(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:50 pm

Chess may be a wargame, however wargaming is not chess.
Nevertheless I find it interesting that the Society of Ancients feels confident enough to announce in the latest issue of its magazine Slingshot that its annual Battleday convention has been booked for August 15.
I have never been to a Battleday but I imagine it involves a lot of people milling about in close proximity.
Further info promised at soa.org.uk/joomla/battle-day

Mick Norris
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Mick Norris » Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm

David Sedgwick wrote:
Sat Mar 20, 2021 12:52 am
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Fri Mar 19, 2021 8:50 pm
FIDE were proposing to repeat their World Championship Swiss qualifier in the Isle of Man in autumn. The Isle of Man has self-isolated and I don't think has given any statements as to when it will reopen the borders. Most recently it went back into lockdown having imported an outbreak via a Manx based employee of the ferry company.
For once you are not up to date with the news.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe ... n-56333593.

The FIDE Grand Swiss is scheduled to take place from 25th October to 8th November. I haven't spoken to anyone on the island for a while, but as things stand I would put the chances of the event going ahead on those dates at about 50-50.
IoM reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Roger de Coverly
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Roger de Coverly » Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:10 pm

Mick Norris wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm

IoM reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
The question for the Grand Swiss is when they reopen their borders to visitors.

Mick Norris
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Mick Norris » Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:34 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:10 pm
Mick Norris wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm

IoM reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
The question for the Grand Swiss is when they reopen their borders to visitors.
Indeed, but they seem to be progressing with vaccination faster than us, so maybe their target date of September to reopen their borders will be met
Any postings on here represent my personal views

Paul Habershon
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Paul Habershon » Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:23 pm

Covid 19 and surfaces. Dominic Lawson in yesterday's Sunday Times strongly dismisses the idea that the virus can easily be transmitted by communal touching of surfaces. Quoting scientific evidence, he says that expensive deep sanitising is unnecessary. Separately I have heard that charity shops no longer have to quarantine clothing and other donations.

This has implications for the resumption of OTB chess and F2F bridge. It would seem that masks may be a more useful precaution than the careful sanitisation of equipment, though of course we would all hope that they too can soon be discarded. Careful cleaning is much emphasised by the English Bridge Union in its advice to clubs. Normally the playing cards and the cards in bidding boxes are handled by several players during a session, so you can understand the caution, but is constant cleaning really necessary? Perhaps a hand sanitizer at every table would be a cheaper and easier way of inspiring confidence.

Angus French
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Angus French » Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:11 am

Paul Habershon wrote:
Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:23 pm
Covid 19 and surfaces. Dominic Lawson in yesterday's Sunday Times strongly dismisses the idea that the virus can easily be transmitted by communal touching of surfaces. Quoting scientific evidence, he says that expensive deep sanitising is unnecessary. Separately I have heard that charity shops no longer have to quarantine clothing and other donations.

This has implications for the resumption of OTB chess and F2F bridge. It would seem that masks may be a more useful precaution than the careful sanitisation of equipment, though of course we would all hope that they too can soon be discarded. Careful cleaning is much emphasised by the English Bridge Union in its advice to clubs. Normally the playing cards and the cards in bidding boxes are handled by several players during a session, so you can understand the caution, but is constant cleaning really necessary? Perhaps a hand sanitizer at every table would be a cheaper and easier way of inspiring confidence.
Can you say which scientific papers were quoted by Dominic?

I've read a couple of papers in the last few days - one in the Lancet and one in the British Medical Journal - both of which seemed, in my reading, to downplay the risk of transmission from surfaces though they don't discount it. Neither paper made me confident about being inside and mixing with other people for several hours. If you're doing that, you'd want - due to the apparent risk of transmission from aerosols - social distancing to be practiced, masks to be worn, and very good ventilation, no?

Two more links:
- Further explanations from one of the authors of the Lancet piece
- Some short animations about aerosol transmission

Paul Habershon
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Paul Habershon » Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:36 am

Angus French wrote:
Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:11 am

Can you say which scientific papers were quoted by Dominic?

