UK Chess Challenge in Trouble?

[Paul Stimpson]

I understand a few counties are unhappy with the arrangements with the commercial arm of the UK Chess Challenge for running the Megafinal events. So much so that some are considering not running a Megafinal this year. Has anybody else got news on this and if so what could be the impact of such actions. Most Megafinals are fairly busy events to put it mildly and I am not sure there is any slack to take up spill over’s from non participating counties.

A few of us on this forum have rightly applauded this event as a real success story of the last few years but is it coming to an end? this is bad news indeed, especially with the current Chess For Schools delay.

[John Upham]

Do we know the specifics of these concerns?

Are they simple misunderstandings or are they more deeply rooted than that?

The UKCC is one of best things in English Chess right now so we must do all we can to keep it going and growing.

J.

[Paul Stimpson]

Do we know the specifics of these concerns?

I don't know the specifics of this as I got this second hand so to speak, however it is not rumour, it is
very substantial in nature. There is nothing on the UK Chess Challenge website so I was wondering if anybody else could expand on this.

Are they simple misunderstandings or are they more deeply rooted than that?

They are more deeply rooted unfortunately. It appears there are problems with the financial model in relation to running of the Megafinals.

[Ben Purton]

I think the UK Chess challenge is finally getting some juice against it , and its about time. This tournament started as a charity tournament, now its a cash cow. What does it exactley put back in the chess. It could effectively sponsor the olympiad sides. I am "speaking from the pocket" as its known in poker/gambling, because I was refused a bye to the megafinal when i dropped out of school on 4/4, because of external circumstances. But the tournament has had its level of rubbish. I think it could make a profit and give alot more than it does back to chess.


Ben

[Ben Purton]

Its better here than gone, but it could do more , is my short point.

[Neill Cooper]

I'm sure UKCC is not coming to an end.

The school stage is run by schools, and they can decide whether or not to enter.
The Megafinals need to be run an army of chess organisers in counties across the country.
The Giga and Tera finals are run by a selected group of helpers.

I know that UKCC takes quite a bit of money, and spends lot of money (particularly in the final stages). I've never seen any accounts, nor asked to see any. I know that for the National Schools tournament a lot of the entry fee/sponsorship is spent on the finals.

Presumably if there are Megafinal organisers who are unhappy they can ask to see accounts, or decide not to offer their services.
The later may result in some Megafinals not taking place.

UKCC is run according to its rules with no exceptions. So there is no leeway for strong players to get any sort of automatic qualification, to Terafinal, Gigafinal or even Megafinal. Some counties/clubs/schools run one-day qualification events, so you do not have to qualify through school.

As an automatous organisation it is responsible to no-one, apart possibly its sponsors. The ECF has no control over it.

[Ben Purton]

UKCC is run according to its rules with no exceptions. So there is no leeway for strong players to get any sort of automatic qualification, to Terafinal, Gigafinal or even Megafinal. Some counties/clubs/schools run one-day qualification events, so you do not have to qualify through school.

... My circumstance was he said I could play megafinal and then changed his mind 2 days before because he thought it might cause problems. Ill never forgive him for that. Im glade I won the stupid thing the year later in the who's the boss rubbish years... Well it certainly wasnt the people he wanted...

[Neill Cooper]

... My circumstance was he said I could play megafinal and then changed his mind 2 days before because he thought it might cause problems. Ill never forgive him for that. Im glade I won the stupid thing the year later in the who's the boss rubbish years... Well it certainly wasnt the people he wanted...

Oh dear. That has a depressingly familiar ring around here.
But at least there was a positive outcome. I'm very impressed with the way you responded.

In East Surrey the outcome is a rival, much smaller event, called 'English Chess Challenge', with an identical structure but no strong players (i.e. no-one graded over 100). And a lot of arguments.

[andrew martin]

There seems to be a problem with the UK Chess Challenge operating as a business and making money. I dont understand that. Mike Basman and his team spend an enormous amount of time on this project and a LOT of kids get pleasure out of it.

Do you begrudge him this income? The tournament is one of the best things about English Chess

I suppose, as stated above, if organisers don't like the way it is set up, they don't have to offer to help. That would be a shame.

Andrew

[Nigel Wright]

I used to love this tourney when I was a junior.

I was at the first one in 1996, and I was over the moon when I got 3.5/6 at the megafinal for the first 3 years because it meant I got medals and rosettes, the first things I ever won! I then missed out for about 5 years because my parents moved house, and there was no chess club at my school until i was 13/14. I then struggled to get back into chess for a while, before making the Gigafinal when I was 16, and got 3/6. When I was 17 and 18, I got to the Challenger section at the Terafinal both years. I enjoyed travelling very much, and meeting new people, and being able to play football and cricket with complete strangers to me during rounds! It is a brilliant event for socialising and being a challenge, if you're willing to let it.

I know it's getting more expensive, and looks like a money grabbing scheme, but there are a heck of a lot of prizes on offer, and they can't come cheap, when you think about the fact that every single child gets at LEAST one prize, and there are more than 70,000 entrants! Trophies are also very expensive, and so is the prize money total, when you think that the top 2 prizes total £3,000!

I sincerely hope there are no issues with this year's UKCC, and I shall be making sure my old school enter it again so that more children can enjoy the experience as much as I did.

[Charles W. Wood]

I'm not a fan (or a non-fan) of the UK Chess Challenge but mainly because I don't understand it yet. I believe all (and I mean ALL) junior development is a good thing. If hope it and many more succeed and come through the ranks.