So who's going to the British Chess Championships?

[Tim Spanton]

Brighton has been considered. Indeed I visited there last year partly for the purpose of the possibility of the British. It isn't on. We held it in Hove 1997, next door to Brighton. Sadly the floor was too squeaky and they agree that this has not been improved. Brighton itself we would have to pay a commercial rate.

I am surprised Tim Spanton is not considering Torquay. That is one of our very best venues, albeit somewhat far for many players. Our biggest entries since 1981 have been in Plymouth and I will be investigating that. The ECF didn't bother for some years as the organisers found Torquay highly satisfactory.

Those of you who have written about the precise geographic centre of the UK have it wrong. Players from Southern Ireland are entitled to play and I would have thought that would make the geographic centre more to the West.

Anyway, it is nonsense. It is the centre of the location of chessplayers, taking into account the likely mode of travel that should be considered for this particular parameter. Other parameters include quality of free venue; suitability for a two week holiday; cost of accommodation; likelihood of finding financial support outside chess; a liking by some of variety; a liking by some of familiarity; whether holding the event in a particular location will help develop chess there; if there is a sponsor - his personal preferences.
There are seven areas entitled to hold the British Championships over a cycle, 5 Unions, Scotland and Wales. The MCCU is the one for which it has been most difficult to find a suitable venue.

Stewart Reuben

Torquay was tempting (I've played there before in the British and in weekend tournaments) but:
Paignton is only a few weeks later and gives seven games in one week instead of 11 in two;
I couldn't find out if the major open would be in the same room as the championship (thus reducing the likely noise levels).

[John Upham]

Those of you who have written about the precise geographic centre of the UK have it wrong. Players from Southern Ireland are entitled to play and I would have thought that would make the geographic centre more to the West.

It is possible that I have been affected by sun stroke but I was not aware that Eire (The Republic of Ireland or even Southern Ireland) has been assimilated in Borg-like fashion into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I will check up on this development and report back. If this logic is not flawed then players who are entitled to play but reside in Antipodean climes will dramatically alter the geographic centre of the UK to somewhere close to Ceylon (currently named Sri Lanka). That sounds like a much more preferable location for the ECF Congress.

[Alex Holowczak]

It is possible that I have been affected by sun stroke but I was not aware that Eire (The Republic of Ireland or even Southern Ireland) has been assimilated in Borg-like fashion into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

I think "British" means British Isles (in the case of this Championship), so Ireland counts.

[Stewart Reuben]

Players from all the British Isles, including Eire, have been permitted to play since 1988. Prior to that the Southern Irish were not allowed to play, they, of course, were not then and are not now in the Commonwealth, whose playersd have not been allowed to play since 2004.

Tim, I was not in charge of Torquay the two previous occasions the British took place there. All of the events are played in one hall, albeit on two separate floors. It is not my intention that there be untoward noise in the congress.

Breaking news: the venue in Sheffield looks good for 2011. David Welch and I went to see it today. The final decision regarding that will not be made until after Torquay has taken place. Canterbury has been agreed for 2010, apart from some technical details.

Stewart Reuben

[Alex Holowczak]

Breaking news: the venue in Sheffield looks good for 2011. David Welch and I went to see it today. The final decision regarding that will not be made until after Torquay has taken place. Canterbury has been agreed for 2010, apart from some technical details.

That's good news. For 2012 or at some point in the future though, I would hope that you/the organiser can consider bringing it to Birmingham/the Midlands. I'm sure there is a suitable venue around here capable of hosting the event, and I'm sure it'd be a success. I think the region is more overdue hosting it than anywhere else in the UK.

[IM Jack Rudd]

For 2012 or at some point in the future though, I would hope that you/the organiser can consider bringing it to Birmingham/the Midlands. I'm sure there is a suitable venue around here capable of hosting the event, and I'm sure it'd be a success. I think the region is more overdue hosting it than anywhere else in the UK.

Just about, yes. (MCCU last hosted in 1996; SCCU in 1997.) Unless you count Northern Ireland, which I believe has never hosted the event.

