Question on my Mind...

[Mick Norris]

The Open section of the Manchester Congress looks to be FIDE rated and the ratings listed give FIDE as the source. A handful of players in this section show as unrated - likely because they haven't previously played FIDE rated chess.

To play in a FIDE rated event you have to have gold membership which the YCA President is listed as having on the ECF database.

I might just give this congress a whirl myself ...

You'd be very welcome Andrew

The Harry Lamb Memorial FIDE Open is indeed FIDE rated; GMs Arkell & Lalic are playing entrants

[Roger de Coverly]

[GMs Arkell & Lalic are playing

IM Brandon Clarke as well who would be top seed according to the ratings on the entry list.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Since some of you seem so interested in Alan, just mentioning that he drew with Keith Arkell in a simul at the weekend

[Stephen Westmoreland]

He told me that too! Looks like Jacob is looking to do the junior rapidplay on the Friday. Alas no Congress for me but can hopefully say hello to a few people before it finishes. Will Howard have the bookshop running during the day?

[Mark Howitt]

Oh cools I guess that means Yorks Prez wants FIDE rating then... I wouldn't mind one...

Personally I plan to study bit more then play a few more 'serious' online games... LiChess rating is currently around 2200 so hopefully I might get into an OTB team lols...

[John Upham]

Since some of you seem so interested in Alan, just mentioning that he drew with Keith Arkell in a simul at the weekend

How many players did AL take on? Did he have White on all boards?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Was waiting for someone to come out with that gem, might have guessed it would be you

[John Upham]

Was waiting for someone to come out with that gem, might have guessed it would be you

It could easily have been Geoff C. I'd like to think.

We are twins separated at birth due to a bizarre gardening accident.

[Mark Howitt]

Quick instinctive thought here...

ATM I feel I should prob focus on other things before doing OTB chess.

I have a decent amount of money compared to average UK person.

If I was like millions of people in the UK who have no money in bank and was THINKING about playing competitive OTB chess NO WAY would I be paying ECF upfront...

(I probably wouldn't say that in public though).

Just a thought... I might play a bit online...

[John Upham]

I have a decent amount of money compared to average UK person.

We are all delighted for you.

[Mark Howitt]

You know what guys...

Just checked Luke McShane's LinkedIn... and no update about his work since 2014...

Bet he's still making good money though

[Mark Howitt]

And on a chess update... I just won another game online...

And I totally get why a lot of people just want to play online... at some point I will write more about chess clubs...

[Mark Howitt]

The thing is online...

It's free and easy...

I think some chessclubs... have internal politics... like they would have to LIKE you to let you play perhaps...

Online you can see everyone's rating etc and just play...

Some more free info for chessclubs... might have more to say yet aim to keep things positive...

[Mark Howitt]

Yeah more I think about it more there shouldn't be an upfront fee to ECF for playing OTB chess...

We managed without one in Yorkshire for years...

[Roger de Coverly]

We managed without one in Yorkshire for years...

So did the rest of the country. Folks up north "Northern Membership Scheme" and Congress organisers thought differently. Their basic opposition was to the idea that the guys who voted at BCF or ECF meetings should also arrange to finance it by a levy on the amount of chess they organised.