Women's In-Tournament Training

Discuss anything you like about women's chess at home and abroad.
Sabrina Chevannes
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Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Sabrina Chevannes » Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:16 pm

Since Sean Hewitt has kindly supported women's chess by offering free entry to his e2e4 events, myself and Jovanka will be working alongside his tournament by providing in-tournament training.

We will be preparing the women for their games and analysing them afterwards. Each weekend, each female player who signs up for coaching will be assigned to a coach who will be there to support them throughout the tournament.

We will be charging for this service, but we think that the price is extremely reasonable for a full weekend of chess. All money raised from this event will go towards future women's chess events.

We are hoping to resurrect the National girls championships later this year and prepare for a junior girls 4ncl team and an England team for 2011-2012.

Please please do support us as we want to do more for women's chess.

The entry form for the coaching is attached.
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Sabrina Chevannes
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Sabrina Chevannes » Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:18 pm

Jovanka and I would also like to thank the ECF for their support and funding for this event. We would not be able to run it without them and have this opportunity to provide coaching and hopefully build up funds for future women's events.

Please do support this event.

Thank you

Sean Hewitt

Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Sean Hewitt » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:20 pm

Sabrina Chevannes wrote:Jovanka and I would also like to thank the ECF for their support and funding for this event. We would not be able to run it without them and have this opportunity to provide coaching and hopefully build up funds for future women's events.

Please do support this event.

Thank you
I'm not sure what support the ECF is giving but, to be clear, none of it is heading our way. The offer of free entry to all female players is a unilateral one made and funded solely by e2e4 chess.

Alan Burke

Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Alan Burke » Tue Mar 01, 2011 2:49 am

At the risk of causing the wrath of many, many female players, I just wish to ask why chess is often sexist in favour of women - a point in case being the free entry for them into the e2e4 events ? This is not meant to be a criticism of the free entry, but just a general enquiry as to the reasoning behind the offer.

Similarly, in the UK Chess Challenge, there have been occasions where girls have competed in the same sections as boys, but although the latter have failed to qualify for the next stage of the event, some females with a far lesser score have won through - and been awarded prize money - just because of their sex. Surely if everyone is paying the same entry fee, then they all should have the same opportunities ?

I understand that there are far less females who play chess and such incentives might encourage others to do so, but I assume that someone in the chess world has already checked as to what would happen if a legal challenge was made about the fact that men are being discriminated against in such a fashion?

If the reasoning behind the free entry for the e2e4 is to encourage more females to play chess, I don't understand why such an offer should be made to already established players - I would have thought a better idea to get more people to play would be to offer free entry to ANYONE who has never entered such a tournament before.

Alternatively, yes, give free entry to all females, but have them competing in their own event and not have an opportunity of winning prize money instead of those who have had to pay their hard-earned cash to take part.

As I said above, I would just like to know the reasoning behind the free offer. I am always in favour of equal rights - but for everyone.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:03 am

Alan Burke wrote: As I said above, I would just like to know the reasoning behind the free offer.
As I understand it, Sean's idea with that one was very simple: to increase the number of women playing in his tournaments. While this will not in itself directly benefit the tournaments, it will hopefully indirectly benefit them in two ways: (a) by increasing the amount spent on hotel rooms, bar takings, meals on-site et cetera - thus improving the tournaments' relationship with the hotels - and (b) by making the tournament more attractive to male chess players who are hoping to meet women at these events.

Sean Hewitt

Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Sean Hewitt » Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:12 am

Alan Burke wrote:a point in case being the free entry for them into the e2e4 events ? This is not meant to be a criticism of the free entry, but just a general enquiry as to the reasoning behind the offer..
We have very few women playing in our events and we wanted to try to address the balance. There's no reason why more women shouldn't play congress chess. I don't know whether free entry for this group of players will have any difference, but I'm prepared to give it a go. There's no harm in trying!
Alan Burke wrote:I understand that there are far less females who play chess and such incentives might encourage others to do so, but I assume that someone in the chess world has already checked as to what would happen if a legal challenge was made about the fact that men are being discriminated against in such a fashion?
I don't know about someone in the chess world but I took legal advice. It is legal to positively discriminate where the group is a minority in order to encourage participation.

Matthew Turner
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Matthew Turner » Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:46 am

This seems like a very interesting idea and a very good way of preparing kids for World and European Championship. Hopefully it will be successful and the idea will extend to the boys. I am slightly unclear how some of the logistics will work out. For instance, There is potentially only an hour between games so how many girls could you give pre-game preparation to? I suspect the coaching will evolve quite a lot as the event goes on which is of course a good thing. I also agree that £40 seems like a bit of a bargain.
Well done to Sabrina, Jovanka and Sean for giving it a go.

