English Chess Forum

This begins on the 25th October. There is a preview by John Saunders here:

https://iomchess.com/

Entrants here:

Open - https://chess-results.com/tnr793016.aspx

Women - https://chess-results.com/tnr793017.asp ... =0&flag=30

If any club players out there fancy a wonderful chess holiday, I highly recommend entering the Major (under 2150 Fide) or Minor (Undecided) with a generous 1st prize of £2000 or £1000 respectively. This event runs from 28th October - 3rd November

Major / Minor - https://chess-results.com/tnr793018.asp ... =0&flag=30

According to the website 114 players are registered for the open but only 2 of them are English. Have we ever had a home event with such a disproportionate number of players registered for the open before?

It also states the prize fund is $600,000. Have we ever hosted a tournament with a more generous prize fund than that before?

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2023 2:57 am

According to the website 114 players are registered for the open but only 2 of them are English. Have we ever had a home event with such a disproportionate number of players registered for the open before?

It also states the prize fund is $600,000. Have we ever hosted a tournament with a more generous prize fund than that before?

The two official commentators are also English. Had they not been commentating I suspect there is a good chance that they would have played.

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2023 2:57 am

According to the website 114 players are registered for the open but only 2 of them are English. Have we ever had a home event with such a disproportionate number of players registered for the open before?

Assuming the Isle of Man is a "home event" for English players ...

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2023 2:57 am

According to the website 114 players are registered for the open but only 2 of them are English. Have we ever had a home event with such a disproportionate number of players registered for the open before?

It also states the prize fund is $600,000. Have we ever hosted a tournament with a more generous prize fund than that before?

Since this is a FIDE "closed" event, I wouldn't call it a home event whatsoever (just being organized at home), and anyway the only way to get more "home" players in the event is for them to improve their ratings or accept to play (David, Luke, Micky could have accepted the generous conditions and played, all rated in the entered top 100, they decided not to)

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2023 8:37 am

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 23, 2023 2:57 am

According to the website 114 players are registered for the open but only 2 of them are English. Have we ever had a home event with such a disproportionate number of players registered for the open before?

It also states the prize fund is $600,000. Have we ever hosted a tournament with a more generous prize fund than that before?

The two official commentators are also English. Had they not been commentating I suspect there is a good chance that they would have played.

David for sure (perhaps he is being paid more than what he could expect to win, if anything); Jovanka I assumed would have had to rely on a wildcard choice from the organizers and even then likely to be paid more than expected winnings

David's decision is interesting, since he has twice narrowly missed out on Candidates' (I think); and this suggests that, if the economics are roughly comparable, he is simply happier as a commentator.

Once narrowly missed out on Candidates, once narrowly missed out on the Grand Prix.

Yeah I think David likes commentating more now too...

I would! A certain fee and less stress...

He said more than one it has improved his chess too, and that he's seeing more at the board now.

For sure it's a good gig

Not all going to plan though: https://twitter.com/DavidHowellGM/statu ... 1729656227

Yeah, that Loganair service isn't geared up for being full of people who are going away for two weeks.

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 24, 2023 8:55 pm

Not all going to plan though: https://twitter.com/DavidHowellGM/statu ... 1729656227

Nice bit of unintentional photobombing by Caruana there! Who is the other chess player in the background over David's left shoulder?

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 24, 2023 10:43 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 24, 2023 8:55 pm

Not all going to plan though: https://twitter.com/DavidHowellGM/statu ... 1729656227

Nice bit of unintentional photobombing by Caruana there! Who is the other chess player in the background?

England's number one player! Note the somewhat unsympathetic tweet from Magnus: https://twitter.com/MagnusCarlsen/statu ... 1077608823