Garcia.