What temperature / humidity is it too bad to play

[Nick Grey]

Just a thought having been given heatwave alert at work. Will it be a record.

They were not impressed by MY idea that they provide pools of cool water too cool our feet in.
Not sure why bearing in mind they are providing for adult customers.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Recall some 1980s Interzonal tournament where it was ridiculously hot and the players complained.

[Roger de Coverly]

Recall some 1980s Interzonal tournament where it was ridiculously hot and the players complained.

The middle weekend of the 1990 British at Eastbourne was a bit on the hot side. I believe it was approaching if not exceeding 100 degrees F. In mitigation, there was a beach a stone's throw away

[JustinHorton]

Eastbourne hit 32.6 (90.7 in old money) on 4 August 1990

[Richard Bates]

Swansea 95

[LawrenceCooper]

At one of my outdoor birthday blitz events the heat was such that the digital clocks couldn't cope and could barely last one game before being put in the shade to recover for the next round.

[JustinHorton]

Swansea 95

30.8 on the Gower 3 August

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Recall some 1980s Interzonal tournament where it was ridiculously hot and the players complained."

1985 Biel possibly. I was there (in a lower section.) Some of the players in the women's event wore swimming costumes, which apparently gave them more spectators than usual. Chessbase would have loved it. And I believe some players had moonlit skinny-dipping excursions in the lake.

The temperature at work once reached 40 C for a while. I emailed a complaint to my boss (the Safety Officer), who ignored it, so I went home - at least the car had air-conditioning. Miraculously, I arrived next morning to find a message that I could borrow a desk in a management area, where of course they had air-conditioning!

Chess-wise, I find any more than 25 C is getting too hot.

[NickFaulks]

At one of my outdoor birthday blitz events the heat was such that the digital clocks couldn't cope and could barely last one game before being put in the shade to recover for the next round.

Not DGT 2010s I hope.

[LawrenceCooper]

At one of my outdoor birthday blitz events the heat was such that the digital clocks couldn't cope and could barely last one game before being put in the shade to recover for the next round.

Not DGT 2010s I hope.

Although it's six years ago I'm fairly sure that they were.

[Alex Holowczak]

I have always found it strange that if the heating breaks in a school in winter, the school is shut before you can say "Why not just put a coat on?" But when it's 30C+ in July in old school buildings with poor ventilation and no air conditioning, you soldier on regardless. In general, public buildings here are dreadful when it comes to providing air conditioning; certainly compared to other countries. It's not as if we don't need them, either.

[JustinHorton]

There's never been a legal maximum, as far as I'm aware. I believe work temperatures used to be governed by the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act of 1963, since superceded by I forget what, and although thete was a minimum which (again relying on my unreliable memory) might have been 18.5, there was no maximum. Why not? Dunno.

[MartinCarpenter]

Its something to do with them not wanting to set a legal maximum because of glass foundry workers and stuff.

Which is a pretty feeble excuse but anyway

[Kevin Thurlow]

"There's never been a legal maximum, as far as I'm aware. I believe work temperatures used to be governed by the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act of 1963, since superceded by I forget what, and although thete was a minimum which (again relying on my unreliable memory) might have been 18.5, there was no maximum. Why not? Dunno."

Yes - I think the minimum depended on whether it was an office (16 C) or other premises (13 C if you're rushing about, same as a beer cellar!), so the actual figure varied. There is no maximum here, because it didn't get hot in UK (until global warming), but there is a maximum in Australia (e.g.) where it can get pretty hot. Apparently, in Victoria, you should have 20 minutes rest an hour if it gets to 35 C! Canada recommends 35 - 40 as 'limit of high temperature tolerance'. That's beyond my limit...

[Alex Holowczak]

but there is a maximum in Australia (e.g.) where it can get pretty hot. Apparently, in Victoria, you should have 20 minutes rest an hour if it gets to 35 C! Canada recommends 35 - 40 as 'limit of high temperature tolerance'. That's beyond my limit...

The Australian Open tennis has an Extreme Heat Policy, which came under much criticism in 2014 when players complained it was much too hot to play, but play continued even in temperatures over 40C. After complaints from players that 35C and a certain Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (which factors in humidity) were too high and not suitable for play, the organisers decided to increase the temperature from 35C to 40C, with a corresponding WBGT, so that play would be interrupted less often. It's reassuring to see player welfare at the heart of such decisions.

I was umpiring cricket yesterday and temperatures reached 33C. I guess everyone has their own tolerances, but it was too hot for me.