British Championship Congress 2021

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
J T Melsom
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by J T Melsom » Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:17 pm

Pure conjecture and somewhat bereft of evidence. I have received several inquiries over recent months asking when chess will resume including from somebody new who was quite insistent he was kept up to date. I doubt organisers of on-line events are getting similar correspondence.

On-line has a part to play, but it won't be the end of OTB events. What is more likely to hinder the return of chess will be the turnover of volunteers, some people may view organising differently after a break. It will be important that the chess community as a whole considers whether we can individually do more. I accept not everybody can run a congress, but there are smaller tasks which are necessary and can be done by almost anybody.

Simon Rogers
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Simon Rogers » Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:04 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:17 pm
Pure conjecture and somewhat bereft of evidence. I have received several inquiries over recent months asking when chess will resume including from somebody new who was quite insistent he was kept up to date. I doubt organisers of on-line events are getting similar correspondence.

On-line has a part to play, but it won't be the end of OTB events. What is more likely to hinder the return of chess will be the turnover of volunteers, some people may view organising differently after a break. It will be important that the chess community as a whole considers whether we can individually do more. I accept not everybody can run a congress, but there are smaller tasks which are necessary and can be done by almost anybody.
I think Mr Melsom talks a lot of sense on this Topic and I completely agree with him.
Like Mr Melsom, I have had numerous phone calls and texts from people enquiring about our Chess clubs.
I think there will be a turnover of volunteers at clubs, tournaments and county matches, not just from people deciding to take a break but also a large number have sadly passed away which will leave many gaps and will be difficult to fill. We've seen the number in the Deaths and Obituaries Category and these are the ones we know about or have been posted.

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Chris Goodall
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Chris Goodall » Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:07 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:17 pm
What is more likely to hinder the return of chess will be the turnover of volunteers, some people may view organising differently after a break. It will be important that the chess community as a whole considers whether we can individually do more. I accept not everybody can run a congress, but there are smaller tasks which are necessary and can be done by almost anybody.
The trouble with small tasks that can be done by almost anybody is that they come in two varieties. Boring ones that you can't get people to do, and interesting ones that whoever's already doing them doesn't want to give away, lest their job consist entirely of boring ones.
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JustinHorton
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:41 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:17 pm
On-line has a part to play, but it won't be the end of OTB events. What is more likely to hinder the return of chess will be the turnover of volunteers
Might be worth adding that if online chess does prosper at the expense of OTB, it'll be to the degree that people find it more convenient, which most people do, but a minority (including pretty much all of us on here) do not - and if that minority changes its mind it won't be because of anything the British Championship does. There are threats to OTB chess, but they're things like the prodigious expense of hiring venues and suchlike, not the ECF failing to hold its flagship event for two years due to a pandemic.
Last edited by JustinHorton on Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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J T Melsom
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by J T Melsom » Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:41 pm

There needs to be greater appreciation of those that do the boring stuff - venues don't get set up on their own. But you would be amazed how many times as members of the visiting club my players have effectively set up the room with the home captain just to ensure we get started and home in timely fashion. And to be fair I've also been helped at home, but normally by early arrivals and not to speed things up.

Justin - I agree. I could have produced more detailed observations, but my primary aim was to challenge the doom and gloom.

Paul Cooksey
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Paul Cooksey » Wed Mar 10, 2021 6:24 pm

I guess ratios of volunteers to players, and the type of things volunteers do quite different between the British and a local league. Difficult to assess which groups most likely to suffer attrition.

Generally the thing said on reports is that the pandemic will accelerate existing trends. So if that holds, probably a higher proportion of junior and online chess.

