Covid-19 - Suspend Chess Immediately

[NickFaulks]

I'm truly astonished that no one, in ECF or wherever, is offering leadership here. And I'm not finger-wagging. I know it's a tough call. But, ffs, look to a duty of care and guidance where you have the authority. Issue, at the minmum, an Advisory recommending the suspension of leagues and tournaments

All but one of the Leagues in which I am involved are offering clear advice. It is not the advice you want them to offer, but that's not the same as offering none.

[Matt Mackenzie]

ALSO, May's local elections to be postponed

This is actually not yet official (though IMO it is now virtually certain)

[Andrew Zigmond]

I've read that the Government are recommending public gatherings of more than 500 people are cancelled. Blackpool has a capacity of 450 so even allowing for non participants (arbiters, spectators, hotel staff) it's below that threshold. In fact with the exception of the British I can't think of any chess event that would go above.

And if my post earlier suggested I was being a bit flippant about certain things, the truth is that I am worried. At the end of the day our way of life hangs by a relatively thin thread and you never know what might cause it to come crashing down. While I'm not entirely comparing like with like; while these days we're used to reading about conflicts and people dispossessed happening in other places the Blitz is still within living memory.

At the same time coronavirus is not on any sort of par with the apocalyptic contagions authors as diverse as Camus and Stephen King have written about (and Jose Saramago's magnificent novel Blindness has been on my mind this week). Most people develop mild symptoms and recover. I honestly don't know how great the damage will ultimately be and whether I'll recognise this country in a year's time. So all I want to do is just take it a day at a time and enjoy what little may be left to me.

[Keith Arkell]

The last 2 rounds of the World Senior Team in Czechia were cancelled because the Govt here has reduced the permitted maximum number of people gathered together from 100 to 10.

[Michael Farthing]

I look forward to meeting you at Blackpool Andrew. If I catch a virus (any virus or even a bug) from you and die as a result i heareby absolve you from all guilt. I'm a human being living the life of a human being and one day I shall die. I aim to die having lived a full life to the end, not cowering away in fear and trembling.

[Tim Spanton]

[Tim Spanton]

From the BBC today:

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said cancelling sporting events is not a "major way to tackle this epidemic".

"Of course there is a risk," he said. "But on average one person infects two or three others.

"You therefore have a very low probability of infecting a large number of people in a stadium, or a rather higher probability of infecting people very close to you, and that means most of the transmission tends to takes place with friends and colleagues in close environments, not in the big environments.

"It is true that any cancellations of things can have some effect (but) if you then get a displacement activity, when everyone congregates somewhere else, you may have perversely an increased risk, particularly in an indoors environment.

"So it doesn't mean you should at some point make the decision for the resilience point that has been discussed, but this is not a major way to tackle this epidemic.

"The major ways are to try and reduce and delay the transmission across households and people who have become infected and that why that is the concentration of the first actions."

[Mick Norris]

The last 2 rounds of the World Senior Team in Czechia were cancelled because the Govt here has reduced the permitted maximum number of people gathered together from 100 to 10.

OK Keith, be safe; are you all coming home early?

[JustinHorton]

A reminder that Tim Spanton's experience in the field of reliable health advice consists of being nominated for the title of Bigot Of The Year by MIND on account of his journalism in The Sun.

[MartinCarpenter]

David is definitely broadly right here. Ask a public health person for specific advice, tell them about the demographic risk & what we do and.....

Bridge is even worse of course.

[NickFaulks]

Just listened to a long interview with Patrick Vallance, who comes across as a chap with a good understanding of how epidemics work.

Jeremy Hunt, David Robertson and Justin Horton think they know better than him, Tim and I think they don't. Not much more to say.

[Daniel Gormally]

Can't imagine the 4ncl will go ahead, or many other tournaments in the UK over the next few weeks for that matter either. As someone already suggested Blackpool might the last fairly well attended congress for some time.

It doesn't really matter what advice is being handed out, people are panicking about this and in some cases with good reason. most sports events have been cancelled in America. Is it really worth risking your health for a weekend of chess, that's what most people will think.

[JustinHorton]

Jeremy Hunt, David Robertson and Justin Horton think they know better than him, Tim and I think they don't. Not much more to say.

No, I mostly think I know more than Tim Spanton, which is not a very high bar to get over.

[Michael Farthing]

Oh I don't know Nick - it takes quite a lot of words to complete a proof by reiterative assertion* and I'm sure everyone will have a go at that.

*Actually, it doesn't!

Does!

Dosen't!

Does! Doesn't! Does! Doesn't! Does! .....

[Daniel Gormally]

Btw the candidates must also be in doubt now. What happens if they go ahead and one of the players, or one of the other people involved with organising the event, gets ill half-way through? they'll have got to that point and would presumably have to cancel.

the whole thing is a nightmare with no easy solution for the organisers.