Coronavirus leading to cancellation?

[Matt Bridgeman]

It's very sobering stuff. The death toll in Italy isn't too far away now from topping 1000 a day. Often dismissed stories of 1800 people a day being buried in pits in China suddenly don't seem so far fetched. Our hospital in Lancaster already has areas pegged out ready for the army engineers to build temporary tented rooms, and lots of them!

[JustinHorton]

Often dismissed stories of 1800 people a day being buried in pits in China suddenly don't seem so far fetched

Well once, again, repeating such stories strikes me as spreading rumours during an emergency, it's surely best avoided.

[Matt Mackenzie]

What isn't a rumour is that American GM Irina Krush has contracted it, though she is now thankfully getting better.

[Angus French]

Sadly, Iranian arbiter Shahram Goharchin, age 42, has apparently died after catching the virus. https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments ... ssed_away/

[LawrenceCooper]

What isn't a rumour is that American GM Irina Krush has contracted it, though she is now thankfully getting better.

I hadn't heard that but then found this: https://www.facebook.com/chessbaseindia ... 7782304262

[MJMcCready]

If the virus is transmuted onto a chess set, which piece are you most likely to catch it from? Are pawns more susceptible to germs than minor or major pieces?

[MSoszynski]

If the virus is transmuted onto a chess set, which piece are you most likely to catch it from? Are pawns more susceptible to germs than minor or major pieces?

Probably safest are a newly promoted piece, a knight on the rim, disconnected rooks, and an isolated pawn.

[Michael Farthing]

Well, the least vulnerable is clearly the knight. Walking the dog yesterday I passed a lady on horseback and we exchanged a friendly greeting. But as I passed the towering edifice of horse and rider I realised that she had achieved a very effective means of social distancing.

[NickFaulks]

The Olympics are off, which may be what an Olympiad announcement has been waiting on.

[Ian Thompson]

TWIC is probably a good indicator of how much international chess is still being played.

The only OTB event this week's issue has which started in the last week is the Candidates.

The only other OTB games it has which were played in the last week are the last two rounds of the Belarus junior championships and the last round of the March First Saturday tournament.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Even taking account of the likely under-reporting in many countries, Africa appears to be least affected by this virus.

So if there is any significant OTB chess in the coming weeks, it may be played there?

[David Sedgwick]

Even taking account the likely under-reporting in many countries, Africa appears to be least affected by this virus.

So if there is any significant OTB chess in the coming weeks, it may be played there?

In the next three months, official African Chess Confederation events are scheduled to take place in five countries. See http://africanchessconfederation.com/event-2/

It is perhaps less unlikely than it would be in any of the other three (FIDE) Continents that some of them might take place.

But I still consider it to be odds against.

[Mick Norris]

There appear to be a number of Zone events coming up, which presumably all involve players crossing borders, so that may be unlikely

Zone 4.2 just finished in Sierra Leone, where it looks like the Senegal players pulled out halfway through the Open

[David Sedgwick]

I noticed no differences at the 4NCL. I didn't see any face mask, or people not shaking hands. I also noted that when we signed in our cars there was no hand wash or screen cleaner, by the screen. I'd be surprised if things were the same in a month's time.

Please would you report from this weekend's 4NCL as to whether or not you were right.

[David Sedgwick]

In the next three months, official African Chess Confederation events are scheduled to take place in five countries. See http://africanchessconfederation.com/event-2/

It is perhaps less unlikely than it would be in any of the other three (FIDE) Continents that some of them might take place.

But I still consider it to be odds against.

I seem to have been correct so far.

From the ACC website:

"On behalf of the Chess Federation of Lesotho and the African Chess Confederation, I regret to announce the postponement of the 2020 Zone 4.5 Individual Chess Championships, which were scheduled to be hosted in Lesotho from March 27, 2020 (arrival) to April 5, 2020 (departure).

This postponement is in response to the request made by the Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission to the Chess Federation of Lesotho in compliance with the suspension of all travel from and into Lesotho by the Government of Lesotho following the worldwide escalation of cases of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak."

and

"In the latest communique from the President of the African Chess Confederation (ACC), Mr. Lewis Ncube, the 2020 African Individual Chess Championships that were scheduled to take place from 20th to 31st May [in Lekki City, Lagos State, Nigeria] have since been postponed in line with the precautionary measures against the spread of the (COVID-19). The revised dates for hosting the championships will be announced at a later date."