English Chess Forum

Any ideas about what the break down of prize money ought to be in a junior tournament?

I was thinking using a ratio of 4:2:1 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd (e.g. £50, £25, £10 after rounding).

Also, is it appropriate to give money in the under 8 and under 10 sections?

The Warwickshire Junior Championship offers £0 in prize money. Instead, it offers prizes such as medals and trophies, with free entry to other competitions in some of the age-group sections.

Alex Holowczak wrote:Instead, it offers prizes such as medals and trophies

You can give them to the birds and bees.

In the younger age groups how about offering vouchers for coaching as prizes?

God how times have changed, I remember winning my first cash prize in a junior event in 1982, it was 50p and being a seven year old I was well chuffed. Nowadays a seven year old won't excited unless it is a note (my 7 year old neice gets £5 a week for something to spend on herself when going shopping)

Alan Walton wrote:God how times have changed, I remember winning my first cash prize in a junior event in 1982, it was 50p and being a seven year old I was well chuffed. Nowadays a seven year old won't excited unless it is a note (my 7 year old neice gets £5 a week for something to spend on herself when going shopping)

Ain't life funny. I'm sure I used to get 50p a week pocket money and my dad complained it was far too much. He probably got t'uppence.

I think we're getting old Alan

The first tournament I ever played in (Fareham Junior Championships of ~1980) had an interesting way of distributing prize money - every competitor was given a certain amount of money (about 25p) for every 1/2 point they scored. I don't think there was anything extra for those who finished in the top three, though they did get some sort of trophy. I was responsible for ensuring that every child went home with something when I managed to stalemate a five year old, who thus finished on 0.5/9.

Sean Hewitt wrote:

Alan Walton wrote:God how times have changed, I remember winning my first cash prize in a junior event in 1982, it was 50p and being a seven year old I was well chuffed. Nowadays a seven year old won't excited unless it is a note (my 7 year old neice gets £5 a week for something to spend on herself when going shopping)

Ain't life funny. I'm sure I used to get 50p a week pocket money and my dad complained it was far too much. He probably got t'uppence.

I think we're getting old Alan

No, just seeing the effects of inflation. The figure Alan's niece gets is several hundred per cent more than I got at a similar age.

From memory, I received at least one cash prize in a junior event, but I don't think even the (fairly prestigious) Maidenhead Junior Congress, when I played in it, gave out prize money. Instead there were trophies and book/video prizes or vouchers for the bookstall.

To take things from the other perspective, one "adult" tournament I played in while still a junior, my father (acting as my chauffeur who had to amuse himself the whole day while I played chess) told me that a junior who had to leave before the last round approached the controller and enquired about his certificate (presumably having mostly played in junior tournaments where they handed out certificates for participation).

I'd think juniors (at least in the lower sections - probably not u16 or u18!) would prefer trophies to money - I certainly would have at that age!

I usually got £0 pocket money, because I never tidied my room.

On balance Isaac (FIDE U12) says he prefers money, but says it's nice to have trophies. £50 he considers a 'good prize' - less is a bit 'why bother'. A trophy and £40 is considered roughly equal to £50, so if you can get a flashy trophy for less than a tenner then you are quids in.

Thannks Paul (and Isaac). The trophies cost £10 and have already been bought. I agree that £50 sounds a lot better than £40. There are quite a lot of sections, so increasing the first prize by £10 would mean spending at least £50 more overall. This might be OK as I don't think we will be spending loads of money on coaches (the ones with wheels) to get the county teams to their EPSCA finals this season and hence don't need to make much of a profit.

A few months ago I played your son in a tournament where the first prize was £10!

Books.

Another vote for books from me.
I guess CDs or something similar would be good also.
As a parent of U12 players, I would prefer that my children win these sorts of things rather than cash. Perhaps you'll call me old fashoined.

Susan, sorry. That was me not you that sent that last post!

The trouble with books is that organisers seem to go for the discount/obtained cheaply waste of a tree type ones.