(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Simon Rogers]

The entries for the Northumberland Chess Congress have increased overnight to 59.
The City of Dublin Championships entries have increased to 86.

[Chris Goodall]

The entries for the Northumberland Chess Congress have increased overnight to 59.

As exciting as it is that people have confidence in our CoViD-19 protocol, this is a typical pattern of entries for a chess tournament. Are you expecting to see it go down?

[Simon Rogers]

The entries for the Northumberland Chess Congress have increased overnight to 59.

As exciting as it is that people have confidence in our CoViD-19 protocol, this is a typical pattern of entries for a chess tournament. Are you expecting to see it go down?

I hope it doesn't go down.
I'm keeping positive.

[Matt Bridgeman]

The English Bridge Union say the new measures remove any doubt that face to face bridge competitions can return and say it’s not possible at this time. European Bridge Union competitions will also be cancelled. They await suitable changes being made in the future before any clubs should reopen;
https://www.ebu.co.uk/node/3901

[Paul Robert Jackson]

The English Bridge Union say the new measures remove any doubt that face to face bridge competitions can return and say it’s not possible at this time. European Bridge Union competitions will also be cancelled. They await suitable changes being made in the future before any clubs should reopen;
https://www.ebu.co.uk/node/3901

Interesting.
I am sure there are several Chess Clubs that meet in the venues of Bridge Clubs.
I have visited several over the years.

[Simon Rogers]

The English Bridge Union say the new measures remove any doubt that face to face bridge competitions can return and say it’s not possible at this time. European Bridge Union competitions will also be cancelled. They await suitable changes being made in the future before any clubs should reopen;
https://www.ebu.co.uk/node/3901

Interesting.
I am sure there are several Chess Clubs that meet in the venues of Bridge Clubs.
I have visited several over the years.

With Scarborough Congress cancelled, will you be playing Harrogate Congress, Paul.

[Simon Rogers]

Simon's Hot Tip
The City of Dublin Championships 2020
25th-27th September
Prize fund:€3,000
Sections: Masters (1900+)
Championship (1550-1950)
Major ( 1150-1600)
Challenger ( Under 1200)
I've started a new topic for it in the Congress Diary Section.

[Chris Rice]

The English Bridge Union say the new measures remove any doubt that face to face bridge competitions can return and say it’s not possible at this time. European Bridge Union competitions will also be cancelled. They await suitable changes being made in the future before any clubs should reopen;
https://www.ebu.co.uk/node/3901

Interesting.
I am sure there are several Chess Clubs that meet in the venues of Bridge Clubs.
I have visited several over the years.

The difference is I guess that you have to bid at Bridge tournaments, in the same way that singing is a problem at church services with the increased danger of spreading the virus. Chess on the other hand can be played without your opponent saying a word to you and without your opponent even needing to shake your hand at the beginning and end which I have experienced countless times through the years without pandemics ever being a factor.

[Wadih Khoury]

Latest french federation protocols for chess tournaments:



No major changes since last time, key bits are 1m distancing, wash your hands, and masks for all above 11 years of age.

[Wadih Khoury]

And here is a video showing how a recent tournament managed the safety protocols.
You can see players sometimes forgetting not to shake hands.
Fun thing, the players are the ones that clean the pieces after each game!

https://mobile.twitter.com/EtienneMensc ... 5245860864

[Paul Habershon]

The difference is I guess that you have to bid at Bridge tournaments, in the same way that singing is a problem at church services with the increased danger of spreading the virus. Chess on the other hand can be played without your opponent saying a word to you and without your opponent even needing to shake your hand at the beginning and end which I have experienced countless times through the years without pandemics ever being a factor.

No bridge tournaments and hardly any bridge clubs speak bids. Instead each player has a box from which to draw bidding cards which lie face up on the table until the auction is over and the opening lead made. Normally when you move to the next table you wouldn't take the bidding box with you, but it could be a Covid protocol to carry your own bidding box around.

Apart from the problem of two pairs of players at one table (and meeting different pairs every 15 minutes), each playing card is handled by up to a dozen people at each session. Obviously the Rule of Six completely prevents duplicate bridge anyway. Thousands are playing online when they wouldn't normally, but, guess what, there is no shortage of cheats. The EBU has already named one in its magazine. It's not just, for instance, being able to have a phone line open with your partner. The guilty party mentioned had contrived to open a kibitzing window on a separate device and was able to see all four hands as he played them. No doubt the kibitzing will be often closed down now, depriving innocent spectators of their enjoyment.

[Matt Bridgeman]

A interesting article on the website run by Imperial College London, which has been up and running a week, able to predict council hotspot Covid areas in the coming weeks;
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-h ... 31549.html

And the map on its own to play with; https://imperialcollegelondon.github.io ... local/#map

[Chris Goodall]

A interesting article on the website run by Imperial College London, which has been up and running a week, able to predict council hotspot Covid areas in the coming weeks;
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-h ... 31549.html

And the map on its own to play with; https://imperialcollegelondon.github.io ... local/#map

There's such a thing as "wet bias" in weather forecasting. Forecasters will predict a 20% chance of rain when there's only a 5% chance, so that on the 5% of occasions when it actually rains, their viewers won't write in and complain.

I notice that none of the areas on the map go from deeper red to lighter over time. What they've done is predicted that everything will get worse. Which is an easy prediction to make, cos no-one will complain if it's wrong.

[Tim Spanton]

Typical! I have been avoiding Hungarian tournaments because Hungary is on our government's unclean list.
Then today I get this from GOV.UK:
"The FCDO* has removed Hungary from the Global Travel Advisory exemption list, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks."
Hungary seems ahead of most countries in getting (chess) life back to normal, so should be worth checking out for anyone seeking OTB action.

*For those, me included, not sure what FCDO stands for, here is an explanation in a way only Oxfam could produce:
"The merger of DFID and the FCO into a new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has sent shockwaves through the UK-centred development community, with NGOs and MPs publicly decrying the decision, current and former DFID staff expressing concern and dismay in private and in public, and a generalised sense that, at the very least, things have not been done as well as they should."

[NickFaulks]

"The FCDO* has removed Hungary from the Global Travel Advisory exemption list, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks."

Also Sweden. They must be really sick about that one.