Alan Burke

Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Alan Burke » Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:11 am

Sean - thanks for the explanation, although I would hope that Jack's point (b) would have not no influence on your decision to give the free offer.

Alan Walton
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Alan Walton » Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:45 am

It will be interesting to see if the new European decision around sex discrimination with insurance premiums will open the floodgate for all types of differentials between men and women to be outlawed where there is equality, we will wait and see

Sabrina Chevannes
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Sabrina Chevannes » Tue Mar 01, 2011 12:28 pm

Matthew - that is exactly what we were hoping for. This sort of service is not available anywhere apart from at the World and European Youth events. We hope that women will realise that this is a very good opportunity to be trained for tournament play.
Yes £40 is indeed a bargain, but we do not want money to get in the way of women being successful in chess.

To Alan Burke: I understand that men have been upset/bothered by women "benefitting" in chess, but I have been playing and coaching for years and it has been such a shame to seem so many talented female chess players who don't want to play anymore because of being in such a male-orientated environment. I know that you might say that they shouldn't play then if they aren't strong enough - but I don't think this is true.

Chess is not about whether you are strong enough to cope in the environment, it should be about what happens at the board and that's that. I want to be able to support as many female chess players as possible who wish to do well who may be discouraged by the lack of females at these events. What Sean has enabled is the encouragement to those females who either cannot afford to pay or feel they can spend money elsewhere, rather than being surrounded by discouraging men.

I cannot see any negativity about what Sean has done, but it is the most generous offer we have had and some of the best support for women's chess from a male so far so I am very grateful.

And, the ECF isn't funding the e2e4 event directly, sorry, but are making sure that Jovanka and I do not make a loss on the event in case the numbers are not good enough to cover our expenses etc.

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David Grobler
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by David Grobler » Tue Mar 01, 2011 12:55 pm

In the Doncaster Congress last weekend I think I am right in saying that out of a total entry of over 200 there was exactly one female . This must have been incredibly intimidating for her , and I think any effort to make it easier for female players to take part in Chess events should be applauded .
However , I notice that in the coming Nottingham Congress in April there are free entries for Juniors . This isnt such a good idea . There is nothing worse than being check-mated by someone barely out of nappies , and I think the parents should be asked to pay double for the privilege .

Sabrina Chevannes
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Sabrina Chevannes » Tue Mar 01, 2011 12:59 pm

LOL at David's comments about the nappies!

But thank you so much for realising that it is a positive thing to be helping more females play chess.

Alex Holowczak
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Alex Holowczak » Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:01 pm

Does a male who holds the title of WFM/WIM/WGM get free entry for the purposes of this offer? :lol:

Alan Walton
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Alan Walton » Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:23 pm

David Grobler wrote:However , I notice that in the coming Nottingham Congress in April there are free entries for Juniors
I actually think it is free entry to Nottinghamshire juniors only, here are the conditions

3. Notts Junior

To qualify as Notts Junior, entitled to free entry in the Rapidplay / Congress, you should be U18 on 1st September 2010 and one of the following:

a.Born in Nottinghamshire
b.Resident in Nottinghamshire
c.Attendance at a school or college in Nottinghamshire
d.A member of a club in Nottinghamshire
e.A member of a club outside Nottinghamshire, but affiliated to Nottinghamshire Chess Association (Grantham, Long Eaton)

Alex Holowczak
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Re: Women's In-Tournament Training

Post by Alex Holowczak » Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:36 pm

Alan Walton wrote:
David Grobler wrote:However , I notice that in the coming Nottingham Congress in April there are free entries for Juniors
I actually think it is free entry to Nottinghamshire juniors only, here are the conditions

3. Notts Junior

To qualify as Notts Junior, entitled to free entry in the Rapidplay / Congress, you should be U18 on 1st September 2010 and one of the following:

a.Born in Nottinghamshire
b.Resident in Nottinghamshire
c.Attendance at a school or college in Nottinghamshire
d.A member of a club in Nottinghamshire
e.A member of a club outside Nottinghamshire, but affiliated to Nottinghamshire Chess Association (Grantham, Long Eaton)
That strikes me as very bureaucratic, and indeed difficult to police. Suppose I'm an ungraded player living just over the border. I might write my address as some town just inside the border to get free entry. If it's my first congress, Notts CA would be none-the-wiser.

Chess organisers must like creating work for themselves with overly bureaucratic rules. :?