The ACO is back!

Details of upcoming UK events, please provide working links if possible.
David Gilbert
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by David Gilbert » Fri Nov 26, 2021 1:18 am

The ACO is back with even more. It's their sixth tournament of 2022. This one is to celebrate ten years since their first tournament and it's an Amateur Open (seven rated sections) at the Jebel Ali Beach in Dubai from 29 July 2022 until 7 August 2022. It'll be hot! The 5-star Jebel Ali Beach is a tad expensive at €2729 for nine nights, so also on offer is the 3-star Premier Inn Dubai Battuta at a more reasonable €1825.

There are details here for anyone interested. https://amateurchess.com/wp-content/upl ... en_ENG.pdf

Tim Harding
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Nov 26, 2021 11:31 am

Maybe the Forum should charge ACO a fee for all this advertising it's getting from you?
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

Tim Spanton
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by Tim Spanton » Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:11 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Nov 26, 2021 11:31 am
Maybe the Forum should charge ACO a fee for all this advertising it's getting from you?
That would set a precedent the 4NCL might not like

J T Melsom
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by J T Melsom » Fri Nov 26, 2021 2:14 pm

'Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com'

This is essentially an advert as well isn't it?

Tim Harding
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by Tim Harding » Sun Nov 28, 2021 11:18 pm

I don't consider a sig is an advert; it's not part of the content of my messages.

Anyway my post was by way of a joke. David knows that ACO gets plenty of free advertising on the Seniors pages of my website.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

J T Melsom
Posts: 1294
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:12 pm

Re: The ACO is back!

Post by J T Melsom » Wed Dec 01, 2021 2:58 pm

Tim Harding

I consider a sig to be an advert. I didn't say whether such advertising is a good or a bad thing, merely pointed to it as sitting oddly with your response to David Gilbert. I don't read your website so was unaware that you also plug ACO events. Others in this place have been less positive towards the ACO and I read the post in that more limited context. i missed the intended humour - we can all move on. :)

Tim Harding
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by Tim Harding » Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:30 pm

I don't "plug" ACO events but they get their fair share of coverage in my Seniors news and calendar listings.

While doing so, I always point out that their tournaments are not FIDE rated and their "championships" are just holidays.

My aim in this section of my site is to provide up-to-date information for players aged 50+ who are looking for senior tournaments in Europe.
It wouldn't be right not to inform them about the full range of events available, so far as I can find out about them.

http://www.chessmail.com/seniors/Seniors-news.html

This is an entirely not-for-profit website which has been running for about 25 years now, no cookies, no third-party adverts. Maybe you should take a look.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

J T Melsom
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Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:12 pm

Re: The ACO is back!

Post by J T Melsom » Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:24 pm

Thank you. I suspect that by the time seniors chess is an attractive proposition for me, I won't have the funds to participate, but good to see you collating the information for those more enthusiastic.

David Gilbert
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by David Gilbert » Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:56 pm

A just released ACO promotional video filmed at the Seniors' Tournament in Crete last October. Very professional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTGQMInH2gw

It includes feedback from Danny King, Nigel Povah and Nigel White, and several glimpses of Nick Faulkes looking very relaxed! I don't know of any other chess tournament at which almost everyone turns up for the awards ceremony. Watch for Norway's Cato Bekkesletten leapfrog onto the stage! These youngsters - his knees won't so obliging in another twenty years!

There are presently 155 entries for the ACO World Amateurs in Kos starting on 6 May 2022 and 81 so far for the ACO World Seniors in Crete starting 1 October 2022.

https://amateurchess.com/amateur2022/

NickFaulks
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Feb 11, 2022 6:12 pm

David Gilbert wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:56 pm
It includes feedback from Danny King, Nigel Povah and Nigel White, and several glimpses of Nick Faulks looking very relaxed!
I don't know why they didn't feature my interview, which I felt was far superior to Nigel White's, but there's no accounting for taste.

Anyway, this reminded me that it was a fantastic ten days away in every respect and I hope that nothing will prevent me from going back in 2022. For those of you who feel the need to boycott it because it is neither "official" nor FIDE rated - well, that is your right and your loss. I hope you enjoy wherever you are going instead, but I doubt that it will be as good as Fodele Beach in Crete.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

David Sedgwick
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by David Sedgwick » Fri Feb 11, 2022 7:00 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 6:12 pm
For those of you who feel the need to boycott it because it is neither "official" nor FIDE rated - well, that is your right and your loss.
Indeed it is my right and it is one which I shall continue to exercise.

Whether an important FIDE official such as you should have the right to promote this fake World Championship event is another matter.

