Hastings Congress 2021-22

[Matt Bridgeman]

Understandable, I have delayed my decision to Thursday to see what decisions the government will take.

On the Hastings website they have a post today saying that online entry is suspended for the next 48 hours. Whether that's a technical issue, or the organisers pondering the current situation, I don't know.

[Tim Spanton]

Understandable, I have delayed my decision to Thursday to see what decisions the government will take.

On the Hastings website they have a post today saying that online entry is suspended for the next 48 hours. Whether that's a technical issue, or the organisers pondering the current situation, I don't know.

A lot of people will lose a lot of money in unrefundable bookings if the congress is cancelled AGAIN

[Wadih Khoury]

Well, health should be the priority. But it is indeed frustrating that most of the travel and entertainment industries now consider COVID as BAU and no longer provide full (or near full) refunds in case of disease.

[Tim Spanton]

Well, health should be the priority. But it is indeed frustrating that most of the travel and entertainment industries now consider COVID as BAU and no longer provide full (or near full) refunds in case of disease.

Of course health should be the priority, but that doesn't mean chess events should be cancelled when other activities, such as hospitality venues, can carry on as normal.

[John Upham]

Of course health should be the priority, but that doesn't mean chess events should be cancelled when other activities, such as hospitality venues, can carry on as normal.

Are you thinking of 9-11 Downing Street?

[Matt Bridgeman]

So we’re a lot of the Hastings hotels not offering refundable rooms? I hunted down an air bnb that was a free refund up to the 28th December, so that refund is processing back now.

[Tim Spanton]

So we’re a lot of the Hastings hotels not offering refundable rooms? I hunted down an air bnb that was a free refund up to the 28th December, so that refund is processing back now.

Not everyone sets their sights so low

[Roger de Coverly]

So we’re a lot of the Hastings hotels not offering refundable rooms?

It may depend who you book with.

My first port of call is usually the booking.com site. If I check offers for the dates of the Hastings Weekend Congress, the "free cancellation" message flashes up on almost all of them. I have used the site often enough in previous years to get loyalty offers though.

[Matt Bridgeman]

And sadly the event is cancelled; https://hastingschess.com/hastings-icc- ... on-notice/

Presumably the January 4NCL events can’t be too far behind.

[Tim Spanton]

And sadly the event is cancelled; https://hastingschess.com/hastings-icc- ... on-notice/

Presumably the January 4NCL events can’t be too far behind.

I doubt it - the 4NCL has a much better record of dealing with Hysteria19. Then again, I've been proved wildly optimistic before

[LawrenceCooper]

And sadly the event is cancelled; https://hastingschess.com/hastings-icc- ... on-notice/

Presumably the January 4NCL events can’t be too far behind.

I doubt it - the 4NCL has a much better record of dealing with Hysteria19. Then again, I've been proved wildly optimistic before

I suspect that any decision would be made in early January. Until then, it's business as usual.

[Nick Ivell]

My sympathies are with Tim.

We can't carry on like this. We might as well give up on serious chess (online will never be serious) if this is to be the winter norm, as I suspect it is.

[Matt Bridgeman]

My sympathies are with Tim.

We can't carry on like this. We might as well give up on serious chess (online will never be serious) if this is to be the winter norm, as I suspect it is.

It seems some events are still going to give it a bash. On Saturday there will be 70+ players playing 11 rounds of blitz in a school in Twickenham. Maybe masks and some hand gel will keep them all safe, maybe it won’t?
http://chess-results.com/tnr586420.aspx?lan=1

[David Robertson]

70+ players playing 11 rounds of blitz in a school in Twickenham. Maybe masks and some hand gel will keep them all safe, maybe it won’t?

It won't

[Matt Mackenzie]

My sympathies are with Tim.

We can't carry on like this. We might as well give up on serious chess (online will never be serious) if this is to be the winter norm, as I suspect it is.

People are not going to accept this every winter, period. Nor can our economy sustain it, either.

Sooner or later, people are going to have to learn to live with the virus.