Major investment to transform future of English chess announced

[Mark Howitt]

Good idea David. Huddersfield Library has a Saturday chess team and numbers doubled plus to 12-18 when they played in the main library. They had 30 last weekend for their first unrated rapidplay. If they see it, they will come.

I've never even been in new library...

But...

I might visit sometime...

[Mark Howitt]

Just as a bit of info...

Huddersfield main library where it USED to be has 2 chessboards outside...

When I was like 14/15 I used to beat up players there... well there might have been 1 who was as good as me

Drew quite a crowd...

Obvs only v little comp analysis then... and the players weren't that good...

A much more pragmatic investment in terms of the money spent would have been to SPONSOR me But I'm still here...

PS I've never seen those chess boards used for actual chess for many many years.

[Mark Howitt]

Dudes when u actually think about it... concrete chess tables...

NOT good use of TAX PAYERS MONEY...

Give money to actual chess clubs to promote chess... aka hire rooms also supports local pubs etc.

[Ian Jamieson]

Dudes when u actually think about it... concrete chess tables...

NOT good use of TAX PAYERS MONEY...

Give money to actual chess clubs to promote chess... aka hire rooms also supports local pubs etc.

Given your previous posts I’m not sure when you say taxpayers whether you mean people who pay income tax, national insurance, vat, etc or ECF members.

If the former it may or may not be (especially in Scotland) but it’s a bit late to complain to your mp unless you think the government are going to give ECF grants for more tables.

If the later that part of the grant is for chess tables and has presumably been lobbied for so again it’s a bit late to go back and say actually we’ve changed our mind and we’d like to spend the money differently. It’s more productive to do whatever we can to get as much benefit as possible for chess from the tables.

[Mark Howitt]

EVERYONE nearly pays tax.

And yes I do mean all types of tax- when you fill up with petrol nearly half of that is tax.

[Ian Jamieson]

EVERYONE nearly pays tax.

And yes I do mean all types of tax- when you fill up with petrol nearly half of that is tax.

I don’t pay much tax - maybe some tax on share dividends or vat on the odd item which is not vat-free - but yes, most people pay some tax even if some people pay a lot more tax than others.

[Mark Howitt]

Yeps... so remember guys when it's billed as like a government grant really it's just a taxpayer rebate...

And obvs the more u earn in general the more tax u pay...

[Chris Goodall]

Don't worry Mark, no-one's tax is actually going to be returned to them. Someone's wife's company will build the public boards in time for your nearest Conservative MP to be photographed losing graciously to a 6-year-old during the election campaign. The rest of the money will be cancelled by Keir Starmer as not in line with the government's strategic focus on something or other.

[Mark Howitt]

It's a serious point that money should go to clubs.

Make MPs see that concrete chess sets are not good value for tax payers money.

[Mark Howitt]

I'll quickly make this point too...

I played my last competitive OTB game in December 2008. I had been in the top 10 (played board 5 but some of the better players didn't play looking back on it) in Yorkshire for my age at 16/17.

I did like not play for the season before that because doing good sales job.

Even NONE LEAGUE FOOTBALLERS get paid to play.

I remember chucking in my £2 after a draw with white against a decent local player. I thought... 25 years old and I'm still PAYING TO PLAY...

If I come back to OTB chess and I prob will I'll have to pay to play.

Some of this funding should reduce costs on tax paying chess players.

[Stephen Westmoreland]

My goodness. What has happened to this thread?! Mark, Library events will be posted on the local league FB page.

Funding is hugely welcome and anything to allow interest to grow and point people to clubs. Clubs have to be welcoming and organised though.

[Peter Ackley]

Sorry, Mark, but I'm a bit puzzled as to why a self-confessed share investing expert who manages their portfolio of FTSE 100 companies and has extensive knowledge of the companies they own, including shares in the banking, energy and telecoms sectors, and is a long term buy and hold investor, is quibbling about paying their board fee for chess games (all comments taken from your own share investing expert blog).

Mind you I suppose I should have guessed you wouldn't want to spend this money given that, as per your personal blog post of 21 August 2023, you would not pay for your own meal at your mother's 70th birthday party. Or, as per your forum post of 6 August 2023 you were going to telephone the ECF to try for a discount on your ECF membership fee; the same fee that EVERYBODY else who plays chess pays.

One of the major issues in chess is the number of chess players who don't want to spend any money whatsoever (note I am distinguishing from those who do not have the money to spend). The people who turn up to clubs and consume nothing but expect the pub to provide them with a free room. The people who non-reciprocally get lifts to matches yet never offer the driver petrol money or refreshment. The people who turn up to a tournament and get a Deliveroo McDonalds delivered and eat it in the dining room. The people who complain about conditions at tournaments yet also complain the entry fee is too high. Chess will always struggle unless there is continued present and future investment at local, national and international levels.

So... pay your board fees and stop moaning. You have more money than the average person (your own forum quote of 6 August 2023). There are people who have much less money than you who do far more for chess than you have ever done. I pity the club which you join as a member.

[Ian Jamieson]

Without putting words in Mark’s mouth, I think his complaint is about the ECF’s Bronze / Silver / Gold structure replacing the old game fee. If so I suspect he is not the only one although presumably a minority.

[Roger Lancaster]

Naming no-one in particular, would it be possible for posts which are totally irrelevant to this matter to be moved elsewhere? Or removed.

[Mark Howitt]

Lol well that was quite a feisty post... but I can see why you did it...

Some of what I write is tounge in cheek- and you got that bit from my LinkedIn...

Back before when I was playing chess I paid for everything no questions asked. I didn't have financial goals until 2011. I have taken players to matches sometimes... and if it wasn't for my dad a lot of players wouldn't have got to matches. I bought plenty of chess books etc...

Not a lot of players have bought my novel. Not a lot of players do my coaching which is fine, only really started advertising it and do it for FREE if people offer mutual value.

In the UK we do live in quite a consumeristic society. I kinda play along with it like a score in a computer game but I'm not into consumerism. I think people who produce things of value should be rewarded, which is why I have bought hundreds of books and songs etc over my life time.

If... and it's sitll an if but probable... I go back to OTB chess I will pay my fair share.