Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

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NickFaulks
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by NickFaulks » Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:26 pm

Alison Bexfield wrote:
Tue Oct 01, 2019 7:38 pm
I accept prize money is important and a motivator at the top level but at amateur level I am playing for the entertainment value not the prize.
Yes, but what you really want, and are paying for, is the opportunity to play against opponents who have some vague idea of how to play the game.

I'm about 170 so, transposing down 50 points, how much would first prize have to be to persuade me to spend a weekend playing against 2 120 opponents, 2 140s, one of my own level and I have to beat them all to win it? More than it is likely to be, I'm telling you, probably by a factor of at least twenty.
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Nick Grey
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Nick Grey » Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:59 pm

No I would not play in terms of the original post. A rapid play with strange entry.

Mike Gunn
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Mike Gunn » Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:16 am

There is a junior event taking place at Basildon at the same time as this rapidplay so cross-subsidy would be possible. The first tournament I ever played in was a rapidplay for juniors in Basildon in the late 60's. I scored 50% and particularly remember the first game where my opponent blitzed me off the board and I vowed never to be caught like that again.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Oct 02, 2019 6:24 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:26 pm

Yes, but what you really want, and are paying for, is the opportunity to play against opponents who have some vague idea of how to play the game.

I'm about 170 so, transposing down 50 points, how much would first prize have to be to persuade me to spend a weekend playing against 2 120 opponents, 2 140s, one of my own level and I have to beat them all to win it? More than it is likely to be, I'm telling you, probably by a factor of at least twenty.
I'm wondering whether this works, though, or whether 120ish opponents are generally more interested in playing their peers and having a bit of prize money to aim at than 170ish players like Nick or me, who might be more interested in the occasional crack at an IM and hang the money.
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Alex Holowczak
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Alex Holowczak » Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:47 pm

Alison Bexfield wrote:
Tue Oct 01, 2019 7:38 pm
I like tournaments that offer boxes of chocolates or bottles of wine as prizes.
I don't like bottles of wine as prizes, because it's not much of a prize for someone who doesn't drink alcohol. Presumably people with allergies to dairy products would be similarly unappreciative of chocolate-based prizes.

NickFaulks
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by NickFaulks » Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:59 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:
Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:47 pm
I don't like bottles of wine as prizes, because it's not much of a prize for someone who doesn't drink alcohol. Presumably people with allergies to dairy products would be similarly unappreciative of chocolate-based prizes.
You could always regift them.
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Stewart Reuben
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Stewart Reuben » Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:49 pm

Alison
You might have liked the Evening Standard London Chess Congress. There cash high prizes were offered plus a huge number of donated prizes by companies. The first year, 1972, there was no way we could distribute them all in time at the prizegiving. Players were sent packets of 4 chess books through the post. The newspaper staff did that work. We also had
Nina Ricci perfume
CUTTY sARK Whisky for Veterans. To get even three competitors we had to go down to age 40. There were 1200 competitors,
Bottles of wine
Cases of wine
Pocket chess sets for children.
No doubt I have forgotten some.
Some time in the early 1980s we got up to £1200 first prize. It was a weekend Swiss.

One yar somebody said, 'This is a really good tournament, you only need score 50% to win a prize.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Oct 03, 2019 8:49 am

"plus a huge number of donated prizes by companies"

I just remembered that at the Krakow tournament (mentioned elsewhere) the entry form said there were cash prizes and "things". This was sufficiently intriguing for me to turn up at the prize-giving, and somebody's name was announced for winning some sort of special prize. He wasn't there, so the arbiter grabbed the microphone and said that I had won a special prize for being the only English player. So I was the grateful recipient of two small wicker baskets, which did just fit in my suitcase. Some people got even more unusual prizes.

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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Stewart Reuben » Thu Oct 03, 2019 12:54 pm

At Eastbourn one year, Barry Wood awarded a bunny prize to somebody of mature years.
Best swindle prizes have also been popular. But some work had to be done to decide the recipient.

One of the value of prizes is that it validates your achievement. Talking to non-chesspayling friends. 'I won first prize in a chess tournament on Sunday.' No reaction. 'I won £100.' Now they are impressed. .

Keith Arkell
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Keith Arkell » Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:38 am

I remember with affection Dennis Hemsley's wonderful prize-giving ceremonies at the Isle of Man. There was something for (nearly) everyone, and his imagination knew no bounds: one year my special prize was...chalk for a snooker cue! Why? Because I had 3 'century breaks'. And no I didn't play any snooker there, but 3 of my games went beyond 100 moves. By chance I happened to be wearing a waistcoat at the ceremony - possibly the only time I have ever done so.

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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Ian Thompson » Fri Oct 04, 2019 12:21 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Thu Oct 03, 2019 12:54 pm
One of the value of prizes is that it validates your achievement. Talking to non-chesspayling friends. 'I won first prize in a chess tournament on Sunday.' No reaction. 'I won £100.' Now they are impressed. .
But probably wouldn't be so impressed by my answer to that question - "I came equal third in a chess tournament on Sunday and won £15".

I overheard the following conversation while waiting for the prize giving:

Child to (presumably) mother: "We've got to stay for the prize giving because I've won £7.50."
Mother to child: "If I give you £10 can we go now?"

Reg Clucas
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Reg Clucas » Fri Oct 04, 2019 12:31 pm

I can't really answer the question, because I would be reluctant to enter such an event, whether I felt I had a chance of a prize or not.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Stewart Reuben » Fri Oct 04, 2019 12:36 pm

Children often get cash prizes at chess congresses. So I ask them what they are going to do with the money. 'Oh, it will go into my savings account'.
'Who pays the entry fees?' They then start giggling.

Silly little cash prizes do nothing. They don't encourage extra entries and nobody feels satisfied with them. Fewer, larger prizes, is the answer.

Mark Hannon
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by Mark Hannon » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:26 pm

I am not convinced that grading encourages activity. My feeling is the numerical ranking of players discourages some players from playing and may be a tad unhealthy. When I played a lot of bridge everyone knew roughly who the good and the weaker players were but they didn’t get a number attached to them encouraging feelings of superiority and inferiority. Instead each tournament was a separate event giving a fresh chance to compete without previous results taking a significant role.
Regarding Two tier entry fees, I was usually happy if the prize money was enough to encourage a very well known player to play Or if I happened to have a chance to win but in the original example I would rather save £13 then effectively give it to someone of the strength of Jack Rudd (without meaning to be rude about Jack)

David Sedgwick
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Re: Would You Pay Extra to Win Prize Money?

Post by David Sedgwick » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:40 pm

Mark Hannon wrote:
Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:26 pm
When I played a lot of bridge everyone knew roughly who the good and the weaker players were but they didn’t get a number attached to them encouraging feelings of superiority and inferiority.
They get a grade nowadays. The English Bridge Union took a different view to yours.
Mark Hannon wrote:
Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:26 pm
Instead each tournament was a separate event giving a fresh chance to compete without previous results taking a significant role.
In fairness, that is still largely true.

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