Spring Weekend 2012
The first SCA tournament of 2012 was played in cool and breezy conditions at the Meadows Club. Saturday featured a good deal of sunshine, but Sunday was cloudy with some drizzle in the morning; the heaters in the pavilion remained in use throughout both days.
Sixteen entries had been accepted, and with double-banked games on three courts this meant that four players had late starts and there was usually some waiting between games. Despite this some people by playing on into the evening fitted four games into the first day: Jamieson Walker, who won all four of his, and Robert Inder, Fergus McInnes and Jola Jurasinska, who each had two wins and two losses. At the other extreme Alasdair Adam, who had had a late start, did not quite get his second game finished before having to leave to catch a bus. Those unbeaten on Saturday night, besides Jamieson, were Joe Lennon, with three wins, and Janice Duguid, who had two wins and was Alasdair's opponent in the adjourned game.
The leaders Jamieson and Joe met in a Sunday morning game, and it was Jamieson who continued his winning streak to reach an almost unsurpassable position on 5/5. The player with the best chance of catching him was Janice, who came out ahead of Alasdair after the concluding few minutes of their game, but a loss to Joe put an end to her challenge.
The final ordering had Jamieson well ahead of the field on 123 points under the "Egyptian" scoring scheme, Janice in second place on 114, and Ruth Munro third with 110. Janice achieved a handicap reduction from 10 to 9 at the end of the tournament, as did Joe at the end of the first day; Brian Cosford's handicap went up from 18 to 20 after two losses on Saturday, but he then won his two games on Sunday to make some progress in the other direction. Jamieson commented in accepting the trophy that he was pleased to have won the tournament as the oldest player competing; it was also notable that all his wins were by at least 15 points. His handicap of 9 remained unchanged for the time being, but one more win would bring it down to 8.
With time limits of three hours plus three minute per bisque, eight out of 37 games went to time. There was also a 38th game, between Charlotte Townsend and Hamish Duguid, which didn't count because it wasn't finished by 5pm on Sunday, but would have given Charlotte her only win of the weekend if it had counted.
Fergus McInnes
Results
1. Jamieson Walker 5/5, 123 Egyptian points: beat Rod Williams +15, Fergus McInnes +16, Jola Jurasinska +16, Robert Inder +18, Joe Lennon +18.
2. Janice Duguid 4/5, 114: beat Brian Cosford +12, Jane Morrison +25, Alasdair Adam +7T (18-11), Tony Whateley +21.
3. Ruth Munro 3/4, 110: beat Robert Inder +25, Fergus McInnes +26, Alasdair Adam +1T (9-8).
4. Robert Inder 4/6, 109: beat Charlotte Townsend +18, Hamish Duguid +20, Jane Morrison +12, Alan Wilson +26.
5. Joe Lennon 4/6, 108: beat Charlotte Townsend +23, Ruth Munro +6T (17-11), John Surgenor +26, Janice Duguid +9.
6=. Fergus McInnes 3/6, 101: beat Jola Jurasinska +6, Tony Whateley +16, Joe Lennon +7.
6=. Hamish Duguid 2/4, 101: beat Fergus McInnes +24, Jola Jurasinsk +7T (22-15).
8=. Brian Cosford 2/4, 100: beat Charlotte Townsend +2T (23-21), Tony Whateley +24.
8=. Jane Morrison 2/4, 100: beat John Surgenor +12, Alan Wilson +10.
10. Jola Jurasinska 2/5, 96: beat Rod Williams +24, Tony Whateley +24.
11= Rod Williams 1/3, 95: beat Alan Wilson +6T (20-14).
11=. Alasdair Adam 1/3, 95: beat Alan Wilson +4T (17-13).
13. Tony Whateley 2/6, 91: beat Hamish Duguid +1T (25-24), John Surgenor +22.
14. Alan Wilson 1/5, 88: beat John Surgenor +13.
15=. John Surgenor 1/5, 85: beat Brian Cosford +9.
15=. Charlotte Townsend 0/3, 85.