British Championships

[John Saunders]

Kevin - send me that game you had against Golombek and I will feature it in BCM*

I am grateful for the helpful comments in response to my questions about London's absence from the list of congress venues, particularly those from Stewart and Neil who have been Championship congress directors. I have learnt more about the subject in the last couple of days on this forum that I have been able to elicit in the past 9 or 10 years in other ways. Suddenly the ECF Forum is starting to impact favourably on one of the ECF's age-old problems - lack of communication.

There were just a couple of things that Stewart wrote with which I would take issue...

"I don’t really think the SCCU is particularly damaged by not having the event here. Torquay is not far away."


I don't care much about the SCCU - more about chessplayers resident in the SE who are 'damaged' by having to shell out lots of money to travel to the four corners of the land even though they live in a perfectly habitable (and chess-friendly) part of it already. As for Torquay "not being far away" - I would say that it is. 182 miles (and an expensive train ticket / tankful of petrol away from my home in SW London. But then I don't travel as often as you, Stewart, and I don't really like travelling that much. But why should I always have to travel? The big plus about the Lloyds Bank Masters for me was being able to go home and sleep in my own bed at night. As someone (David?) said, a London-based congress would probably have a different sort of entry. This year Liverpudlians chessplayers get to sleep in their own beds and play chess in their home town, next it will be the Torquay people (however many they may be) - the entirety of London's chessplayers: never. A pity.

I last played in what we used to call the BCF Congress in 1983 in Southport. It worked out well for me because I had free use of my brother's house (which happened to be in Southport) while he was abroad on holiday so at least I didn't have to shell out for accommodation. I also played in Rhyl and Blackpool. I didn't like any of them as venues! Two weeks by overcommercialised stretches of the British seaside is definitely not my idea of fun. I'm probably being a curmudgeon but I dare say I am not the only one.

And the length of the tournaments is not to my taste - two whole weeks seems too long to me (not to mention too expensive in terms of accommodation). It has been 11 rounds, Mon-Sat then Mon-Fri, since time immemorial, when they used to have a 12-player all-play-all championship - so maybe it is time to think about 9 rounds, Saturday to Sunday week? Just a thought... I guess it will have been considered before. Has it? Nine rounds are plenty for norms, rating, etc.

JS

* I was crossing my fingers behind my back when I wrote this so it doesn't count as a real promise. But I found that crossing fingers and typing at the same time is incredibly painful - I won't try it again.

[Stewart Reuben]

To change completely the structure of an event which is highly successful, seems to me rather odd. Do you really think another system could attract more than 1000 entrants?
Hastings bagged one of he best times of year a long time ago, post Christmas.
Th cheapest time would be Easter, but moving the British there would damage all those highly successful Easter Congresses. Mind you, Bognor in the Easter holidays, but not including Easter weekend used to attract 500 entrants in the 1950s and 1960s.
What John has written about not liking commercialised seaside resorts shows why moving the British around is desirable.
1988 in Blackpool an elderly player came up to me and said he couldn't stand he event because it the whole place was full of kids. Later the same day, a number of youngsters commented to me that the Norbreck Castle hotel was full of old people. In a way both comments were correct.
I believe Torquay, Plymouth, Swansea, Great Yarmouth, Scarborough, Edinburgh to have been the best. Blackpool, Brighton and Eastbourne, of course, if we could again get a free venue; London if you can crack a £75,000 extra problem; Stratford on Avon if they had a venue big enough; Birmingham, Glasgow again cost would be a problem. I would count Liverpool 2008 as one of the best possible sites.
I last visited Confex with Neil Graham in 1998. I will leave you to work out what that show is about.
Stewart Reuben

[John Saunders]

To change completely the structure of an event which is highly successful, seems to me rather odd. Do you really think another system could attract more than 1000 entrants?

