English Chess Forum

The latest information is that the 2014 EUROPEAN SENIORS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP will be held from

8th March 2014 to 18th March 2014


In OPORTO, PORTUGAL.



This information has not yet been posted on either the FIDE or ECF calendars for 2014.

It is however on the website of the Portugal Chess Federation.

Ken Norman wrote:The latest information is that the 2014 EUROPEAN SENIORS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP will be held from

8th March 2014 to 18th March 2014


In OPORTO, PORTUGAL.



This information has not yet been posted on either the FIDE or ECF calendars for 2014.

It is however on the website of the Portugal Chess Federation.

Should this thread really be in Junior Chess?

Moved to General Chess Chat.

Excellent location, friendly people, good food - just don't fly Air France

IM Jack Rudd wrote:Moved to General Chess Chat.

Jack,

It would have been better to move this post to the section of the forum reserved for Seniors Chess.

I was expecting it to appear in international chess.

LawrenceCooper wrote:I was expecting it to appear in international chess.

I agree.

That’s where I intended to post this information.

Ken Norman wrote:

LawrenceCooper wrote:I was expecting it to appear in international chess.

I agree.

That’s where I intended to post this information.

This is now a Seniors Chess section, so when Ken has a description for me please feel free to indicate topics I should move.

Is there any chance we could have an adult (18-60) section? After that's a far smaller demographic within chess than seniors and arguably a smaller one than juniors.

With the discussion on another thread about a British Seniors Championship for 50-65 age group, more and more players will simply skip adulthood altogether and go straight from junior to senior, especially those who take a 'career break' from chess for a number of years. It has been pointed out elsewhere that most participants in county chess are 40+ if not 50+. Perhaps we should have a senior grading list, immune from the deflationary influences of improving juniors?

Graham Borrowdale wrote:With the discussion on another thread about a British Seniors Championship for 50-65 age group, more and more players will simply skip adulthood altogether and go straight from junior to senior, especially those who take a 'career break' from chess for a number of years. It has been pointed out elsewhere that most participants in county chess are 40+ if not 50+. Perhaps we should have a senior grading list, immune from the deflationary influences of improving juniors?

A separate Seniors Grading list would only be possible if we had many more Seniors Tournaments in England.

I am delighted that Sean Hewitt has included a Seniors Tournament in his E2-E4 Gatwick International being held in October.

Ken Norman wrote:
A separate Seniors Grading list would only be possible if we had many more Seniors Tournaments in England.

We already do, for goodness sake. The majority of players in weekend events, particularly the lower levels, are all over 60.

Andrew Zigmond wrote:

Ken Norman wrote:A separate Seniors Grading list would only be possible if we had many more Seniors Tournaments in England.

We already do, for goodness sake. The majority of players in weekend events, particularly the lower levels, are all over 60.

Whoa there. This is a complete myth!

Sean Hewitt wrote:Whoa there. This is a complete myth!

It's an exaggeration but it depends where you play. Long established events have players in them who have played year in, year out for many years. Even many of the e2e4 regulars in the lower sections are Seniors. It would be worth checking this properly with the grading data. I've certainly seen tournament sections with both a Junior prize and Veteran prize, where the V flags outnumbered the J flags.

Sean Hewitt wrote:Whoa there. This is a complete myth!

I don't think I'm exaggerating. Of course it's easily enough proven or disproven if we can get data from local congresses - all entrants need to divulge their date of birth for grading purposes so a breakdown of age of entrants would be easy enough.

Sean may choose not to believe me but I am willing to state as a FACT that in every event I've played in over 60s have been in the majority. Certainly the number of entrants in their 20s and 30s can normally be counted on my fingers - in some cases the fingers of one hand. I'm prepared to concede I might be playing in the wrong places.

I'll report my original post to Carl with a request that it's split off into its own thread as it has nothing to do with the 2014 European Senior Chess Championships.