SO WHO'S GOING TO SHEFFIELD? I AM!

[Paul Cooksey]

In most proffessional sports the prize money and fees paid to players are known.

Most chess players can't even spell professional

[James Byrne]

...

[Mark Howitt]

Ahh... never underestimate the pedantry of chessplayers .

I can usually but I've been putting in a lot of hours in my job. I can rest assured that I've earnt more today than all but a handful of the world's top chessplayers though .

[Roger de Coverly]

Last time the championships were in Scotland I think there was quite a low entry-.

It did well last time it was there in 2003.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreads ... kZEJ#gid=0

But the Scottish Championship struggles for entries and the number of Scottish players coming to Sheffield is not great.
http://scotchess.s4.bizhat.com/scotches ... c1549.html

I don't think the wider body of English players, or Council as their representatives, are ever consulted as to the venue of the British. The subset of players, including Welsh, Scots and Irish are usually given a survey to complete as to their views. Next year's venue in North Shields was mentioned in the 2008 Torquay survey. Whether the relative proximity will result in more Scottish entries will only be known this time next year.

[Richard Bates]

I'm afraid I agree that personal details remain private for 2 reasons.

The British Championships this year received 2 donations - one of £250 from a private benefactor and one of £16585 from me. In all honesty, I won't be contributing any more personal funds to chess as I can't afford it but I'm sure everyone will understand that where I choose to spend my own money should remain confidential.

I hope the £16,585 will remain within the British Championship 'pot' if a surplus is made on this year's tournament rather than be spread generally around the ECF. Unless the benefactor specifies otherwise of course.

As a point of information, based on the above comment I know for a fact that this year's tournament has received more than 2 donations.

[Stewart Reuben]

Mark Howitt > Last time the championships were in Scotland I think there was quite a low entry- including an Indian contingent. I think since the ECF by and large organises and provides the funding for the event, the wishes of ECF members should decide where it's held- and I doubt to many would vote for Scotand.<

The two times the British was held in Edinburgh in my time it was highly successful despite, on both occasions, the playing halls being inferior. It is unsurprisig an event taking place which overlaps with the festival is successful. When it was in Dundee a large number of English players turned up, but the Scottish entry was very poor because the Scots arranged things very badly.
There were very good entries at the Swansea Leisure Centre on 2 occasions. When it was held at Swansea University, a venue I had rejected about 20 years before, the entry was down. Llandudno if we can get it would be superb.
At least in my time the players were consulted about prospective venues. This is not always possible unless arrangements are made a long way in advance. Canterbury and Sheffield had to be decided in fairly rapid order. Neil Graham, David Welch and I, and now presumably Alex McFarlane, have a good understanding of what is required.
It is becoming progressively more difficult to find a free venue. Canterbury wasn't perfect, but I would have sought to finalise a year while there in 2010.
Stewart Reuben

[Mark Howitt]

It'd be interesting to know how many Indians made up the 2003 entry- from what I can recall at the very least there were very few English GMs playing, partly in protest, partly because it was a long way for them to go. The BCF/ECF finally reacted about five years too late to ban Indians from the British Championship- quite an obvious decision which players had been petioning for for years!

[Adam Raoof]

It'd be interesting to know how many Indians made up the 2003 entry- from what I can recall at the very least there were very few English GMs playing, partly in protest, partly because it was a long way for them to go. The BCF/ECF finally reacted about five years too late to ban Indians from the British Championship- quite an obvious decision which players had been petioning for for years!

In the interests of accuracy, I don't think anyone ever banned Indians from participating in the British Championships. What was decided related to the eligibility of Commonwealth players, including Canadian, New Zealand, South African and Australian players. That wasn't an obvious decision to make.

[LozCooper]

Was there subsequently a reduction in the number of arbiters to reflect there being too many chiefs and not enough Indians?

[Stewart Reuben]

About 100 Indians played in the 2003 British Championships, quite a number in the British. This provided quite a large income (perhaps 10%) and it was part of the BCF objects to develop chess in the Commonwealth. I had warned the BCF Board in about 2001 that the situation had become impossible. People had not been petitioning in large numbers for years, although I was not in charge of the event after 1997.
When I obtained the Smith & Williamson sponsorship of the British Championships I went down an inferior route. All the money was put into prize money, none into start money. It made the sponsorship look very generous as the first prize was £10,000. The event was very strong both in 1997 and 1998. It would have been better to reserve £5000 for the British GMs. The Indians had become very strong and swamped the actual Championship. Another problem was the Junior Championships. They too were swamped by Indian children. It ws much more 'commercially' valuable for an Indin child to win a title than a British child. Especially if the Indian had not won an Indian title.
Edinburgh isn't far for the English GMs to travel. It isn't far to travel anywhere in Great Britain by comparison with most countries. Torquay, our most successful venue, is further for British players than Edinburgh.
Stewart Reuben

[LozCooper]

Torquay, our most successful venue, is further for British players than Edinburgh.
Stewart Reuben

Are you sure about that?? Even travelling from Stafford, Edinburgh is further away (264 miles compared to 200) and I think it's fair to say there are a fair number of chess players who live south from me

[Stewart Reuben]

I suspect some British players live in Scotland, though its hard to believe.
It amazes me how concerned British people are about small distances. Living in London, Torquay is about the same distance to Edinburgh by train. By plane Edinburgh is nearer. By car Torquay is nearer.
Is Stafford in England?
Stewart Reuben

[LozCooper]

I suspect some British players live in Scotland, though its hard to believe.
It amazes me how concerned British people are about small distances. Living in London, Torquay is about the same distance to Edinburgh by train. By plane Edinburgh is nearer. By car Torquay is nearer.
Is Stafford in England?
Stewart Reuben

I suspect cost is a major factor when planning travel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford

[Stewart Reuben]

Surely the major cost is accommodation? There is also travel, entry fee and food, although I have been told people eat even when at home. The accommodation in Edinbugh in 1985 was very cheap if you were prepared to stay with a family. I did suggest this for Sheffield, but as far as I know nothing was done about it.
I did look at Stafford as a possible venue for the British in about 1990.
Stewart

[LozCooper]

I did look at Stafford as a possible venue for the British in about 1990.
Stewart

My back garden is ideal for a small all-play-all blitz tournament (when it doesn't rain) but it may struggle to accommodate the British