Staunton Memorial are charging for live games!!

[Ian Lamb]

Staunton Memorial there charging 5 quid to watch the live games . what your view? http://www.2seeitlive.com/subscription/ ... _login.php

[Jonathan Bryant]

Staunton Memorial there charging 5 quid to watch the live games . what your view? http://www.2seeitlive.com/subscription/ ... _login.php

Well, I don't think £5 is a huge amount to watch the entire tournament live - especially considering who's playing. That's assuming there are no technical difficulties and the games do actually get shown.

On the other hand I think it's a great pity that a charge will be made. I can understand why they'd want to - and there was no net coverage at all last year so I suppose this is an improvement - yet even though £5 isn't that much money it will completely kill off any possibility of casual visitors dropping by to watch a bit of chess.


At least watching the tournament in real life is free - which is great news for those of us who live in London and have just quit our jobs.

[Richard Bates]

They'd better hope it doesn't break down.

Perhaps Playchess or ICC will pay the "nominal" fee and then broadcast anyway.

[Jonathan Bryant]

They'd better hope it doesn't break down.

Perhaps Playchess or ICC will pay the "nominal" fee and then broadcast anyway.

I wonder how much money they're expecting to get from this move? Internet transmission being what it is, it did occur to me that there's potential for generating quite a bit of ill feeling by charging for something and then not delivering. I suppose potential world wide sales could make it worth it?

We'll see .... well I won't because for the most part i'll be there getting as close as I dare to Korchnoi.

[Ian Lamb]

iam on icc as well but with them having just covered the british iam not sure they cover staunton as they make like to take a rest after covering 11 rounds. I dont think 5 quid a lot myslef but i dont agree with charging for live games they should be free in my view.

[Carl Hibbard]

They'd better hope it doesn't break down.

Perhaps Playchess or ICC will pay the "nominal" fee and then broadcast anyway.

I suspect "they" have a clause preventing this "relaying" occurring but I haven't checked the small print

I have already expressed my feelings on this fiasco and so won't comment further

[Jonathan Bryant]

I suspect "they" have a clause preventing this "relaying" occurring but I haven't checked the small print

I have already expressed my feelings on this fiasco and so won't comment further

That didn't help the world championship coverage though did it?

[Richard Bates]

They'd better hope it doesn't break down.

Perhaps Playchess or ICC will pay the "nominal" fee and then broadcast anyway.

I suspect "they" have a clause preventing this "relaying" occurring but I haven't checked the small print

I have already expressed my feelings on this fiasco and so won't comment further

I always struggle to see how such a clause could be enforced - it's the same with attempts to "copyright" games. A game of chess doesn't only exist once it is played in a tournament - every possible game of chess already exists. If it just so happens that ICC happen to be demonstrating several of those games at the same time as they are being demonstrated at Simpsons in the Strand then that's just a happy coincidence.

[Ian Lamb]

well the fide grand priz on as well i think then so i dont think icc will cover it at all. if i pay and the covrage is rubbish first round i not be impressed.

[John Moore]

Probably pay the fiver - my wife always says what can you get for a fiver! Mind you she would hate the money to go to RDK because she is a Private Eye reader and she loved Kingpin when I showed it to her.

[Ian Lamb]

yes that why i dont like to pay if its going to RDK to true.

[Jonathan Bryant]

I suspect the profits will be going back to the sponsor to off-set the increased cost of expanding the tournament.

I guess Raymondo benefits indirectly though.

I've got a sneaking fondness for RDK I have to say. He's got some balls - e.g. getting victor to play in this event - you've have to admit.

[Alex Holowczak]

The thing is, how long do you have to wait to see the games that were played? If they're uploaded to one of the many free opening archive sites, then why pay £5 to watch live what you can play through at your own leisure for free. All you have to do is wait a few days.

[Ian Lamb]

well i think you get the pgn files as well from the event straight away it good to watch live chess though better than going over it aftwards when you seen nothing . i guess i subscribe because i dont think icc will cover the event so soon after british.and for a couple of pints. i really think games should be free though myself. but if it rubbish round 1 then i be posting on saying how bad or good it is either way.

[Paul Runnacles]

Obviously this is very disaapointing.
I won't be paying to see the games live but I am not surprised that this lot are doing this, after all they have made clear in previous years that they never really wanted to do a live broadcast, anyway.

If it hadn't been at least partially for (free) live broadcasts I would never have returned to chess after a 25 year hiatus.