Major investment to transform future of English chess announced

[Tim Spanton]

Please edit that!

Done!

[Ian Jamieson]

Both figures are correct, but not referring to the same thing.

The "almost a million pounds" is £500K for the ECF, £250K for chess tables and £200K for grants to schools.

That and other posts leads the cynic in me to suspect that only the £250K for chess tables is ‘new’ money and the other £700K is a redistribution of existing money. Fine for English chess if so, less so for other sports or whoever loses out from the redistribution. I hope however to be proved wrong.

Someone must lose out - the money does not come out of thin air

Agreed but the devolved governments will only get a proportion of any new money not any redistribution so it affects the chances of CS etc of getting a similar overall grant.

[MJMcCready]

Throwing money at something in hope it will just fix itself is so typical of the Tories, it's not going to achieve or change anything.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I have always been slightly confused about who the target population for public chess boards is. People who carry heavy chess pieces around with them but not a light vinyl board?

What actually is the answer to Chris's question here? I suspect there is none. A few years ago, there were two table tennis tables installed in a park across the street where I live, replete with balls and even table tennis bats. Obviously in due course they all got nicked, if only by young kids doing it for a dare. So they stopped providing bats and balls, and the tables stopped being used. One was taken away. One still remains but very few people seem to play on it and there is the occasional notice asking for feedback concerning its use and condition, with a clear implication that it too might be assigned elsewhere.

Why would chess tables in parks not go the same way? (Perhaps they wouldn't because they might be too firmly attached to remove - but if unused, they will likely become picnic and drinks tables instead).

[John Foley]

What would help is if each table (or group of tables) were to be adopted by a chess club. Many club members would be delighted to play at the table from time to time and engage with members of the public. There is nothing worse than putting a table in an out-of-the-way corner with few passers-by. Local authorities need to engage with their local clubs when siting the tables.

[Tim Spanton]

What would help is if each table (or group of tables) were to be adopted by a chess club. Many club members would be delighted to play at the table from time to time and engage with members of the public. There is nothing worse than putting a table in an out-of-the-way corner with few passers-by. Local authorities need to engage with their local clubs when siting the tables.

There's a guy in Brick Lane Market (London E1) who sets up a small stall and plays blitz (for free) against allcomers on Sundays. Usually attracts a small crowd.

[Roger Lancaster]

I didn't want to comment directly when interviewed earlier but am I correct in believing that £250k is being allocated for the provision of 100 new chess tables - that is, £2,500 per table? I understand that these will have to be solid constructions but am I the only one to find this expensive?

[Jonathan Rogers]

What would help is if each table (or group of tables) were to be adopted by a chess club. Many club members would be delighted to play at the table from time to time and engage with members of the public. There is nothing worse than putting a table in an out-of-the-way corner with few passers-by. Local authorities need to engage with their local clubs when siting the tables.

Good. but would they they then take their pieces with them, probably leaving others without the opportunity to play among themselves?

Pieces matter!

[Joey Stewart]

I think rather then small tables with "loseable" pieces it might be better to have giant sets with the pieces chained to the ground - especially when you consider the average denizen of public parks in the UK tend to be junkies, homeless and unemployable wretches who would nick stuff as quick as look at it.

[Angus French]

What would help is if each table (or group of tables) were to be adopted by a chess club. Many club members would be delighted to play at the table from time to time and engage with members of the public. There is nothing worse than putting a table in an out-of-the-way corner with few passers-by. Local authorities need to engage with their local clubs when siting the tables.

Good. but would they they then take their pieces with them, probably leaving others without the opportunity to play among themselves?

Pieces matter!

As I said earlier(!), if the tables are positioned near a cafe then the cafe can have pieces available for hire or to borrow. This is what currently happens at Russell Square and Streatham Common.

[Jonathan Rogers]

good. It sounds like it might work (much) better in highly populated areas though, far from your common parks.

[Ian Thompson]

I didn't want to comment directly when interviewed earlier but am I correct in believing that £250k is being allocated for the provision of 100 new chess tables - that is, £2,500 per table? I understand that these will have to be solid constructions but am I the only one to find this expensive?

I thought that as well, but look at the prices here, and then add on site preparation and installation costs.

[Chris Goodall]

£2,500 per table is how much it costs to build something that even a person trying to injure himself, to score compensation from the local authority, won't have any luck.

Look at this very short homemade staircase that had to be replaced at a cost of CA$10k (£6k) for liability reasons: https://globalnews.ca/news/3614167/tom- ... d-toronto/

[Joey Stewart]

I would say 2500 it's pretty realistic figure for building.... with about £500 of it being labour and materials costs and £2000 profit for the contractors company.

[Stewart Reuben]

Commenators above presumably do know that open air chess boards and sets have been used for many years in such places as Manhattan, Sydney, Moscow, Lanzarote,, Edinburgh, Plymouth?
NY it is usually BYO sets.
Sydney they are large sets which are taken away each evening.
Russell Square in London the equipment was requested by local residents. It is by a cafe.
Hastings have a giant set and pieces.
Where I live it would be possible and I have thought of donating the equipment for one giant set and board.