English Chess Forum

The new NIC has an interview with GM Shytaj, a virologist at a German hospital. His views mainstream, and several disclaimers about things we do not know yet. But he does say "It is likely all crowded chess tournaments will have to be postponed until early or mid 2021"

Hi Paul,

It's simple.

Upon entering the tournament we get scanned for electrical devices.

Then onto the nurses and doctors to see if we have any infectious diseases.

Then we get fingerprinted and photographed by the CIA.

Then and only then are we allowed near the freshly sterilised board and pieces.

If anyone sneezes they are dragged outside and shot, their remains will be burnt and their name removed from all grading lists.

Hi Paul. I hope it is not as late as mid 2021. At the beginning the I booked a week off work for the Scarborough Chess Congress in October. On the way overI visit the Oldest Sweet Shop in the World in Pateley Bridge and on the way back I visit the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes. I miss the social side of the Scarborough Congress. Alex McFarlane, Lara Barnes, along with Andrew and Maggie Butterworth run a great tournament. It's a case of supporting each other and working together to improve as players on this forum.

Oops. I mean the beginning of the year. I remember one year when me and Martin Mitchell visited the sweet shop on the way to Scarborough. Keith, the owner said he would do a write up about us in the Nidderdale Weekly News. We were known as the "chess masters". I remember Martin beat GM Mark Hebden at that years' Scarborough Chess Congress.

As the chairman of my local over the board chess club, I am planning both things at the same time, the chess club once we restart over the board and in the meantime some sort of way of continuing the chess club online for the time being.

In the Blackpool and Fylde Chess League, I think Preston Chess Club and Lytham Chess Club have both started an online tournament.
They also had an online match against each other, although I heard one game was defaulted because a player had a problem with his laptop.
While we all have a bit of extra spare time during lockdown, it is worth checking and updating members lists for your chess club and keeping in touch with each other.

As I'm stuck with lack of transport social distancing I expect 2021. This old laptop not able to access online tournaments. Not missing my Chess fix. My nurse says my readings are good.

In the meantime there are plenty of chess jobs to do at home.

Despite the potential easing of restrictions to be announced by the government on Monday I doubt very much that we will be back to normal anytime soon.

I think we will be asked to continue with social distancing into early next year. It could be even longer if waiting for a suitable vaccine is the only way forward. This will probably rule out congregating in clubs and pubs and chess is likely to be one of the last things on the list.

In any case, I cannot see how chess leagues starting up again before Christmas. It might be worth considering that we continue last seasons fixtures from as early as is practicable in 2021. The season could be an elongated 19/21 season.

I’m just throwing the thought out there for your comments.

if the local league resumption had been in autumn, I'd have finished the season in the remainder of the year and played a single round in 2021. I think if we resume in 20/21 then with player eligibility and the like becoming more marked an issue - we'd be better off scrapping 2020. I would imagine that in many instances the home/away split for remaining fixtures is different, and for some clubs individual teams may have up to twice as many games left as others. My club first team has two away fixtures left - our juniors rarely travel, so their season would be delayed further still. Its very much down to what the situation is locally - I don't think anyone can be prescriptive.

I wonder whether larger halls such as might be used for county fixtures might be capable of compliance with ongoing social distancing - clubs might then consider booking such venues and using them for more than one fixture or even a round of fixtures.

[quote="J T Melsom" post_id=244285 time=1588858226 user_id=5872

I wonder whether larger halls such as might be used for county fixtures might be capable of compliance with ongoing social distancing - clubs might then consider booking such venues and using them for more than one fixture or even a round of fixtures.
[/quote]

I had wondered that too. There are numerous other issues that need to be addressed. Many players share transport to travel to and from matches - It might be hard for them to all adhere to social distancing methods.

J T Melsom wrote: ↑

Thu May 07, 2020 2:30 pm

I wonder whether larger halls such as might be used for county fixtures might be capable of compliance with ongoing social distancing - clubs might then consider booking such venues and using them for more than one fixture or even a round of fixtures.

With a large enough venue and a limited number of boards, playing tables could be placed two metres apart. The problem would be separating opponents. A chess board is about 50cms square so a two metre distance leaves another 150cms to be accounted for. That would leave a chess board and a half's distance between a player and the bank rank and a distance of a metre to the clock.

Well yes obviously but at least the element of 'crowding' would be addressed. This whole debate is about managing risk rather than eliminating it entirely. If my opponent then put a mask on, I might well be prepared to play. But I wouldn't expect everybody to feel comfortable with that. The pandemic needs to continue to be taken seriously, but at some stage we need to resume the process of living.

Ihor Lewyk wrote: ↑

Thu May 07, 2020 2:05 pm

In any case, I cannot see how chess leagues starting up again before Christmas. It might be worth considering that we continue last seasons fixtures from as early as is practicable in 2021. The season could be an elongated 19/21 season.

I’m just throwing the thought out there for your comments.

I had had the same thought. Many Leagues, although not necessarily all, may be able to do no more in 2020 - 2021 than complete the 2019 - 2020 season.

In the Blackpool and Fylde Chess League, Preston chess club have already won the top division although we are not sure whether it will be their first or second team. Our Poulton teams have had a tough year and are bottom of each division. So scrapping the 2019 to 2020 season would be good for Poulton.