Perhaps it is highly successful but It still seems reasonable to ask questions and investigate whether a better system might be available. For one thing, the two-week format for the major events probably makes it an impossibility for quite a lot of people who might otherwise take part. Reducing it from two weeks to one might make all the difference to a significant number of adults who do not have so much annual leave to spare and it would also cut people's accommodation costs considerably. It might attract a few more titled players who have been staying away in large numbers for the last few years. The event is perhaps geared a little too much in favour of families and children who already have the convenience of playing just one week of the tournament (for most junior championships), and does not cater quite so well for those who are involved in the major adult events (championship proper and Major Open) who have to stay both weeks and pay the accommodation costs for the unwanted rest day (well, I always found it utterly boring, anyway). In the olden days we juniors were in it for the 11-round long haul and most of these events have since been reduced to one-week format (quite sensibly). Why not review the format for the remaining 11-round events as well? As I have already pointed out, they are only 11 rounds for historical reasons which no longer apply. And it does not necessarily mean reducing the whole congress to nine days.

I would also question the figure of "1000 entrants" which you have quoted (and I have seen quoted before). This does not equate to 1,000 people, does it? It takes account of the fact that some people enter up to four (or even more) separate events during the congress. OK, they pay a separate entry fee for each but even so it would be interesting to see the actual numbers of people who take part in the congress, and how many of them stay for the full two weeks. Numbers of people (rather than entrants) taking part in each congress over the past 10-15 years would also be very interesting.

[Stewart Reuben]

All that John says is correct. I have not run the event since 1997 and I don't know whether there have been questionnaires since my time. One problem with questionnaires is that the people who respond are the people who attend the event. But you would really like to get to those who do not attend.
I deliberately changed number of tournament entries from number of players in order to make the event seem more impressive. Of course both figures can be determined.
In my experience, the most successful events in attracting large numbers are the high quality one game a day ones such as Hastings, the British, Lloyds Bank, Wijk an Zee, Capelle le Grand, Biel. US views are different and the World Open is highly successful, but just a weekend event.
If the British were to be 9 days, I don't immediately see how a junior could play in two different age group championships. 12 days seems obvious now. But it took me a long time to work out how to interleave the junior championships and make them each just 6 days but 7 rounds.
More details about the accommodation in Liverpool should now ,or very shortly, be available on the ECF website.
Stewart Reuben

[NevilleB]

The list of entrants is at http://www.englishchess.org.uk/events/b ... ants08.htm

My plan is to update this on a weekly basis from now on.

Neville B

[Matt Harrison]

Can I just say that the new web pages for the British championships look excellent - very professional and attractive - well done!

[Matthew Turner]

Great website, Neville, but I am a bit worried by the number of entries. Any comparisons with previous years? I also note that the Central Travelodge that was £62.14 a couple of weeks ago is now £90, so if people (particularly families) haven't booked accommodation yet then they are going to be struggling.

[NevilleB]

Great website, Neville, ...

Thanks for the compliment Matthew, although the new website http://www.britishchess08.com/ is not my doing. I dont have time to do websites unfortunately.

The entries at this stage are down on last year, but on a par with previous years. Most of the entries come in at the end of June and beginning of July just before the late entry fee starts to apply.

Neville B

[David Robertson]

The new British Championships website has been designed by the webmaster of Atticus CC. This may not please everyone at ECF, but it should please every chessplayer. Steve Connor, our webmaster, works tirelessly at our club site which many of you know. He also designs and supports the MCA website, and the website for the 4th EU Individual Open. These are examples of his outstanding work in the 'Atticus brand':

http://www.atticuschess.org.uk/

http://www.merseysidechess.co.uk/

http://www.liverpoolchessinternational.co.uk/index.htm

Rather naively, we submitted the Atticus CC website for the 2007 ECF website award. We didn't win. Frankly, we don't expect ever to win as things stand, so won't resubmit. No worries; Steve remains a fabulous website designer - like many of us, an unpaid enthusiast doing his bit for the game. Well done to those judged better

David Robertson
Atticus CC

[Matthew Turner]

All chess forums have had a boost recently and the Atticus site is certainly excellent, but I think it was beaten by Streatham and Brixton last year which is equally good. I hope Atticus will put themselves forward next year, because I am sure they would have an excellent chance of being the ECF's Website of the Year.

