Congresses - playing for fun or profit?

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Greg Breed
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Re: Congresses - playing for fun or profit?

Post by Greg Breed » Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:27 pm

Charles W. Wood wrote:Scottish ELO system? Wow!! :lol: did they just jump forward, how different is it the rest of the worlds ELO systems. :shock:
I don't know. I have a spreadsheet program devised by someone for use with Scottish ELO. It could be identical to the rest of the world, but I don't know that for sure.
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Charles W. Wood
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Re: Congresses - playing for fun or profit?

Post by Charles W. Wood » Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:29 am

Greg Breed wrote:
Charles W. Wood wrote:Scottish ELO system? Wow!! :lol: did they just jump forward, how different is it the rest of the worlds ELO systems. :shock:
I don't know. I have a spreadsheet program devised by someone for use with Scottish ELO. It could be identical to the rest of the world, but I don't know that for sure.
I'd love to know, this may be better in the great "Grading debate" thread though. The more I look at grading the more I think we are happy to be unique, I'm still struggling to work out if this is a good or a bad thing.
:roll:
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Charles W. Wood
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Re: Congresses - playing for fun or profit?

Post by Charles W. Wood » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:56 pm

Charles W. Wood wrote:
Chris Stratford wrote:Thanks, Charles. We were planning that after canvassing the views of an elder statesman who was playing at the Doncaster Congress and suggested the same thing.

We have a month before our congress and hopefully that will give us the time to prepare a questionnaire and have it printed up. If there are any questions you feel we should be asking - and to which the answers may be useful to you - please speak up.

In fact, it strikes me you might be filling it in yourself given your proximity to Huddersfield. Can we expect to see you at the Ukrainian club?

If memory serves, the entry from Bradford-based players was a little disappointing last year. I can't remember the conclusion we drew, but I did try to rally the troops and get a reasonable Huddersfield presence at the Bradford Congress come last September.
Sadly I can't be at you've event as I have a tournamnet that day, but as for Bradford players, I think alot of them struggle toward the end of the chess year with motivation. Its been a big year this year though so I'll mention it at the BDCA committee meeting tomorrow, the new found enthusiasm could effect the amount coming. Can but try eh! :)
Sorry mate I made an error. My Renaissance Academy event is on Easter Sunday which is the 23rd March, don't tell my misses as its our engagement do on the 29th March thats what I got mixed up with. She'll kill me. Still can't go to your event though because come Sunday morning I will not be able to walk never mind anything else. :lol: :roll:
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Stewart Reuben
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Re: Congresses - playing for fun or profit?

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:52 pm

The Scottish Rating system is more-or-less the same as the FIDE one. Only England in the whole world has its own idiosyncratic system.

Concerning entry fees and prize money. When I was organising weekend Swisses and a large number of organisers imitated my systems, I found that entries went up as I increased the entry fee. There are far fewer weekend Swisses today.
Surely what the majority of entrants want is value for money?

Do not have an event with NO entry fee. You will never know how many entrants you are going to get and anyway there will still be expenses. Gibraltar has a prize fund of £80,000 and entry fees of £25 per section. The only people who withdraw or are no shows are those who receive free entry, that is the masters.

A first prize of £100 is the minimum I think, although that would be the same level as 30 years ago. £25 world be derisory. One reason is that people like to return to work and say,I won a chess tournament last weekend.' Oh, hum,' might be the response. 'Well, I won £100', and the respect of the listeners soars.

If you do hold a no prize money tournament, do please have lots of trophies. I have often thought such an event might be highly successful.

If you do have grading restricted prizes, which are always desirable, then do not base them on the highest score in the band, perhaps 126-150. Base it on the best achievement relative to the grade. This way a 126 player has as good a chance as a 149 player, maybe better.

Stewart Reuben