Ungraded Players at Golders Green Rapidplays

[Roger de Coverly]

Sounds like a good solution. Limiting an ungraded player's prize money does nothing to assuage the graded player's resentment at being denied a chance of winning a prize themselves.

If, genuinely, they aren't very good, it's annoying to players in the Open to "waste" time having to play them, particularly if you enter, not with the expectation of winning, but with the expectation of something approaching quality opposition.

[Simon Dixon]

I remember a few years ago, I played in a tournament run by Francis Bowers at Kings Lynn. A chap arrived 5 minutes before the start of R1 and wanted to play in the minor U100. Francis put him in the open section and yes, you guessed it, he finished in 2nd place with 5/6.

I do not know why most organisers, (Francis B being the exception) feel obliged to put ung players in the lowest sections, which they seem to win with relative ease. It is not fair on players who have grades to find themselves playing against ung sharks.

The simplest solution with ung players is to put them in the open. If they are only there to play a few games of chess, then it does not matter who they play against.

PS; I notice ung players sweeping the board again this month at the Golders Green RP.

You have a point, and I have (in the past) just had a rule about ungraded players not winning more than 50% of any prize. In the future I will do as Sean Hewitt suggested, and any ungraded player who enters on the day goes in the Open - if they enter in advance I will have time to check their bona fides

Good idea, assuming they are using their real names to begin with. 50% of a prize is better than nothing

[David Sedgwick]

I just noticed the following results from the weekend's London Rapidplay.

http://www.londonrapidplay.co.uk/londonrp/

Do we never learn?

;-(

This is the kind of situation where the now defunct London Chess Association was once quite useful.

You have a point, and I have (in the past) just had a rule about ungraded players not winning more than 50% of any prize. In the future I will do as Sean Hewitt suggested, and any ungraded player who enters on the day goes in the Open - if they enter in advance I will have time to check their bona fides

Good idea, assuming they are using their real names to begin with. 50% of a prize is better than nothing

If a player is using a false name, there won't be any available information about him and he'll be obliged to play in the Open section.

[Simon Dixon]

If a player is using a false name, there won't be any available information about him and he'll be obliged to play in the Open section.

And what if a know low graded players name from the grading list is used, not many if any organisers ask for proof of ID. Maybe the solution is to insist that all players become members of a chess organisation like the ECF.

[Roger de Coverly]

not many if any organisers ask for proof of ID.

Most don't need to. Rapid-plays in London might be an exception, but usually the organisers know most of the players. If they don't, one of the organiser's friends or acquaintances will.

[Jonathan Bryant]

not many if any organisers ask for proof of ID.

Most don't need to. Rapid-plays in London might be an exception, but usually the organisers know most of the players.

Indeed. It must have been several years since I last played at Golders Green, but when I went there back in January. Adam greeted me by name.