Project 30, Year 3: Results Update

Following on from the update at the start of March, we now present the final scores of the Rapidplay tournament.

Semi-final

Matt Jackman 1-4 Sean Marsh (1, 0, 1, 1, 1 from my point of view)

This was the third time I had to play Matt in Project 30 Rapidplay matches. We also met in the first two Project 30 KO events, at the 1st Celebratory Tournament and in this year's club championship for The Buffs (1-1). That's a lot of games (22) against the same opponent.

Our latest match was tough and tense. I will return to some of the key moments in a future post. The score should have been closer; Matt turned down a draw in the fifth game, knowing he needed a win.

Final

Sean Marsh 4-0 Peter Harker

For obvious reasons, we reduced the number of games from eight to six. The games were combative, with a steady stream of interesting ideas and unusual moves from both players. When we reached 4-0 we spent the rest of the session playing a number of every interesting Blitz games.

Peter had played marvellously this year to reach advanced stages of both events and I am sure the experience gained will help him make a significant jump forward when chess activity resumes.

It was a real pleasure for me to face two of my former juniors in the last tow rounds of this year's event.

Thus ends the third Project 30 Rapidplay event.

Due to the current emergency, the final of the KO Championship between Matt and myself will not be played. We are calling it a tied place, to mark this strangest of years with something a little different and to enable us to resume Project 30 - when the time comes - with a clean slate.

All other Project 30 events for this season have been postponed and that includes some of the most anticipated of all, including the Third Celebratory Tournament, the return of GM Matthew Sadler and WIM Natasha Regan and a sequel to the 1st Teesside International Women's Invitational Tournament.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Project 30 events over the first three years. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.