ABERYSTWYTH - ARE YOU GOING?

[Jonathan Bryant]

I have been surprised how well the numbers in the Championships have held up in recent years.

For the Championship Tournament (which is not necessarily representative of the Championships as a whole)


Average for the 21st century to 2009 71.8 (see http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... 11#p141651)


2010: 80
2011: 85
2012: Numbers not on the ECF website
2013: 108

2014: 59 apparently


You could argue that 2013 and 2011 were not representative for differing reasons I suppose.

[David Pardoe]

This is a great event with long traditions being upheld..
Money...yes, more sponsorship deals would be good....there must be various channels that could be exploited..including the good old `donation bucket` standing promenantly at the entrances, inviting donations from visitors or players wanting to support UK chess. Should they also hold a summer ECF lottory event (in the town). Charities like the RNIB hold such events quite frequently, on a national scale.
Maybe we should also have a `sponsor a GM/IM` feature, inviting people to put up money for players of there choice, even if only to assist with accomodation costs. Our top players might respond by giving informal talks about matches, or chess points of interest...or maybe offering to play `Simultaineous` displays (possibly involving 2 or more GMs/IMs taking on say 60 - 80 paying opponents)...if this could be fitted into the schedule.

One reason for the attraction of the `British`is that many players probably see this as a `summer break` chess event...and the seaside probably adds to that holiday mood.
I guess one practical issue is hotels/accomodation... Aberystwth is almost fully booked (it appears), so unless you have a camper van or tent...or dont mind sleeping on the station..it could be tricky.
Yes, it would be good to see a strong contingent from Scotland, Ireland and Wales...along with some entries from around the Commonwealth...maybe offering a separate `Foriegn entry` prizes...
Comments about the coverage..technical issues...hopefully they will ease now after teething problems..
And about poor coverage and lack of early interest on this Forum on Saturday.. It could be down to a combination of `holiday season`, and other major sporting events going on of late, which might have over shadowed the chess. Like the Golf at Liverpool, Cricket maybe, World cup hangover..., and the German Grand Prix, to mention just a few distractions of late....not to mention the Tour De France cycling crash contest...
It would be good if the BBC could give these `minority` sports an occasional mention...
Top marks to the organisors for putting these events together

[Roger de Coverly]

2012: Numbers not on the ECF website

There were 32 boards in each round, implying 64 players.

[IM Jack Rudd]

"Sponsor a GM/IM and possibly even FM" sounds like a good idea. The relative infrequency of titled players in the draw this year could prove problematic for norm seekers.

[Michael Farthing]

I was struck by the suggestion concerning simultaneous events, and to this activity could also be added lectures, tuition sessions and maybe other things too. This would help our titled players to maintain an income while at the same time giving value back to the amateur fraternity. Obviously these things do already happen but might it not be useful for the ECF to consider appointing an officer to specifically encourage such a programme?

[Split infinitive entirely deliberate].

[Alex McFarlane]

63 entries in 2012 from the same source as the other figures (me).

[Roger de Coverly]

Obviously these things do already happen but might it not be useful for the ECF to consider appointing an officer to specifically encourage such a programme?

To judge by what happened at the 2011 Congress, such private initiatives are discouraged.

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3229

[Alan Tate]

Alan,
The points you raise apply equally to Scottish, Welsh, Irish and English players. I have been surprised how well the numbers in the Championships have held up in recent years. I think this might be down to two factors

1. The playing conditions at the British are very good, so people are inclined to go to an event where they know what they will get.
2. The concept of qualifying still has some gravitas for quite a few players.

Perhaps I am in the minority, but average elo is more important than a nice venue. And so is a wider range of nationalities. Having said that, I have no idea how qualifying works, or which nations are (not)eligible? One idea could be to adopt the Commonwealth rule where each nation receives (minimum) one invite each. This could be set at IM and above, for example.

Regarding the 'numbers' issue - it would be interesting to see the average elo as well. I appreciate that the tournament needs to stay afloat, but quality is also important in my opinion.

GM Jonathan Rowson is a supporter of Independence for Scotland, so we should not be surprised that he is not playing at Aberystwyth this year.

Jonathan doesn't play much these days. Probably 3 times was enough

[IM Jack Rudd]

The eligible nations are the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and dependencies thereof (such as the Isle of Man or Gibraltar); participants need to be citizens of or resident in an eligible nation. I'd expect Scotland to remain an eligible nation if it became independent.

Qualifying: all eligible GMs and IMs qualify automatically, as I think do FMs rated 2200+, and players over a certain rating (which varies by age and sex; for adult males it's 2350). Most other players get in by being the highest placed not-already-qualified player at a qualifying event.

[Roger de Coverly]

T. Most other players get in by being the highest placed not-already-qualified player at a qualifying event.

You could add that the Scots, Welsh, Irish, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man are all given qualifying places to award at their discretion.

The "how to qualify" document is here
http://britishchesschampionships.co.uk/ ... o-qualify/

Qualification by Nomination

9 – The following nominees:

(a) 4 players nominated by Chess Scotland
(b) 3 players nominated by the Irish Chess Union
(c) 3 players nominated by the Welsh Chess Union
(d) 2 players nominated by the Ulster Chess Union
(e) 1 player nominated by the Guernsey Chess Federation
(f) 1 player nominated by the Isle of Man Chess Association
(g) 1 player nominated by the Jersey Chess Federation

I think the Welsh Chess Union utilised their quota, which required little more than that players contacted them requesting nomination. I don't know whether Chess Scotland make any attempt publicise their nomination rights to any Anglo-Scots who might have wanted to play without the bother of having to qualify in a weekend tournament.

[David Sedgwick]

I think the Welsh Chess Union utilised their quota, which required little more than that players contacted them requesting nomination. I don't know whether Chess Scotland make any attempt publicise their nomination rights to any Anglo-Scots who might have wanted to play without the bother of having to qualify in a weekend tournament.

Chess Scotland mentioned the possibility on their Forum.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Are there any plans to encourage more non-English players to play in the future (assuming eligibility if Scottish independence happens)? Not one Scot is playing the championship this year and despite the fact it's in Wales, their number one is missing. I see there is one Irish player as well.

GM Jonathan Rowson is a supporter of Independence for Scotland, so we should not be surprised that he is not playing at Aberystwyth this year.

I don't see how that makes any difference, or at least it shouldn't - after all RoI players can participate........

(nor would an independent Scotland have any plans to leave the Commonwealth in the forseeable future)

[Michael Farthing]

(nor would an independent Scotland have any plans to leave the Commonwealth in the forseeable future)

Given that Elizabeth I of Scotland is Head of the Commonwealth, one would hope not!

[IM Jack Rudd]

The Commonwealth hasn't been the relevant body for a decade now; 2003 was the last British in which players from India, Australia etc were eligible to compete.

I'm pretty certain that Scotland has no plans to leave the British Isles in the near future, though. Whatever governments can and can't do, major tectonic shifts are probably beyond them.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Wouldn't the more relevant question be whether Chess Scotland had any intention to to leave the British Isles Coordinating Committee? Is that not the body that oversees issues of 'British Isles chess'? The political stuff doesn't really affect that, as the BICC is already a supranational body of a sort.