British Championship Congress 2022

Details of upcoming UK events, please provide working links if possible.
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Roger de Coverly
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British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:53 am

We've known for some time that this is returning to Torquay.

The potential clash of dates with the Olympiad has resulted in it being spread over two weeks, but not a restoration to eleven rounds.

Headline dates

Championship and Major Open Saturday 13th August to Sunday 21st August.
There's a caveat that this may change, depending on the exact Olympiad dates.

Junior Championships Monday 8th to Friday 12th August

Over 50 Monday 8th to Sunday 14th August

Over 65 Monday 15th to Sunday 21st August

Weekend Friday 12th to Sunday 14th August

Other events to be announced.

There's a footnote about the British Women’s Championships. Ever since some successful lobbying by the top female players of thirty years ago, this has been incorporated into the main British Championship event. It hasn't always attracted a particularly large women's entry. I suppose with this year's timings, it might be possible to run it as a stand alone event in parallel with the junior championships. That could also have its disadvantages in taking players away from the junior championships. If it's run in parallel with the British Championship, that may preclude the top players also going for Norms in the British Championship itself.

The Over 50 and Over 65 events are presumably 7 rounds as normal. The number of rounds for the Junior events isn't stated.

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JustinHorton
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:05 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:53 am
Championship and Major Open Saturday 13th August to Sunday 21st August.
There's a caveat that this may change, depending on the exact Olympiad dates.
How late might it possibly change?
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LawrenceCooper
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by LawrenceCooper » Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:37 pm

The link for the above information: https://www.englishchess.org.uk/british ... hips-2022/

Wadih Khoury
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Wadih Khoury » Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:22 pm

Anyone knows whether the ECF gets subsidies for the event from council or county?

Roger de Coverly
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:57 pm

Wadih Khoury wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 7:22 pm
Anyone knows whether the ECF gets subsidies for the event from council or county?
It's run directly by the ECF.

If income exceeds expenses, that gives the ECF funds to spend on what takes the directors'' fancy. Conversely if it makes a loss, the shortfall is eventually picked up by the paying membership.

Income to the congress is entry fees, any sponsorship and grants from the John Robinson Trust and Chess Trust/BCF PIF. Expenses are fees and equivalent support to titled players, prizes, venue costs, arbiter expenses etc.

J T Melsom
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by J T Melsom » Sun Oct 31, 2021 8:15 pm

I think Wadih is asking whether the local authority provides support to the congress. I believe that at least historically the answer has been yes, in that facilities have been offered at less than prevailing commercial rates, and arguably justified by increased visitor numbers. Such an approach is less common nowadays, which explains in part the frequency with which the congress returns to some venues and avoids others.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Oct 31, 2021 8:32 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 8:15 pm
I think Wadih is asking whether the local authority provides support to the congress.
There's certainly some deal with the Torbay Council over the use of the Riviera Centre.

I believe a no cost or low cost venue is important to the financial viability of the Congress. Sometimes it's a residential university looking to fill rooms with conference style activity.

Wadih Khoury
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Wadih Khoury » Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:26 am

The reason I asked is that I got some interesting details about another event
  • The French junior championship was held in Agen. It is an 8 day event, 9 rounds. There are 2 opens alongside the event.
  • There were 1500 qualified, but due to pandemic and some strikes, I think the event had about 1200 contestant.
  • Quite interestingly, there is an estimated 4000 accompanying people (parents, club and region coaches) plus 100 volunteers
  • The estimated economic benefit to the department (size of a county?) Is about 3.5m euros!
  • I then got confirmed by a few people that the county paid 100k euros to the chess federation to get selected since the economic return is well worth it.
As such, I was wondering how many people we could claim to bring to an area and monetise it with local governments?
When I organised my tournaments I always felts that even small events could have material returns to local economies and warrant at least subsidising the venue cost (e.g, if I were to organise a 50 player junior tournaments, between the spend in local restaurants, supermarkets hotels and the odd Thames cruise, ice creams, etc... Surely that is a benefit in the thousands to the economy and worth lending a few rooms in the town hall for free?)

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:12 am

"The French junior championship was held in Agen."

Don't tell them, but the French are very well-organized... If we throw them a few fish, they might teach us how to do it.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:57 am

Wadih Khoury wrote:
Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:26 am
. Surely that is a benefit in the thousands to the economy and worth lending a few rooms in the town hall for free?)
Over the years, Stewart Reuben has revealed some of the secrets behind the organisation of the British Championship and getting free accommodation using the economic benefit argument was one of them.

A counter argument is that local authorities don't have much if any free cash and that they shouldn't give away assets that they could monetise. I don't know whether the threat has now lifted, but in Torquay there was a proposal that the Riviera Centre was a white elephant and could more profitably be sold for redevelopment.

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David Sedgwick
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by David Sedgwick » Wed Nov 03, 2021 1:34 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:05 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:53 am
Championship and Major Open Saturday 13th August to Sunday 21st August.
There's a caveat that this may change, depending on the exact Olympiad dates.
How late might it possibly change?
The FIDE website now gives the dates of the Olympiad as Tuesday 26th July to Monday 8th August.

If confirmed, that should result in the British Championship (and the Major Open) taking place as scheduled.

LawrenceCooper
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by LawrenceCooper » Wed Nov 03, 2021 3:30 pm

David Sedgwick wrote:
Wed Nov 03, 2021 1:34 pm
JustinHorton wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:05 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:53 am
Championship and Major Open Saturday 13th August to Sunday 21st August.
There's a caveat that this may change, depending on the exact Olympiad dates.
How late might it possibly change?
The FIDE website now gives the dates of the Olympiad as Tuesday 26th July to Monday 8th August.

If confirmed, that should result in the British Championship (and the Major Open) taking place as scheduled.
Well spotted. I can try to work out where to fit my all-play-all in now!

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JustinHorton
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by JustinHorton » Wed Nov 03, 2021 5:22 pm

David Sedgwick wrote:
Wed Nov 03, 2021 1:34 pm
JustinHorton wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:05 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Sun Oct 31, 2021 11:53 am
Championship and Major Open Saturday 13th August to Sunday 21st August.
There's a caveat that this may change, depending on the exact Olympiad dates.
How late might it possibly change?
The FIDE website now gives the dates of the Olympiad as Tuesday 26th July to Monday 8th August.

If confirmed, that should result in the British Championship (and the Major Open) taking place as scheduled.
Thanks - but does ""if confirmed" have any date attached to it? (When would it be "confirmed", or not?)
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"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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NickFaulks
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by NickFaulks » Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:25 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Wed Nov 03, 2021 5:22 pm
Thanks - but does ""if confirmed" have any date attached to it? (When would it be "confirmed", or not?)
What sort of "confirmation" do you want?
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David Sedgwick
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Re: British Championship Congress 2022

Post by David Sedgwick » Wed Nov 03, 2021 8:16 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:25 pm
JustinHorton wrote:
Wed Nov 03, 2021 5:22 pm
Thanks - but does ""if confirmed" have any date attached to it? (When would it be "confirmed", or not?)
What sort of "confirmation" do you want?
Speaking for myself, I would consider the Olympiad arrangements to be "confirmed" when there is a formal announcement from FIDE, not just the publication of dates in the calendar.

I shall be both disappointed and surprised if that does not happen before the end of 2021.

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