(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Simon Rogers]

Sounds like good value to me.
I didn't realise you were in there, Chris.
You will be the first person I will rescue.
I've noticed Charlie has not posted since 1st January.
I'm guessing he is busy adding a new wing on his troll prison or building a second prison.
Perhaps on the island of Gozo.

[Chris Rice]

Sounds like good value to me.
I didn't realise you were in there, Chris.
You will be the first person I will rescue.
I've noticed Charlie has not posted since 1st January.
I'm guessing he is busy adding a new wing on his troll prison or building a second prison.
Perhaps on the island of Gozo.

I'm not in Troll Prison Simon, at least not yet. An update on Charlie is that he has been having some problems with the Maltese Chess Federation along the lines that his website looks like its more official than it should be. I believe he needs them onside in order to organise his proposed international tournaments as they are the FIDE recognised body I guess and he can't run rated tournaments without them. So he may start unrated ones, perhaps under ACO or something. Anyway for now he seems to have turned his attention not to an annex for Troll Prison but to designing and building a chess themed cocktail bar on the island.

[Matt Bridgeman]

According to Facebook, Charlie signed a 10 year lease and has created the Queen’s Gambit Chess Cafe Bar in Saint Julian’s, Malta. Complete with a 5 by 6 metre chess function room! Scheduled to open on the 1st February. He’s inventing a Beth Harmon cocktail, and you get a free drink if you can beat him at speed chess.

[Paul Robert Jackson]

According to Facebook, Charlie signed a 10 year lease and has created the Queen’s Gambit Chess Cafe Bar in Saint Julian’s, Malta. Complete with a 5 by 6 metre chess function room! Scheduled to open on the 1st February.

Website:
https://queensgambitcafebar.com

[Chris Rice]

The Chess Cafe Cocktail Bar is additional to this. Charlie only started the designs for it a week ago.

[Matt Bridgeman]

The Chess Cafe Cocktail Bar is additional to this. Charlie only started the designs for it a week ago.

Hats off to him. Although slight sinking feeling seeing him winding up the Malta Chess Federation already. Hopefully that one gets smoothed over.

[Andrew Wainwright]

Great to hear about the Chess Cafe in Malta.

Further updates to come in the coming weeks in relation to a similar venture much closer to home.....

[JustinHorton]

Glastonbury is cancelled

[Chris Rice]

FIDE providing an aid package for Open tournaments of 100,000 euros.

"Open tournaments represent a very important integral part of the entire chess community eco-system. It helps young players to grow, it provides bread and sometimes butter for hundreds of 2500-2700 players, and it represents a very important part of professional life for women players 2300-2500", explained Emil Sutovsky, on behalf of the Global Strategy Commission.

It also helps local chess clubs and communities, and it is oftentimes an important link between chess and city hall or region. We must do our utmost to preserve it - as there is a real danger for many of the events. And we shall act quickly - as organizers are about to decide if they are going to stage their event this spring/summer."

[Tim Spanton]

It's important we keep a sense of proportion if life is to return to normal (from BBC News):

An orthodox Rabbi in Cheshire has issued a strident attack on those who broke lockdown restrictions by holding a wedding ceremony in north London.
Police broke up a wedding party of approximately 150 people in Stamford Hill, in the borough of Hackney, on Thursday night
Writing on Facebook, Rabbi Dovid Lewis deemed the wedding "a criminal act" and claimed the wedding was not lawful.
"By making a wedding in these times, when it is against the law and puts so many people's lives at real risk, that invalidates the declaration," he wrote.
"A Jewish wedding is a three-way partnership between Chosson, Kallah and Hashem [Bridegroom, Bride and God]. Last night's debacle was nothing short of idolatrous.
"They have in essence transgressed the 3 cardinal sins of Idolatry, Adultery and Murder.
"That my dear friends, is my view on this most sad news."

[John McKenna]

Looks like Charlie Storey might be ahead of the game -

"Europe’s first completely vaccinated country may well be Malta. Not only is it small, with a population of around 500,000, but it is already inoculating its citizens faster than nearly every other nation on the continent. How it approaches the return of sunseeking foreigners remains to be seen, but perhaps it will adopt the same policy as the Seychelles. The Indian Ocean archipelago has said it will reopen its borders to all travellers once its own rapid vaccine rollout is completed (possibly by the spring)."

https://uk.style.yahoo.com/four-countri ... 03264.html

[Tim Spanton]

Looks like Charlie Storey might be ahead of the game -

"Europe’s first completely vaccinated country may well be Malta. Not only is it small, with a population of around 500,000, but it is already inoculating its citizens faster than nearly every other nation on the continent. How it approaches the return of sunseeking foreigners remains to be seen, but perhaps it will adopt the same policy as the Seychelles. The Indian Ocean archipelago has said it will reopen its borders to all travellers once its own rapid vaccine rollout is completed (possibly by the spring)."

https://uk.style.yahoo.com/four-countri ... 03264.html

For those who don't go to the link, the article suggests other countries that might be amenable to an 'early' return of Brit tourists are Montenegro, Greece and Portugal

[Mick Norris]

It’s definitely not been the best ever day for Covid related news. You had Sir Patrick Vallance on morning television doing his best Bruce Forsyth impression on 1st dose immunity ...lower than 89%, higher than 33%. He guessed at around 50%.
And the breaking news story on Sky this afternoon isn’t so surprising - it’s the South African strain probably does beat current vaccines, and will re-infect people who have previous covid antibodies according to a current study. But it’s yet to be properly peer reviewed.

Moderna vaccine appears to work against variants

I'd assume the others do too

[Mark D Podlesak]

"say scientists from the US pharmaceutical company".

I wait to see some independent scientists, not the company themselves.

[Chris Rice]

Looks like Charlie Storey might be ahead of the game -

"Europe’s first completely vaccinated country may well be Malta. Not only is it small, with a population of around 500,000, but it is already inoculating its citizens faster than nearly every other nation on the continent. How it approaches the return of sunseeking foreigners remains to be seen, but perhaps it will adopt the same policy as the Seychelles. The Indian Ocean archipelago has said it will reopen its borders to all travellers once its own rapid vaccine rollout is completed (possibly by the spring)."

https://uk.style.yahoo.com/four-countri ... 03264.html

Charlie a few hours ago:

"Just got my real taste of Malta Covid restrictions! Signed up for a month membership after carefully packing all gym equipment! Got into locker room realised I left my towel on the table. Asked to borrow a towel " Can't give you one unless you are a resident" Apparently you have to take it back to your room and the cleaning protocols kick in."