e2e4 Chess

[John Upham]

seems to me the weakness of the e2e4 events are they are basically a 1 man band i.e Sean Hewitt.

So who are the various event officials who help to make the events run smoothly?

e2e4 events use recognised Arbiters, games inputters etc that regularly are involved in various e2e4 events.

I've yet to see an e2e4 event run in the style of Kind Hearts and Coronets which is what you might be alluding to?

[Roger de Coverly]

So who are the various event officials who help to make the events run smoothly?

e2e4 events use recognised Arbiters, games inputters etc that regularly are involved in various e2e4 events.

Whether an event takes place or not has always been assumed to be the exclusive decision of Sean. This contrasts with a club or county organised event where every so often there would often be a meeting of the principals to discuss it.

[John Upham]

Whether an event takes place or not has always been assumed to be the exclusive decision of Sean. This contrasts with a club or county organised event where every so often there would often be a meeting of the principals to discuss it.

How do you see the pros and cons of a committee approach versus a single organisers approach?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Tony Corfe's events run?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Adam Raoof's events run?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Sainbayar Tserendorj's events run?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Michael Basman's events run?

[Roger de Coverly]

How do you see the pros and cons of a committee approach versus a single organisers approach?

Is it particularly difficult? If you have a single decision maker, it is quite likely the event will cease should they decide not to run it any more. My next Congress will be the Shropshire Open, which I imagine would continue even if this year's principal organiser were to step down. The two after that are likely to be Kidlington and East Devon, both of which have been running more years than I care to remember and as far as I am aware, both have always been run with multiple decision makers.

Castle, in the days when it was Spectrum, which is a contentious story in itself, was a collective.

[John Upham]

I believe what is really bugging Roger is not if an event is organised by a committee versus an individual (and why would that be an issue in itself?) but rather...

Events that appear at the same week number in the calendar versus events that are fluid and flexible enough to appear at almost any weekend in the calendar.

Or, shock horror, new events happening at the same weekend as "a local event" (whatever that means).

It could be that accountants rather ordered mindset is disturbed by events not occurring in an orderly and "its always happened at this time of the year" fashion. For some this could be upsetting.

Perhaps this is a more likely explanation than the trivial red-herring of committee versus individual organisation.

I've always wanted to become a lion tamer myself but maybe via the less shocking transition from accountant to insurance via retail banking.

[Roger de Coverly]

Events that appear at the same week number in the calendar versus events that are fluid and flexible enough to appear at almost any weekend in the calendar.

If e2e4 are intending to organise any events between now and Easter, it is in my view high time that they announced them. I don't see it in any way as wrong to have a rough idea of how I'm spending the weekends between now and Easter. Both the county and 4NCL captains are, I imagine, counting on my availability, so that's several weekends already spoken for.

If e2e4 popped up with an Oxford Congress one week either side of Kidlington, I might be tempted. Similarly if one mushroomed one week either side of Exeter in that part of the world. Local organisers might be less enthusiastic, as indeed they were in Devon when an e2e4 appeared in Torquay just at the right time to clash with a Devon v Somerset county match.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Is there a committee which decides when and where Tony Corfe's events run?"

From experience, even if there is, he just changes arrangements when he feels like it...

[IM Jack Rudd]

Local organisers might be less enthusiastic, as indeed they were in Devon when an e2e4 appeared in Torquay just at the right time to clash with a Devon v Somerset county match.

That's in no small part their own fault: the Chess Devon website is ferociously difficult to navigate, and actually finding the dates of county matches on it is non-trivial.

[Martin Crichton]

So who are the various event officials who help to make the events run smoothly?

e2e4 events use recognised Arbiters, games inputters etc that regularly are involved in various e2e4 events.

I've yet to see an e2e4 event run in the style of Kind Hearts and Coronets which is what you might be alluding to?

How do you see the pros and cons of a committee approach versus a single organisers approach?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Tony Corfe's events run?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Adam Raoof's events run?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Sainbayar Tserendorj's events run?

Is there a committee which decides when and where Michael Basman's events run?

Exactly John..... I am aware of Adam Rooof's events (not aware of the others you mentioned although Adam does have a helper and the others probably do to as does Sean but basically without the principle figure in all the examples mentioned these smaller chess events would evaporate instantly if the organiser became ill, or was unable to continue for any reason. Hence these small (but very valuable events in the calander) are much higher risk for anyone that wants to forward plan 3-6 months in advance. 2 examples that come to mind off the top of my head were recently the richmond rapidplay (being run by 1 person) and in the 90's the barbican rapidplays being run by a pair of brothers (think 1 died of cancer) they are clear examples of events that suddenly stopped when the principle organiser was unable to run the event.

e2e4, Adam Raoofs events and the others you mentioned all carry the same risk that they are dependant on 1 person. And although I dont play much these days I do try to keep in touch via the internet and its as clear as day to me that e2e4 is Sean Hewitt. (no disrespect to his various helpers)

My main point was to those complaining that e2e4 don't advertise far enough in advance ...that is the nature of smaller event organisers...If such players need to plan 3-6 months in advance there are enough large congress events in the ECF calander to cater for them. Smaller 1 man band (plus helpers , games imputters and drum carriers ) shows fill in gaps in the calander and capture niche markets. The ECF chess calander has events almost every week of the year. Amazing that such a variety of chess events exist in 1 country.

[Roger de Coverly]

My main point was to those complaining that e2e4 don't advertise far enough in advance ...that is the nature of smaller event organisers

I wouldn't describe e2e4 events as particularly small. At the more popular venues, the numbers can exceed 150 which is medium sized by the standards of Congress attendances.

[John Upham]

that is the nature of smaller event organisers...

From memory I would say that SH is at least 173 cm which does help when updating progress charts and pairing information.

[Martin Crichton]

Roger

agreed, yes the e2e4 events are medium sized

but they are still dependant totally on Sean and carry the same risk as all the smaller single organiser events I've mentioned.

The risk might be even greater as the larger the event the more draining it must be to manage and I'd guess that he must be a bit burnt out and taking a break to recharge his batteries. At one point he was running an event every other week.

Also I think his calander usually had/has 2 -3 events planned in advance. I am suprised he can even manage to plan that far ahead.....those events must totally take over his life. I am more than happy if I can plan or manage events in my working and private life 3-6 weeks in advance!

[John Upham]

Roger

but they are still dependant totally on Sean and carry the same risk as all the smaller single organiser events I've mentioned.

Martin, Is it possible for e2e4 events to execute in a well-oiled manner without any intervention from Sean?

Place your bets now...

[Kevin Thurlow]

Sean is being uncharacteristically quiet...

[John Upham]

Sean is being uncharacteristically quiet...

I suspect he sees this thread as being rather like the popular quiz hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman.

I'm beginning to lose the will to live on this one also.