English Chess Forum

PRESS RELEASE

CAPITAL DEVELOPMENTS WATERLOO TO SPONSOR

BRITISH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

The English Chess Federation is delighted to announce that Capital Developments Waterloo Ltd, a real estate company based in Liverpool, will be the title sponsor of the 2017 British Chess Championships Llandudno, Wales 2017. The competition will run from the 28 July to 6 August. Thanks to the support of Capital Developments Waterloo Ltd, there will be a first prize of £10,000 and most of the country’s leading Grandmasters are expected to play.

Paul Dalton of the title sponsors said:

“Capital Developments Waterloo Ltd ('CDWL'), a specialist property development company established by Capital Bridging Financial Solutions Ltd, is delighted to sponsor the British Chess Championships.

CDWL hopes its support will encourage the participation of many titled and improving players to create an extremely competitive tournament worthy of this great historical event”

The English Chess Federation Director of Home Chess, Alex Holowczak, commented:

“As the ECF continues its work in refreshing and modernising the tournament, it is an exciting time to welcome CDWL as title sponsor. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Llandudno for this year's Capital Developments Waterloo British Chess Championships."

After the highly successful Championships in Bournemouth in 2016, culminating in a fifth title for GM Michael Adams, now ranked world number 12, it is expected that the new 9-round format will make the Llandudno event an even more exciting and competitive exhibition of the cream of British chess.

Mark Jordan

[email protected]

07541646515

02081274681

The full prize list is announced at

http://www.britishchesschampionships.co ... izes-2017/

It's open to clarification, but are there really no rating prizes for players of 2050 and under? They are quite happy to accept entries from players below that.

The London Chess Classic did this and refused to discuss it. That's a private body, the ECF isn't and the decisions of its Directors should be subject to scrutiny at regular Council meetings.

Moves of tournament organisers to exclude those of low ratings from eligibility for rating prizes should be resisted. The first stage is highlighting where this is happening.

Roger de Coverly wrote: Moves of tournament organisers to exclude those of low ratings from eligibility for rating prizes should be resisted.

Why?
It's a British Championship designed to find a British Championhip.
There are specific tournaments available for those with lower ability that are not in contention.

With a healthy sponsorship there is no longer an economic need for a tail and with a reduce number of rounds such a tail reduces the effectiveness of the Swiss format.

Further to Roger's post:
Also:

Michael Farthing wrote: It's a British Championship designed to find a British Championhip.
There are specific tournaments available for those with lower ability that are not in contention.

In which case be honest about it and specify a minimum rating for entries and not accept entries from lower rated players at all, which means foregoing the entry fees.

Would a local Congress such as Herts remove eligibility for grading prizes in the Open by specifying that a grading prize only applied to players between 170 and 184, rather than under 185?

A couple of individuals of influence in the ECF seem to believe in removing grading prizes from players below a specific rating. If it's the London Classic that's their tournament. If it's the British, it's a more general property.

Adam Raoof wrote:PRESS RELEASE

CAPITAL DEVELOPMENTS WATERLOO TO SPONSOR

BRITISH CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

The English Chess Federation is delighted to announce that Capital Developments Waterloo Ltd, a real estate company based in Liverpool, will be the title sponsor of the 2017 British Chess Championships Llandudno, Wales 2017. The competition will run from the 28 July to 6 August. Thanks to the support of Capital Developments Waterloo Ltd, there will be a first prize of £10,000 and most of the country’s leading Grandmasters are expected to play.

Paul Dalton of the title sponsors said:

“Capital Developments Waterloo Ltd ('CDWL'), a specialist property development company established by Capital Bridging Financial Solutions Ltd, is delighted to sponsor the British Chess Championships.

CDWL hopes its support will encourage the participation of many titled and improving players to create an extremely competitive tournament worthy of this great historical event”

The English Chess Federation Director of Home Chess, Alex Holowczak, commented:

“As the ECF continues its work in refreshing and modernising the tournament, it is an exciting time to welcome CDWL as title sponsor. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Llandudno for this year's Capital Developments Waterloo British Chess Championships."

After the highly successful Championships in Bournemouth in 2016, culminating in a fifth title for GM Michael Adams, now ranked world number 12, it is expected that the new 9-round format will make the Llandudno event an even more exciting and competitive exhibition of the cream of British chess.

Mark Jordan

[email protected]

07541646515

02081274681

Good news indeed

Is this just for 2017 because it is Llandudno, or is it hoped to continue for 2018 onwards?

(I'd also be interested in how the sponsorship came about)

Angus French wrote:Further to Roger's post:

The prize structure is crazy, given the restricted eligibility.

Let's highlight the rating prizes

A player rated between 2451 and 2550 is a possible champion, certainly a top 8 contender. You get a higher prize for best rating performance in that range than you would for finishing 8th.

It's not Gibraltar where there's a good proportion of the top 100 able and willing to play. Outside of Adams, Short, Sadler, Jones, Howell, Mcshane and for the time being Nunn, which GMs eligible for the British Championship are above 2550?

Mick Norris wrote: CAPITAL DEVELOPMENTS WATERLOO TO SPONSOR

(I'd also be interested in how the sponsorship came about)

Google searches show this is a new Company, set up late last year. If you also search the named director, you find his involvement with various property development Companies in the Liverpool area. A local IM is named as a fellow director on some of these. Speculation of course, but plausible.

Eligible GMs over 2550: add Hodgson, Rowson and Hawkins to your list.

Mike Gunn wrote:Eligible GMs over 2550: add Hodgson, Rowson and Hawkins to your list.

Nick Pert too.

Dare I suggest that this thread should be about celebrating a major new sponsor for an ECF event; further proof of the progress the ECF is making under the current board? Roger has raised a legitimate point about the grading prize structure (albeit not one I entirely agree with) but this belongs in a separate thread.

Andrew Zigmond wrote:Dare I suggest that this thread should be about celebrating a major new sponsor for an ECF event; further proof of the progress the ECF is making under the current board? Roger has raised a legitimate point about the grading prize structure (albeit not one I entirely agree with) but this belongs in a separate thread.

Well said, Andrew.
This is very good news and Iwe (including myself) have been churlish in not shouting out ou support and appreciation.
Well done, ECF!

Seems like this has come from a similar source to other British Championship sponsorship. All good news.

Many thanks for the kind words - much appreciated. Hats off to Mr P.

Roger de Coverly wrote:

Mick Norris wrote: CAPITAL DEVELOPMENTS WATERLOO TO SPONSOR

(I'd also be interested in how the sponsorship came about)

Google searches show this is a new Company, set up late last year. If you also search the named director, you find his involvement with various property development Companies in the Liverpool area. A local IM is named as a fellow director on some of these. Speculation of course, but plausible.

This, to me, is by far the most germane of Roger's posts on this thread.