Trafford Park Congress Cancelled.

[David Pardoe]

The Congress scheduled this w/e for Trafford Park has been cancelled..
I checked there website today http://www.premierchesscongress.co.uk/

Not a very encouraging story if true.... does anyone run checks on credibility of events like this.
I cant recollect hearing such a tale before.
From the original website, it appears that several tournaments were planned, including Chester, Harrogate and other venues (to be confirmed).
Not any more....

[Roger de Coverly]

Not a very encouraging story if true.... does anyone run checks on credibility of events like this.

The event was on the ECF calendar and mentioned in his blog by the Manager of Congress Chess. That's as far as word of mouth credibility went.

Manchester area players will know whether there were serious attempts to promote it locally. Any new chain of Congresses would initially struggle for acceptance. If the principal organiser has a known background as an organiser with an established Congress, that obviously helps.

[Brendan O'Gorman]

There were entry forms at last weekend's Nottingham Congress.

[Sean Hewitt]

I think it's a real shame that the events have been cancelled.

I hadn't heard the 'rumour' about kit until yesterday, and then from the event itself so I have no idea if this has been a contributory factor. However, I do know that when I first started e2e4 someone started spreading a rumour that it was all a con and that I would not be paying out the prize fund advertised. Thankfully, someone pointed this out to me and a threat of legal action soon got the offending statements removed from the websites concerned.

The Trafford Park event wasn't advertised as far as I can see on either the Manchester Chess Federation nor Stockport League websites. I don't know why as I've always found both organisations most helpful. I also wonder how much the 'odd' first prize had an effect on entry levels.

It was also probably a bit ambitious to start with 3 events in 6 weeks.

[Andrew Collins]

I picked an entry form up at bloxwich a couple of weeks ago, I must confess to feeling myself just by the entry form that it was the sort of thing I could imagine to be a scam, of course whilst one could believe that, it would be entirely wrong just to assume that because the people involved are new and I've never heard of them.

I looked at the website previously and took another issue with their rational. It stated something along the line of the majority of chess players pay it 'implied' excessive entry fees for large prizes i.e in the 100's which the majority never win. It therefore stated why there would be a luxurious chess board as first prize- fair enough, however their entry fees were not low, particularly if early entry was not made, so I kind of didn't get the point they were trying to make. In fact their normal entry fee, would be higher than any I normally pay, with the exception of Gibraltar and the Diamond jubilee e2e4 event


edit-
(As it happens, whilst I may/may not have played the Birmingham event, they did have a few interesting novel ideas, which I thought could be good, for a chess addict such as myself) and in my opinion people prepared to start new events such as this should have our encouragement)

[John Upham]

I do know that when I first started e2e4 someone started spreading a rumour that it was all a con and that I would not be paying out the prize fund advertised. Thankfully, someone pointed this out to me and a threat of legal action soon got the offending statements removed from the websites concerned.

Did these false rumours emanate from the same source(s) as the ones leading the subject of this thread?

Are there people out there simply attempting to undermine new events?

What on earth is their motive?

[Sean Hewitt]

Did these false rumours emanate from the same source(s) as the ones leading the subject of this thread?

I don't know because I've yet to speak to someone who had heard these 'rumours' before yesterday. However, given the locality of the person who spread the rumours about e2e4, I very much doubt it.

[Alan Walton]

I have to agree that the entry fees seemed excessively high considering you win a "luxury" chess set, you did have an option to decline the set and you would receive £120 (which was second place prize), strange when they valued the set at £320.

I can only assume that they were making a decent margin on the "luxury" chess set

[Andrew Bak]

I thought the prize structure was very odd.

However the thing that most put me off entering these tourneys was having to play three games on Saturday.

[Roger de Coverly]

However the thing that most put me off entering these tourneys was having to play three games on Saturday.

Three games of G/105 or equivalent is a common format in the London and South east area. Particularly with Southend in mind, potential entrants might have wanted to know who the arbiting team were, given that increments weren't being used.

Equipment was cited as a difficulty. With a number of suppliers willing to lend or hire equipment, I don't know why that was an issue for the organiser.

[David Pardoe]

Just wondering if anyone can/would contact this Edwin Cooke to find out more about what actually happened here.
If someone (or the ECF), has his email contact info maybe they could drop him a note to get more details. If some joker is putting the mokkers on these chess initiatives, maybe this needs to be flagged up...maybe some support/advice offered.
I circulated emails to a large number of players about this event(s) recently, and no-one came back with any adverse comments.
However, I take the points made that this could look potentially suspicious (with multiple entry options to various events, that did not have clear venue details), etc....

[Mick Norris]

The Trafford Park event wasn't advertised as far as I can see on either the Manchester Chess Federation nor Stockport League websites. I don't know why as I've always found both organisations most helpful

You start by approaching the MCF

You don't end by upsetting the President and the Webmaster

Simples

[David Pardoe]

I do know that when I first started e2e4 someone started spreading a rumour that it was all a con and that I would not be paying out the prize fund advertised. Thankfully, someone pointed this out to me and a threat of legal action soon got the offending statements removed from the websites concerned.

Did these false rumours emanate from the same source(s) as the ones leading the subject of this thread?

Are there people out there simply attempting to undermine new events?

What on earth is their motive?

I`ve heard nothing of these rumours, so far.
Yes, the event may draw some critics, and this guy was `new` on the chess organisation scene, so maybe some guidance might have helped. There`s inevitably going to be a learning curve with all these things, and he clearly seemed to have some ambitious plans.
The one thing we really need in chess are people with `drive` and new ideas who can break new fronteers...
But he was not some total stranger that no-one knew. He is a local player and member of a chess club in the Manchester area, so hardly likely to set up some scam tournament or do a runner with the entry fees..?
We really do need to ensure that these initiatives get the right support, and create more good chess playing opportunities for our players.
Some players have said the entry fees were a bit high? Maybe so, but I think I would rather see these events run at a profit, with good quality venues and playing conditions, which might be re-invested in future chess events, than to run at a loss.
Questions about publicity.... He did manage to get his event publicized on the ECF Calendar, but apparently hit `difficulties` locally?

Hopefully, he will reflect on what has happened, and at a future date come back, with the right support, and run some successsful events.

[John Upham]

Does the ECF provide resources for a potential new organiser?

Is there a "Organising and running a chess tournament" FAQ / Wiki?

[Roger de Coverly]

Is there a "Organising and running a chess tournament" FAQ / Wiki?

Some suggestions from this forum.

http://ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2381&p=43986