Query on entry fees for non-ENG players

[Mick Norris]

What do the snake oil salesmen, particularly in the NCCU who claimed membership would be cheaper than Game Fee have to say ?

They are proposing to reduce the cost of Bronze membership

[Andy Ward]

My query is primarily about investing in ECF Silver membership as opposed to taking a hit on entry fees. The fee for league games for example was new to me.

The benchmark is that if you play around three Congress sections, so fifteen games perhaps in a season that aren't FIDE rated, then it's financially better to become a Silver member. For league games, the benchmark is at around six games. Congress only players get a much better deal. There's an implicit assumption, arguably incorrect, that every Congress player is also a league player. The difference between Bronze and Silver is the same as the additional cost for one Congress, but the financial compulsion to become a member kicks in at a much lower game count for club and league players.

That is the jist of what I was looking for, thanks. What surprises me is the high cost of grading Congress games and the charge per player of grading league games. My club in Scotland paid a flat fee to the regional association to take part in league/cup competitions and some of that went to CS. Membership allows you to track your live grading by the week but there is no charge to players for that grading.

I get that the numbers involved here are a lot higher so you need more administration, but this way of doing things seems a little odd to me. Just my opinion.

[Roger de Coverly]

I get that the numbers involved here are a lot higher so you need mventsore administration, but this way of doing things seems a little odd to me. Just my opinion.

As in Scotland, much of the grading work is done by volunteers. The ECF needs to raise money not for grading but to pay for staff at a full time office and to pay for professional players to represent the country in international team events. Chess Scotland has much more limited expenditure in those areas. So players, organisations or both are levied in order to give the ECF the necessary income.

[Andy Ward]

I get that the numbers involved here are a lot higher so you need mventsore administration, but this way of doing things seems a little odd to me. Just my opinion.

As in Scotland, much of the grading work is done by volunteers. The ECF needs to raise money not for grading but to pay for staff at a full time office and to pay for professional players to represent the country in international team events. Chess Scotland has much more limited expenditure in those areas. So players, organisations or both are levied in order to give the ECF the necessary income.

Fair enough, I know that Scottish players/teams usually fund their own travel to international tournaments because there isn't much of a pot for it and the organisation is a lot smaller. Good to get an idea of how these things work anyway.