Wide grade limits for weekend congresses

[Anthony Taglione]

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Maybe some who wanted to play good players didn't enter as their grades were too low, as obviously this system prevents lower-graded players playing "up" a section.
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That's easily solved with a check-box asking whether a player would prefer the higher class group if he's on the cusp. "The cusp" could be left vague but I'd imagine it to be about a 10 points spread from the calculated lower bound.

[IM Jack Rudd]

There's another way you could accomplish the same end: ask "for the purposes of assigning players to sections only, what grade would you like to be treated as having?", on the understanding that you can ask to be treated as higher-graded but not as lower-graded.

[Michele Clack]

I have no idea if this is representative, but there is no evidence here to support the hypothesis “a higher proportion of players in the lower sections to be graded above the halfway point than below”.

Well no but you are looking at a 4 way split with bands of 30 points. The examples I was thinking of were 3 way splits including the open section, sorry I didn't make that clear. With the 3 way splits including open you can get bands of 40 or even more points wide. These are the tournaments that I have heard people having second thoughts about.

Of course you are never going to please everybody and the last thing I would want to see would be some sort of standardised system, that would be horrible. Adam's right as well that in some venues you might not have the room for a really big entry and I suppose it must be a bit difficult at times getting enough controllers arbiters etc.

[Gavin Strachan]

I always think that you can somewhat overthink how to do the graded sections. 4 sections is generally the best for weekenders - but at the end of the day you cannot please all the people all the time, their is always one person who just so happens to be at the bottom end of a section and wishes you had just put the section up a couple of points. I just want more chessplayers to look beyond money, grades, and any other issues and support these events. We can see that there are thousands of graded players so why are large proportion not entering events (I have an excuse at the moment but will be playing and organising more congresses in the future).

I congratulate those who take not just the time and effort to organise the events but also the risk. PLEASE HELP AND SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE!

[Paul Buswell]

We can see that there are thousands of graded players so why are large proportion not entering events

Location location location for people outside large metropolitan areas.

To go to a 2-day weekend event outside easy commuting distance:

Entry fee £25
B&B, one night £30
Light refreshments including lunch say £7 each day at the event = £14
Saturday evening meal £10
Petrol say 100 miles £12

Total £91

Typical marginal rate of tax 31% or thereabouts.

So grossed up cost £132.

Median wage £14.35 per hour (males, all U.K., April 2009, wide regional variations). So 9 hours labour to pay for the weekend, plus loss of personal time around one's own home.

I doubt anyone calculates it that way, but there must be a subliminal effect.

Location location location.

PB

[Adam Raoof]

Hi Paul, and thanks for your comments. It was good to see you at the recent St Albans Congress (some photos of the final round are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamraoof/tags/albans/).

It's an interesting point you make, and yet people pay more to play in the 4NCL, in larger numbers that any weekend congress I know with the exception of Blackpool. Perhaps the difference is the social side. With weekend tournaments you rarely get time to have a relaxing evening (unless you take a bye, or play in one of Sean Hewitt's 2-games-a-day events) and you are largely there on your own. With the 4NCL it's a team event and there is a cameraderie that arises from that, and the fact that so many of the players are staying in the same hotel. The location is not so important as players are sharing lifts and travelling together and don't have to rush to get there every day. One of the things I notice at tournaments such as Kidlington is the added value of a team event, where any group of four players can nominate themselves as a squad before the start of round two, and the team event is very popular and encourages players to enter together.

I agree that within urban areas the location is crucial. Parking is essential if not near a tube or station. I don't know what it is like trying to find venues outside London, but here it is difficult to find anything of the appropriate size for a sensible figure - I have been asked for upwards of £1000 a day!

[Ian Thompson]

It's an interesting point you make, and yet people pay more to play in the 4NCL, in larger numbers that any weekend congress I know with the exception of Blackpool.

My reasons for very rarely playing in weekend congresses, but regularly playing in the 4NCL and playing in a few international events each year:

1. There is no financial incentive to play in weekend events. Even if I were to win, the prize money is unlikely to do more than cover costs.
2. a) The standard of opposition at a weekend event is likely to be similar to what I get in local evening league chess
b) The time limits at weekend events are similar to those in local evening league chess
So there is no significant difference local evening league chess and weekend events in these respects
3. The standard of opposition at the 4NCL and international events is higher than I would get in weekend events.
4. The time limits at the 4NCL and international events are longer than I would get in weekend events.

[Alex Holowczak]

For contrast, the reasons I play in weekend congresses, and not the 4NCL:

1. Not really good enough. The standard of opposition at a weekend congress is more than good enough.
2. The cost of travelling around would be too much, particularly on public transport.
3. I know more people at local congresses. I like playing people I've played before. You get to learn how other people play, and can adjust accordingly. If they're stronger players, you can use them as a yardstick for your improvement as a player.
4. The time limits are sensible enough. At my standard, who needs 7 hours to play a game?

Stronger players seem to be more willing to travel around more to play their games. Under about 175, there tend to be very few players who travel nationally; at least, that's the case in the Midlands-based congresses.

[Michele Clack]

I just want more chessplayers to look beyond money, grades, and any other issues and support these events. We can see that there are thousands of graded players so why are large proportion not entering events (I have an excuse at the moment but will be playing and organising more congresses in the future).

I imagine a large proportion of graded players don't have the time / money and or inclination to play in weekend congresses. Those that do are going to pick the ones that interest them most. This was why I made the original comment as I thought it might be of interest to tournament organisers to find out by feedback from the board whether the reaction I had noted to 3 section events was widespread.

I don't think unconditional support by chessplayers for all weekend congresses regardless would do any good in the long run. I have a feeling that British Leyland might still be here if it hadn't been for so many people buying their cars to support British business, even when they were clearly inferior, back in the 60's and 70's. By the time they woke up the market had become too competitive for them to sort themselves out.

The same principle applies to chess congresses. You have to supply what people want in order to flourish. You haven't got to worry too much about foreign competition, except perhaps for Czech tournaments clashing with the British Championships ( see Ben's posts on this subject), but you are supplying a product that is a luxury rather than a necessity. Therefore you have to work that little bit harder.

That said I am confident that the Worcestershire Tournment in July will do well as there aren't many congresses in the midlands and the venue is excellent.