English Chess Forum

I anyone aware of any chess club with a policy for lost property?

I think that most chess clubs have such a policy - there is generally a box reserved for lost pieces and people go there whenever a piece is missing from a set!

Anything prompted the question ... I have an ongoing saga trying to get back a pair of gloves that my home team captain gave ot the away captain - thinking they belonged ot someone from the away team. Student team involved with disappearing email addresses and my time overseas not helping ..

Paul D

Hi Paul - I do hope you are not suggesting yet another policy document for chess clubs to produce!

Been asked (informally at this point) by one of our venues if we have a policy. Rather wary, as I am sure there are insurance and other legal implications.

A nice pen was left at our club on Mon 22 Jan. It was left in the pub where many were analysing their games with a few beers. It is likely to be a chess players & speak to bar staff.
I thought I lost my gloves & hat the previous January at the same pub. I have got them. I put them in the large rucsac which I have now got in November.
At cheam in the county matches last week the captain got a hoodie that was left the previous year. may not even have been from the match may be any other user. I think it is fair to say that sort of item ought to go to the charity shop or homeless with how cold it has been.
What is the point Paul? Most players if they lose something with make a phone call asking about it. Most captains will make a point of contacting the opposition too.

"Most players if they lose something with make a phone call asking about it. Most captains will make a point of contacting the opposition too."

Yes. We always have a look round the room before we leave. If there is anything we can't identify, we leave it with a note for the venue's owners. That should suffice. I am suspicious about why you need a Lost Property Policy - after all it's the owner of the property's fault?

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 27, 2018 10:13 am

I am suspicious about why you need a Lost Property Policy - after all it's the owner of the property's fault?

Presumably to say what you will do if you find property that appears to be lost.

I have seen people claim against venues in the past when it is clear that the venue had the lost property in their custody and then somehow managed to re-lose it or give it to the wrong person ... so Paul is right to be cautious.

Not sure why the chess club has to have a policy? We play in a pub. Commercial business, so if you do not phone the pub the next day you have little chance of getting it back. That's why we give the venue details on our league and website.
Sorry but if you lose it and it's valuable you ought to claim on your own insurance.

It probably happens a lot of the time. We are getting a bit forgetful, and young children are prone to lose their belongings.

Some organisers may have policies - especially if they are enforcing handing over mobile phones, and digital devices.

If you are trying to arrange a venue I'm not surprised you have been asked the question.

If anyone should be asking anyone, surely it's the chess club that should be asking the venue if they have a policy.

I have Paul Dargan's biro which he left behind a few years back at a 4NCL weekend

If Paul PMs me I'm happy to contribute. Anyone hiring out their venue is likely to want a lot more than the organisation's lost property policy. It really helps if you have a relationship with the organisation you are hiring from.