English Chess Forum

There seems to be very little publicity for this event just 10 miles from where I live.

There is a FIDE rated Open, Major (U160), Challengers (U120), Junior (U100 and born 2001 or later) with a prize fund of £1500.

Brian Towers wrote:
2017ChesterLeStreetCongress-EntryForm.doc

Unless you have separate rooms, I doubt it conducive to good playing conditions to have three separate starting times for later rounds.

A good point which I raised with Tim at the Easter congress he organized earlier this year with similar start times. When one of the games in the Open goes past the 60 move mark your advertised start time for the lower competitions is during play for that game. Then I was the arbiter and I simply announced that the lower start times would be moved back at least half an hour. I also had a little whinge to Tim that the lone arbiter needed a lunch break. Looks like I didn't whinge loudly enough. Looking at the details of the Junior competition he will definitely need a second room as just shifting times isn't going to work.

Brian Towers wrote: When one of the games in the Open goes past the 60 move mark your advertised start time for the lower competitions is during play for that game.

Before that even, with the half hour or so before play, a natural time for conversations. That would impact players in the lower sections with the Open players having their lunch break whilst they are in play. What is the motivation behind making the lower sections 80 10 rather than 90 30? It's not as if digital clocks aren't going to be available and only two rounds are scheduled for Saturday.

Roger de Coverly wrote:What is the motivation behind making the lower sections 80 10 rather than 90 30?

It's a mystery to me too. Tim's idea was that it lets the players in the lower sections get away early. As somebody whose grading is just 3 points too high for the major I would want the same time control as the open and if my game finished early I'd be watching other games rather than getting away early. Judging by the crowds you see gathered round the last two or three games to finish I suspect I'm typical. Having the lower sections finish early just means the crowds build earlier and bigger IMHO, which may not do wonders for the concentration of the stronger players involved.

The details of this congress have been changed and this is reflected in the details and entry form attached below.

The significant details are -
"Events for players of all ages and abilities, £1300 prize fund.
FIDE-RATED OPEN: £250, £125, £75, & Grading, Junior prize. MAJOR (U160 ECF): £200, £100, £50 & Grading, Junior prize. CHALLENGERS (U120 ECF): £150, £75, £40 & Grading, Junior prize. Please note: ALL EVENTS NOW HAVE THE SAME TIME LIMIT: 90 minutes for all moves, plus 30 seconds increment per move. (The Junior tournament has also been included in the Challengers.)"

I'm providing a link to it on my North Staffordshire & District Chess Association website - http://www.northstaffschess.com. However, it clashes with the Manchester Summer Congress so unlikely to attract any entrants from this part of the country.