Andrew Zigmond
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Andrew Zigmond » Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:04 pm

Paul Robert Jackson wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:32 am
Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:20 pm
I'd also push back on the suggestion of losing a generation of young players. Having played in a few 4NCL online congresses it's noticeable that there is relatively little overlap with congress regulars and the average age seems to be a lot lower. These are likely players who don't have the time and/ or the money to go to weekenders and I think there will be a case for keeping online events going in tandem with returning OTB events.
I am not opposed to Online Chess but the increase in online events will be similar to
.....Online Banking & the closure of local branches,
.....Online Shopping & the demise of the high street & local town centres.
.....Contactless payments & the refusal of cash.
etc. etc.
Maybe, maybe not. A perennial worry before the pandemic was the ageing chess demographic and whether clubs/ leagues/ congresses would fold over time. The pandemic hasn't changed that.

It's perhaps worth remembering that grassroots chess is split slightly between clubs and leagues and one side and congress players on another. While some players participate equally in both there are others who do one but never the other. Online tournaments simply create a third arena that wasn't there before. So if the traditional English chess scene becomes obsolete over time at least there will be something left.
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Keith Arkell
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Keith Arkell » Thu Mar 11, 2021 4:39 am

David Sedgwick wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:31 am


We should be showing our appreciation for those who will be giving up many hours of there time, for little or no reward, to put on the British Online Championships in August and the OTB British Championship events in October.

I made a small contribution to the last British Online Championships and I can say from that experience that it is hard work.
It may be too early to quibble about details for the next Official British Online Championship, but anyway I want to get this post out there well in advance of the thing happening, so that mistakes aren't repeated.

Basically if the event is to be taken seriously the organisers need to form a policy which ensures maximum GM participation. The event in December 2020 attracted a grand total of 5 GMs, despite that 2000+ entry fee paying members entered. I enquired only to be told I wasn't rated high enough to receive a starting fee. I have been a professional player and played in the over the board Championship for 40+ years and would like to think that my name counts for something. To learn that some amateur IMs were receiving start fees while full time GMs were not was most upsetting.

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Paul Robert Jackson
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Paul Robert Jackson » Thu Mar 11, 2021 9:48 am

Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:04 pm
Maybe, maybe not. A perennial worry before the pandemic was the ageing chess demographic and whether clubs/ leagues/ congresses would fold over time. The pandemic hasn't changed that.
......"The Pandemic" will probably accelerate events folding though.
Paul Robert Jackson

J T Melsom
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by J T Melsom » Thu Mar 11, 2021 9:59 am

Yep - the pandemic, the next pandemic, climate change, meteor strikes. Lots to look forward to...

Simon Rogers
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Simon Rogers » Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:05 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Thu Mar 11, 2021 9:59 am
Yep - the pandemic, the next pandemic, climate change, meteor strikes. Lots to look forward to...
Don't forget World War 3, Terminator style AI and alien invasion aswell.
Lots predicted by people like Nostradamus.
Like you I am hopeful about OTB chess.
I have had so many enquiries about our Chess Club, mostly as a result of the Queen's Gambit series and people taking up chess during lockdown.
Is it worth starting a Topic in General Chat about how to grow Chess Clubs post pandemic and sharing best practice?
Before lockdown we were gaining a lot of new members.
I like to share a few ideas with forum members with what we have been doing to increase numbers and interest without blowing my own trumpet.
Last edited by Simon Rogers on Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:21 pm

"To learn that some amateur IMs were receiving start fees while full time GMs were not was most upsetting."

That does not sound good. Was any reasoning given?

NickFaulks
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:00 pm

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:21 pm
"To learn that some amateur IMs were receiving start fees while full time GMs were not was most upsetting."

That does not sound good. Was any reasoning given?
I think Keith answered that. Current FIDE rating.
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Kevin Thurlow
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:37 pm

"I think Keith answered that. Current FIDE rating."

Ah - that wasn't how I interpreted it, but it kind of makes sense. But you want GMs for norm purposes (although I know you need a variety of nations).

NickFaulks
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Re: British Championship Congress 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:45 pm

Kevin Thurlow wrote:
Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:37 pm
But you want GMs for norm purposes (although I know you need a variety of nations).
I think Keith's point, with which I have some sympathy, is that you want them because, well, you just want them.

In a national championship, by definition you don't need a variety of nations ( except that you cannot use this exemption for all of your norms ).
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