English Chess Forum

The following information has just appeared on the Grand Chess Tour website at http://grandchesstour.org/2017-grand-chess-tour/london.

Participants: Magnus Carlsen • Fabiano Caruana • Sergey Karjakin • Hikaru Nakamura • Maxime Vachier-Lagrave • Viswanathan Anand • Wesley So • Ian Nepomniachtchi • Levon Aronian • Mickey Adams

Schedule:

Thursday, November 30: Pro-Biz Cup
Friday, December 1: Round 1
Saturday, December 2: Rest Day
Sunday, December 3: Round 2
Monday, December 4: Round 3
Tuesday, December 5: Round 4
Wednesday, December 6: Rest Day*
Thursday, December 7: Round 5*
Friday, December 8: Round 6
Saturday, December 9: Round 7
Sunday, December 10: Round 8
Monday, December 11: Round 9

* Subject to change

There will be a change of venue after Round 1, which explains the early rest day. As the venues have not yet been announced, I had better not give them here.

The London Chess Classic Festival will take place from Sunday December 3 until Monday December 11 at the second venue.

Important Edit: I have learnt this morning that the Festival will take place from Saturday December 2 until Sunday December 10 at the second venue.

David Sedgwick wrote:The London Chess Classic Festival will take place from Sunday December 3 until Monday December 11 at the second venue.

So the format for the supporting tournaments isn't going to be as for previous years. The convenience or otherwise of travel to the "second venue" is a likely consideration for London and South East players who might contemplate entering.

Double round days during the working week are both congested for travel and more expensive for public transport.

David Sedgwick wrote:The London Chess Classic Festival will take place from Sunday December 3 until Monday December 11 at the second venue.

Roger de Coverly wrote:So the format for the supporting tournaments isn't going to be as for previous years. The convenience or otherwise of travel to the "second venue" is a likely consideration for London and South East players who might contemplate entering.

Double round days during the working week are both congested for travel and more expensive for public transport.

Do you ever wait until you have the facts about anything before jumping to negative conclusions about it?

As there will be a large number of children from CSC schools at the venue on each weekday, any double round days are almost certain to be at the weekend as previously.

David Sedgwick wrote: Do you ever wait until you have the facts about anything before jumping to negative conclusions about it?

I see your point that school activities dictate the timetable, but that puts the double round day as rounds 1 and 2, being the first Sunday, or rounds 6/7 on the final Saturday or rounds 7/8 on the final Sunday.

It's difficult to avoid a negative attitude towards an event that denies access to rating prizes to players because their rating is too low. That was an undesirable novelty last year which has subsequently spread to the British Championship.

Roger de Coverly wrote:I see your point that school activities dictate the timetable, but that puts the double round day as rounds 1 and 2, being the first Sunday, or rounds 6/7 on the final Saturday or rounds 7/8 on the final Sunday.

Please see the edit to my original post.

The Festival will now take place from Saturday December 2 until Sunday December 10 at the second venue.

Inter alia, that will address your point above.

David Sedgwick wrote:The Festival will now take place from Saturday December 2 until Sunday December 10 at the second venue.

When the schedule is published, we will find out whether the intention is to have 9 rounds in 9 days, 9 rounds in 8 with a one day rapid or 9 rounds in 7 with a two day rapid and whether the rapid, if there is one, will precede or follow the FIDE rated Open.

Roger de Coverly wrote:

David Sedgwick wrote:The Festival will now take place from Saturday December 2 until Sunday December 10 at the second venue.

When the schedule is published, we will find out whether the intention is to have 9 rounds in 9 days, 9 rounds in 8 with a one day rapid or 9 rounds in 7 with a two day rapid and whether the rapid, if there is one, will precede or follow the FIDE rated Open.

Roger, when a schedule is published it is pretty obvious that you'll find this all out; that is the definition of a schedule

Roger de Coverly wrote:

David Sedgwick wrote:The Festival will now take place from Saturday December 2 until Sunday December 10 at the second venue.

When the schedule is published, we will find out whether the intention is to have 9 rounds in 9 days, 9 rounds in 8 with a one day rapid or 9 rounds in 7 with a two day rapid and whether the rapid, if there is one, will precede or follow the FIDE rated Open.

Has it been announced that there is going to be a 9 round Open?

Alex Holowczak wrote: Has it been announced that there is going to be a 9 round Open?

There's been one in every previous year as far as I recall.

But if it shouldn't be assumed to take place until announced, is there going to be a British Championship next year? For that matter is there going to be an English Seniors in 2017?

Roger de Coverly wrote:

Alex Holowczak wrote: Has it been announced that there is going to be a 9 round Open?

There's been one in every previous year as far as I recall.

But if it shouldn't be assumed to take place until announced, is there going to be a British Championship next year? For that matter is there going to be an English Seniors in 2017?

I was trying, apparently without success, to lead you to a thought pattern that might help you add to the number of options you could speculate about being the format of and/or schedule of this year's Festival. Perhaps my additional highlighting in this message might help.

David Sedgwick wrote: As the venues have not yet been announced, I had better not give them here.

Subscribers to Chess magazine will have learned from Malcolm's editorial in the October 2017 issue that the first round will take place in Google's London offices with Demis Hassabis of Deep Mind taking part in the earlier Pro-Am event partnered by Adams. Garry K himself is also to take part in the Pro-Am.

The rest of the tournament takes place in Olympia as always.

Malcolm also hints that this may be the last year in which CSC are involved with the London Classic.

(2017 issue)

Thanks, Roger, for resolving the issue and for posting the info in the first place.

Press release re Round 1

The schedule is now published. One major difference this year is that there appears to be no weekend event: we can choose between the Open (9 rounds over 8 days) and a weekday event (5 rounds over 5 days). I find this puzzling, in view of the discussion here last year about the absence of rating prizes for low-rated players. I can understand that the organisers might wish to discourage such players from entering the Open. What I find difficult to understand is why, in that case, they (a) don't set a minimum rating qualification for entry; (b) offer free entry to under-25s and women, irrespective of rating; and (c) this year, provide no alternative to the Open for players wanting more than 5 games. Do they want low-rated players in the Open or don't they?

Jacques Parry wrote: I find this puzzling, in view of the discussion here last year about the absence of rating prizes for low-rated players.

They've removed the exclusion of lower rated players from the rating prize.

This year, they have one less day to utilise, given that there isn't a Friday evening round. The GCT first round is taking place in Google's offices and not returning to Olympia until Sunday.

In other changes, the rapidplay is just one day and on the last Saturday, and the two day rapidplay on the final weekend is replaced by a Blitz knockout on the final Sunday. They've put the double round day on the Sunday, although a Saturday would be easier for travel.

There seems to be something of a reluctance amongst English organisers to run parallel nine round events for lower rated players. Only the British Championship Congress with the Major Open offers this.

(edit) Rapidplay is at the end of the event (/edit)