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1999-2000 – The Final Results

Click to see Results Table

The first row of the above table lists the problems in the five rounds and the second row gives the maximum points available for each problem and the maximum time allowed for each round in a column headed ‘Time’. Each row gives the points scored by each competitor for each problem and also the time taken for each round. The placement of competitors is calculated by points scored, with ties being resolved by time taken. The ‘Periodical’ column contains the name of the periodical in which the competitor saw the starter problem. If this column contains ‘seed’ then the competitor was seeded into the postal round. Seeded competitors are those who have won a 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize in a previous final. All finalists, except the defending champion, have qualified for the final through the tough postal round. The Casual section was made up of solvers who hadn't qualified for the final.

Prizes awarded were as follows:-

  • 1st Prize and a guaranteed place in the 2000 British Solving Team for the World Championship in Pula – Jonathan Mestel.
  • 2nd Prize – Graham Lee.
  • 3rd Prize – David Friedgood.
  • Prize for highest placed non-seeded competitor – Paul Cumbers.
  • Prize for highest placed first-time finalist – Oliver Penrose.
  • Prize for the winner of the Casual section – Paul Valois.
  • 1st Prize for the editor attracting most entries – Ray Keene of The Times.
  • 2nd Prize for the editor attracting most entries – John Henderson of Teletext.
  • 3rd Prize for the editor attracting most entries – Luke McShane of The Sunday Express.
  • 1st Prize for the editor attracting the entry of the highest placed non-seeded competitor – Jimmy Adams of Chess for the performance of Paul Cumbers.
  • 2nd Prize for the editor attracting the entry of the second highest placed non-seeded competitor – John Rice of The Problemist for the performance of Don Smedley.

The name of Oliver Penrose may be familiar. He is a research mathematician (now retired from Heriot-Watt University, but he also spent time at The Open University) and author of a book on statistical mechanics. He is also the brother of Sir Roger Penrose, Professor of Mathematics at Oxford. Their brother is Grandmaster Jonathan Penrose, ten times British Chess Champion. Their father was Lionel Penrose, a medical geneticist and Chess Problemist. What a talented family!


Developed and maintained by Brian Stephenson.