English Chess Forum

The ECF site has just announced that the 2015 British Championship Congress will be at the University of Warwick between July 25th and 8th August.

The Congress was also there in 1970. The University campus is not actually in Warwick, rather it's just off the A46 Warwick bypass about three miles outside Coventry.

Quite a nice place it is too, although no doubt they've rebuilt most of it by now
(The amount of building that various Universities have been doing recently has been scary.).

A bit cut off, although there are buses into Kenilworth/Coventry/Leamington Spa etc. Walkable from near Coventry station with application actually. (Hummm actually over 3 miles by google maps. I always have liked walking fair distances at times!).

Tons of on site accomodation of course although it won't be that lovely.

MartinCarpenter wrote: A bit cut off, although there are buses into Kenilworth/Coventry/Leamington Spa etc.

Conditional on the availability of parking, but that area must be one of the best in England outside Central London for the number of potential players not more than an hour's travelling away.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/visiting/

Convenient for most of the MCCU counties

I have found it convenient to get to, but be warned there are at least a couple of years of redevelopments going on (which can be found here http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/insite/kcm).

I was forwarded the link as I occasionally go to see shows at the Warwick Arts Centre, which is part of the University.

Hopefully the majority of the work will be finished by next year.

20 minute stroll from Canley station

I'd better play in this one then.

I played in 1970 when the British championships were last held at the University of Warwick.

The food on campus was disgusting to call it pig swill would praise it too highly.

Ken Norman wrote:I played in 1970 when the British championships were last held at the University of Warwick.

The food on campus was disgusting to call it pig swill would praise it too highly.

I suspect things have changed slightly since then (and since I was a student there in the late 1990s) - see http://www.warwickretail.com/eat

I am sure the standard of catering at university campuses has improved in the space of 45 years!
(Unlike the Brazil football team!)

This venue probably does not fall into the category of places most people would consider as a venue for their annual two weeks holiday, so might not appeal to many of the more casual/family orientated chessplayers. It will still appeal to the hardened fanatics/juniors/semi-professionals, though, and will be within reasonable commuting distance of home for probably more players than most traditional seaside venues.

Stewart has commented on many occasions how difficult it is to secure suitable (free) venues, so well done to the ECF for securing Warwick.

It was OK when I went through too at a very similar sort of time. Main university canteen as expected perhaps but not too terrible. The cafe at the arts center was actually quite nice though, and I'd expect there's still a good one there now. There's an obvious market for one.

The Students Union (across the road from the arts centre) also has a few outlets:-
http://www.warwicksu.com/food/

The last time I ate there, I had a nice pub dinner at the Dirty Duck, slightly disturbed or possibly enhanced by the arrival of what I assumed was the Sci-fi and Fantasy Society dressed as Dwarves and Elves.

As a holiday destination, it is more for history than anything else(Warwick or Kenilworth Castles are close, as is Stratford Upon Avon), but that's certainly not the same when compared to a nice beach for the rest of your family to go to.

Roger de Coverly wrote:The ECF site has just announced that the 2015 British Championship Congress will be at the University of Warwick between July 25th and 8th August.

Do the dates (Sat to Sun) indicate that the format will be the same as this year?

Mick Norris wrote: Do the dates (Sat to Sun) indicate that the format will be the same as this year?

You would hope not, having the Championship and Major Open out of sync must make life difficult for anyone seeking a Championship place, but intending to play anyway even if they fail to qualify. Perhaps they have some idea of running something on the first Saturday or the first Saturday/Sunday. Being somewhere easy to reach might support the idea of a weekender at the first weekend.

Graham Borrowdale wrote:I am sure the standard of catering at university campuses has improved in the space of 45 years!
(Unlike the Brazil football team!)

This venue probably does not fall into the category of places most people would consider as a venue for their annual two weeks holiday, so might not appeal to many of the more casual/family orientated chessplayers. It will still appeal to the hardened fanatics/juniors/semi-professionals, though, and will be within reasonable commuting distance of home for probably more players than most traditional seaside venues.

Stewart has commented on many occasions how difficult it is to secure suitable (free) venues, so well done to the ECF for securing Warwick.

Will be the first British for several years that we won't be at. I can think of far better places to spend two weeks and our holiday budget.