David Gilbert
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by David Gilbert » Tue Apr 05, 2022 5:52 pm

A month to go. The ACO Amateur Championships are due to take place at the amazing Atlantica-Belvedere Resort on the Greek island of Kos starting on Friday, 6 May 2022 (arrival) and running to Sunday, 15 May 2022 (departure). Details here https://amateurchess.com/amateur2022/

There are 150 pre-registrations so far. This was to have been the maximum, but capacity has since been increased to 180, so there’s still space. Of the names listed seven are English, and five of us are playing in Group D (1601-1800), so if nothing else we can hold our own mini-tournament. This time we’ll be out-numbered by eleven players from Kyrgyzstan (or the Kyrgyz Republic). I confess I had no idea and had to look it up on Google Maps. I don’t suppose easyJet operates from Bishkek so they should be alright. Danny King is down to be one of the GMs helping the Amateurs with their post-game analysis. He and others will be involved in the side-show of lectures, simuls and blitz.

My case is ready to be packed - I got new yellow shoes for Christmas! I’ll be taking three chess books that I won’t read and a couple of chess DVDs that I probably won’t watch, but having them there gives me some comfort. My flight/beach/pool readings are “How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig and “The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton. I’ll take the “Empire Records” DVD (I always do) - Renée Zellweger singing Sugar High makes me happy - and half a dozen episodes of the original first series of “Softly, Softly” that I want to catch-up with. My main music will be the Lumineers, Arcade Fire, Justin Townes Earle, CocoRosie & Jason Isbel.

I might even have time to play some Chess. Oh Happy Days!

David Gilbert
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by David Gilbert » Tue May 31, 2022 7:35 pm

It’s the last day for discounted registrations for the ACO World Seniors Championships at the fabulous Fodele Beach Resort on the island of Crete from 1 October 2022 until 10 October 2022. There’s already 186 entries for 190 places, but as always there are bound to be a few withdrawals along the way. My flights are booked - it will be my ninth ACO Tournament. As Danny King put it in the video from last year’s competition “I’m having a great time”. Danny will be back again in October giving free analysis to the amateurs from u1200 upwards, as well as giving lectures and a simul. That’s chess for you. There are games going on all over the hotel all day and for most of the night - some people can’t get enough can they?

Half-an-hour later: already one additional ENG registration. Making it eleven, plus one IRL and one WAL.

David Gilbert
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by David Gilbert » Fri Aug 05, 2022 8:41 pm

Dates for the 2023 ACO World Amateur and Super-Seniors (65+) have just been announced. The Super Seniors will be 2-11 May 2023 with the Amateurs following straight on 11-20 May 2023. It's back again to the superb Atlantica-Belvedere Hotel on Kos - possibly the best chess venue ever, ever, ever. You can read about the 2022 version in the July edition of Chess - there's a sample here https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0478/ ... 1656604475 And give the ACO its marketing credit, where credit is due, in this well produced promotional video. Watch out for the really brilliant bit five minutes in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su36_PuwaLc It won't change me!

In the meantime there are 190 registrations for the Seniors at the Fodele Beach and Water Park Hotel on Crete in October. Presently there are 14 from England one from Scotland and one Welshman. The maximum figure went up to 200 last week, so there's still space if you fancy some great chess combined with a Greek holiday. https://amateurchess.com/senior/ Wow!

David Gilbert
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Re: The ACO is back!

Post by David Gilbert » Sun Sep 04, 2022 12:09 am

The Amateur Chess Organisation’s (ACO) new flashy website went live yesterday with news of the first two events of 2023, the Super Seniors (+65) which runs from 2 May 2023 until 11 May 2023 followed by the ACO’s Amateur Championships from 11 May 2023 until 20 May 2023, both at the amazing Belvedere-Atlantica Hotel on the beautiful Greek island of Kos. Check it out https://www.amateurchess.com

If you’d prefer bypassing the gloss a quick link to the Regulations for the Super Seniors is here: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/62acab7 ... 23_ENG.pdf and for the Amateurs it’s here https://www.amateurchess.com/events/aco ... ampionship

Meanwhile fourteen of us are getting ready to take-off to Crete at the end of the month for the ACO’s Seniors (50+) tournament which starts with a welcome drinks reception on 1 October 2022 until we pack-up on 10 October 2022. The Fodele Beach Resort is an amazing five star Hotel, but be careful at the water park - the slides and flumes are splashy and fast. Faster than you might think! GM Daniel King will be there to help with the post-game analysis, giving lectures and a simul. Outside the unrestrained blitz-players will be hitting their clocks under the stars until the early hours. It’s full-on chess.

Playing in Section G (under 1200), the British contingent includes one player with only rapid play games to his credit, while one has no record at all on the ECF rating list and another whose last recorded rating was back in 1996! Wow! Where do they hear about this sort of thing - are they lurking on the Forum or maybe taking a peep at Tim Harding’s calendar? Maybe!

I’m off to buy some more coloured socks. You can never, ever, have enough coloured socks can you?

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