Dominic Lawson refers to this:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lani ... 2/fulltext

This was published nine months ago and Lawson adds: 'Anyway, the British Medical Journal has finally sided with Professor Goldman's Lancet paper.....last week it published an editorial saying that the chance of transmission... after touching surfaces is now considered to be relatively minimal.'

The thesis was also supported in America on April 5th by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Lawson also reports that the WHO admits 'There are no specific reports which have directly demonstrated fomite transmission.'

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:30 am

It now seems that it is unlikely that Covid is transmissible by touching hard surfaces, but it was a sensible precaution when we didn't know... Similarly, if you work in a laboratory and encounter a white solid, you don't taste it!

David Sedgwick
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by David Sedgwick » Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:01 pm

Mick Norris wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:34 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:10 pm
Mick Norris wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm

IoM reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
The question for the Grand Swiss is when they reopen their borders to visitors.
Indeed, but they seem to be progressing with vaccination faster than us, so maybe their target date of September to reopen their borders will be met
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe ... n-56847501

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Paul Robert Jackson
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Paul Robert Jackson » Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:13 am

Paul Robert Jackson

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Adam Raoof
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Adam Raoof » Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:24 pm

https://chesscircuit.substack.com/

From Sheffield with love
Last edited by Adam Raoof on Fri Apr 30, 2021 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Adam Raoof IA, IO
Chess England Events - https://chessengland.com/
The Chess Circuit - https://chesscircuit.substack.com/
Don’t stop playing chess!

John Sellen
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by John Sellen » Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:52 pm

It is likely that by the Autumn the majority of adults in this country will have had 2 Covid vaccinations which at the moment would appear to offer a high level of protection( obviously new variants may change this)
Personally I would be happy to play in congresses without too many restrictions if I knew the other participants had been vaccinated

Two questions for forum members
1. Is it reasonable for congress organizers to ask for proof of vaccination ( there will almost certainly be some sort of Vaccine Passport by that time )
2.If so what about juniors who may not have have been vaccinated

Would be interested to hear opinions on this
Last edited by John Sellen on Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Simon Rogers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Simon Rogers » Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:56 pm

Adam Raoof wrote:
Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:24 pm
www.chesscircuit.substack.com/

From Sheffield with love
Hi Adam.
Can't get on website. It says it can't provide a secure connection. Something to do with protocols.
Need to disappear for a little while everyone. I've got my first covid vaccination in Blackpool in less than a hour's time.

NickFaulks
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:23 pm

John Sellen wrote:
Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:52 pm
1. Is it reasonable for congress organizers to ask for proof of vaccination ( there will almost certainly be some sort of Vaccine Passport by that time )
In my opinion yes, if that is what they want, although personally I would not take part in such a discriminatory event.

Whether such conditions are legal will doubtless be tested in court.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Mick Norris
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:41 pm

John Sellen wrote:
Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:52 pm
It is likely that by the Autumn the majority of adults in this country will have had 2 Covid vaccinations which at the moment would appear to offer a high level of protection( obviously new variants may change this)
Personally I would be happy to play in congresses without too many restrictions if I knew the other participants had been vaccinated

Two questions for forum members
1. Is it reasonable for congress organizers to ask for proof of vaccination ( there will almost certainly be some sort of Vaccine Passport by that time )
2.If so what about juniors who may not have have been vaccinated

Would be interested to hear opinions on this
My understanding on the current test events is that they require negative Covid tests in advance; I'm not sure, like Nick, that requirement for proof of vaccination will be legal; as well as juniors not being vaccinated, there are some in the adult population who have been advised against vaccination

I can see the logic for, say, a Seniors event

Like you John, I'd be much happier knowing that everyone has been vaccinated; however, from an organiser's perspective, another thing to check for anyone coming to a congress might not be welcome
Any postings on here represent my personal views

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