[Stewart Reuben]

I did toy with the idea of the event in Ireland, but the recent terrorist action means I have put it out of my mind. It has certainly never been there. The nearest was the Isle of Man.

2012 is very special. Many think we need to be as far from London as possible, which means Scotland. For example, The University of Sheffield have told me they expect to be involved with training for the Olympic Games.

2013 is extra, extra special. It will be the Centenary event. I would want that to be in an extremely popular venue in England.

Stewart Reuben

[Ben Purton]

Seriously , the reasons for not putting it in Northern Ireland are terroist issues?

[Ben Purton]

"I think "British" means British Isles (in the case of this Championship), so Ireland counts"

- You seriously need to get a grip, Ireland is a not part of Britain, the North "is" in residents rulings, but I doubt you'd find many Irish who would welcome the British Championship in South.

[IM Jack Rudd]

"Britain" is a term that can mean any of a number of different things; among the more specific things it can mean are "Great Britain", "the United Kingdom" and "the British Isles". England, Scotland and Wales are in all three of these, Northern Ireland only in the latter two, and the Irish Republic only in the last.

One of the advantages of calling the event the British Championships is that one can, if deemed necessary, move from one of those meanings to another without changing the name of the event. As indeed happened in 1988.

[Matthew Turner]

The Irish Chess Union encompasses both Nothern and Southern Ireland and during troubled times it has been an example of what can be achieved from cross border cooperation. I think it is important to hold this up to show what chess (and more generally sport) can do.
Whilst I unerstand Stewart's concerns (and it may be impossible) I think it would be lovely to host the British in Ireland (I would certainly prefer that to Leicester!)

[Sean Hewitt]

The Irish Chess Union encompasses both Nothern and Southern Ireland and during troubled times it has been an example of what can be achieved from cross border cooperation.

I think the North (the Ulster Chess Union) split from the South (Irish Chess Union) about 3 years ago and have tried, without success, to join FIDE independent of the rest if Ireland since!

Whilst I unerstand Stewart's concerns (and it may be impossible) I think it would be lovely to host the British in Ireland (I would certainly prefer that to Leicester!)

As a Lestrian, I'm not sure if I should take offence to that! But with Irish parents, I agree and would rather be in Ireland too!

[Matthew Turner]

Sean,
I was unaware of that change and I am not sure what impact it has in practice. However the Ulster Chess Union was part of the Irish Chess Union from 1932 to 2005, this is pretty amazing when you think about it.

[Alex Holowczak]

The Ulster Chess Union can't really be the Northern Irish representative at FIDE, because Monaghan, Donegal and somewhere else that I forget is part of the Republic, rather than Northern Ireland. So you'd have counties from Eire being Northern Irish, which has far more potential to cause problems and confusion than a unified Ireland.

[Stewart Reuben]

When I asked why it was the Ulster Chess Union that wanted to join FIDE, rather than Northern Ireland, I was told it was because the name Ulster was likely to be less emotive.
The British Championship is actually that of the British Isles. Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man are also not in the UK. I prefer to use the term British Championship because it is shorter and historically valuable.
In the Olympic Games we play as Team GB. This is nonsense. Some of our competitors came from Northern Ireland and Great Britain definitely consists of England, Scotland and Wales. Oh well, it should have been Team UK. No, that would not have worked either, two of our cyclists were from the Isle of Man.
In Beijing for the World Mind Sports Games we were listed on the forms as GB. But I was told we could only have players from England as the chess was a FIDE organised event. David Jarrett ran the event and yet we played under the Union Flag, a complete solecism. Indeed England played under the Union Flag in chess for many years. The only reason for that, as far as I could see, was that it annoyed the Scots. Eventually, when I was first in charge of such matters, I changed it to the St George Flag.
You will have read of the problems being encountered over what team we should have in the 2012 football event in the Olympic. The fear is that if we play as Team GB, that will weaken the case with FIFA for separate representation.

I do hope I am not alone in finding the nomenclature problems entertaining.

Stewart Reuben