That Was The Year That Was 2024

I started the year where I was to finish it, in the old Polish capital Kraków, which legend has it was once terrorised by a fire-breathing dragon 

After a 4NCL weekend in Telford, I played at a CzechTour seniors' tournament in the spa town of Mariánské Lázně 

The English Chess Federation's 2nd Cambridge International was held in February in the city's University Arms hotel

In early March my collection of chess pens received a boost at the Bavarian spa town of Bad Wörishofen 

Also in March I enjoyed a late winter in Fagernes, Norway

I was back in Bavaria, beside the picturesque Lake Tegernsee, in April

Austria's Bregenz, on the Bodensee (aka Lake Constance), holds open and senior tournaments in May

Later that month the English seniors' championships were held at the Holiday Inn in Kenilworth, Warwickshire

Bronze Age graves were among the highlights when I took a break from chess to enjoy a walking holiday in Sardinia in June

Davos in Switzerland was a long way to go for a June weekender, but I had a few days left of my Schengen allowance, and I was interested to see what the famous resort looked like (the journey by train had stunning views - the town was so-so)

Playing in the Bavarian resort of Bischofsgrün in June allowed me to walk to the source of the River Main

A tree growing from the arched doorway of monastery ruins was a highlight of Bad Herrenalb in the Black Forest in early July

Hull, where the British championships were held in July-August, has a pub with a model train set running round one of the bars

Olomouc in Czechia in August has long been one of my favourite events

Darlington, whose parish church of St Cuthbert partly dates back to the early 1100s, was inevitably more picturesque than its reputation would suggest

At the end of August and the first week of September I played in the Riviera congress at Torquay, which is still a commercial fishing port

Utah's Bryce Canyon was one of many stunning highlights when later in September I took another break from chess

The Amateur Chess Organization's Crete event in October had an idyllic setting, but my enjoyment was spoilt by playing-tables set unnecessarily close together - very annoying when paying top whack 

No such problems later the same month at Mallorca's Colonia de Sant Jordi, but there was no heating and my room got chilly in the evenings - again especially annoying when paying a hefty rate

Cap Negret on the Costa Blanca in November is one of the newest seniors' events

Benidorm was brought forward a little this year, and included two double-round days at the Gran Hotel Bali, but sunshine in late November and early December is hard to beat

I played a weekender in Coulsdon, Surrey, in mid-December, before finishing the year where I started, in Kraków