English Chess Forum

Actually the WHO (like everybody else) doesn't know how the infection is spread. If you want some informed comment from an expert then see the examples in the blog by Erin Bromage ( https://tinyurl.com/y83xeygm . The examples of the restaurant, workplace and choir seem to indicate that airborne tran...

The maths is quite straight forward. In an earlier post Alex McFarlane described how (in his experience) you could tell which round you were in at Hastings according to the amount of coughing he could hear. It is just common sense that by restricting contacts you restrict the spread of a virus.

If I play three games in a day, and don't speak to anyone except my opponents, am I undertaking an activity "with" the other 20 players in my section? If an infectious person plays in a 5 round Swiss he is potentially infecting up to another 31 people but if he plays in an all play all section of 6...

All play all sections of 6 players used to be a format used by many tournaments - maybe it's time to turn the clock back?

Lunch and supper are two different events. Perhaps if you locked everybody out at lunchtime at a chess tournament that could count as 2 different events but it looks too much like trying to get round the rules to me.

Yes, 3.19 of the government guidelines is the essential bit.

You could organise a chess tournament with Covid precautions based on APA sections of 6 but (e.g.) ordinary Swiss pairings would result in mingling between groups of 6 and would therefore be illegal.

Don't shoot the messenger. As far as I know Northumberland, Fareham and Harrogate are all still going ahead as planned. They are still accepting entries. The government have just shot the messenger. According to the new legislation it is now illegal to organise or participate in a chess congress, c...

(As I think I have pointed out before) there are several different types of opening books and there has been a change in fashion (and titles) over the last 25 years or so. 25 years ago it was all "Winning with ..." and "the Complete ..." and these titles have now g.one out of fashion. If you list th...

Most of the time white goes for the kingside attack with the KIA. Black usually sets up in the usual French way but lacks one of his normal targets (the white pawn on d4).

With white I play the King's Indian Attack because that is the line which really annoys be when I'm playing the French as black. Simon Williams has a good line as black against the KIA but nobody has ever played that against me.

I usually click on the links and they are good value (imo). Please carry on posting them, John.

Juniors could perhaps be easily influenced by others to vote. A few years back the vote for ECF Player of the Year had to be abandoned because school pupils voted en masse for one particular candidate. If parents want to influence what the ECF does then they should join under their own name and not ...

The way the French have set up there is no room for a clock although I suppose a slightly longer table or moving things towards one end of the table could just about create room for the clock.

Yes juniors can vote in these elections. I have some reservations about this but discovered I was in a minority when the point was discussed on the governance committee or board.

Aside from the matter of principle (which is sufficient to my mind) not publishing votes cast for candidates deprives both the candidates and the electorate of very useful information in relation to future decisions to of whether to stand again and who to vote for. It is very encouraging that we hav...