Beni-bound

AM making final preparations for flying to Alicante tomorrow for the annual Benidorm congress at the Gran Hotel Bali.

I am playing in the U2000, which has 307 entries, including 12 from England and 11 from Ireland, the two foreign contingents to make double-figures, and there are a further 209 entries in the open.

There are nine mostly-afternoon rounds over eight days, so I have taken a halfpoint bye on the double-round day.

The time control is 90 minutes with a 30-second increment.