[John Upham]

Does anyone know what the criteria are? (for web site of the year)

I think it was two years ago when the winner was praised because it had "lots of links"

John

[Matthew Turner]

Neville, I think the entries have had a small boost from players receiving an appearance fee, but I am concerned that we are not going to see the usual flow of entries, because of the difficulty in obtaining accommodation. In my opinion the only way that a good (reasonable) entry will be achieved is if there are a very substantial number of local players playing from the Merseyside area. Time will tell, but if you look through the excellent Atticus website you will see that there are a number of schisms in Merseyside chess and an understandable antipathy towards the ECF (in the wake of the Northern Membership Scheme etc.) it doesn't bode well.

[David Robertson]

Some points, in no particular order:

1) we had a very productive day in the city yesterday. We received a 'state visit' from Stewart Reuben, accompanied by Manuel Weeks (TD for the September event), Dave Clayton & others. They visited both venues; checked technical details; looked at accommodation. We then had a good-natured but business-like 'Council of War' over a glass of wine in the early evening, well-attended by club reps, where Stewart mapped out what he was looking for. Some things are clearer; some things remain to be sorted; that's in the nature of the circumstances we've inherited. Stewart may soon be in a position to issue further information on cheaper accommodation, but that is in his hands.

2) local players do indeed need to support the Championships. I plan to play, unwisely I'm sure, given everything else I have to do. But what's the point of hosting the event if I don't get to play in it! Of course, 'local' should mean more than just Greater Liverpool. The venue is just across the road from Lime St station, and slap on top of the metro too. Anyone from the wider North-West could probably commute more cheaply than paying for accommodation. Journey time from Manchester for example is c. 45 mins and c. £10 return. By the way, current entries are 80% of last year's at the same stage - and last year's were relatively high.

3) there can be no denying however that volume cheap accommodation remains a problem still. Alas, the vast accommodaton blocks that I'd earmarked a year or more ago for the Championships were not nailed down in a timely manner by the ECF official(s) in charge. Competitor events moved in and booked them out. That's water under the bridge for now. But in any review, I'd recommend a serious reassessment of the business model in operation (if any!) for the Championships; a risk management strategy with contingency planning; and a project management process review too. I have to say from what I've observed that, for such a major undertaking, the entire affair seems worryingly undermanaged by modern business standards

4) players and their families coming to Liverpool will have a fabulous time. Our 'culture year' has been a bit chaotic so far, but is beginning to get into its stride at last. By the time we reach July-August, the city will be full of activity. The city centre is very 'walkable'; but taxis are relatively cheap and plentiful. The metro connects to the Lancashire coast (30 mins) or the Wirral (10-15 mins). There are zillions of places to eat, drink, and be merry. We will even have a 'chess cafe' nearby the venue. And the sun always shines in Liverpool

Come and enjoy!

David
Atticus CC

[Matthew Turner]

ECF planning is implicitly based on the British Championships being based at a seaside resort and there needed to be some new procedures in place to get the best out of Liverpool (or other major cities that might be used in future). Obviously, if Stewart can get some cheaper accommodation then this will be a huge bonus ('family friendly' accommodation is also required). When I talked about local players, David was indeed right to talk about the wider North-West. Blackpool had 463 competitors this year and I guess half were from the North-West region, loosely defined. We really need all these 'local' players to compete at the British Championships.

[Stewart Reuben]

Nobody had alerted me that Stephen's excellent remodelling of the British Championship website had become the official one. Websites design needs skill and they need also to be revised regularly in view of new possibilities.
Concerning accommodation. The cheapest I have so far found is £15 per night. But that is hostel dormitory accommodation and unlikely to be of interest to anybody on this forum for their own accommodation. But spread the word among youngsters.
The Travelodge. I have not checked back up on. But they have the craziest system. they have different rates for different days. If you block book for a period they use the highest price. For Hastings this coming December, for example, I had to make 4 bookings for 9 nights.
Current entries are running at about 80% of last year. We always get a lower entry at a non seaside or Edinburgh resort. But nothing can compare with the magnificent St George's Hall.
Stewart