(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Matt Bridgeman]

Tier 4 - is a new and harder regime. Christmas No way and vaccine may not arrive.

What, ever?

The party line at the moment is there is 'no current evidence' that the new vaccines won't work on the new fast spreading strain. But probably we are more at the fingers crossed phase rather than knowing definitively.
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-sho ... n-12161566

[Matt Mackenzie]

There is not yet any absolute proof that vaccines will work on this "new" strain, but every reason to believe that they should.

[Tim Spanton]

"Flights from Britain to Poland will be suspended from midnight on Monday due to concerns over a new strain of coronavirus, the government's spokesman announced on Twitter." THEfirstNEWS

That's put paid to Kraków, not that it seemed likely to go ahead from Dec 27 anyway (the venue hotel has to shut from the 28th)

[Matt Bridgeman]

I don’t know what other people think, but probably these next couple of months might be the worst so far. I’d guess another lengthy national lockdown in January must be fairly likely, with the added tricky element that the new strain seemed to still spread fairly easily in the south east despite the last lockdown. With the bonus awful news that not only is it 70% faster spreading, the new strain would appear also to deliver a bigger viral load to the unlucky recipient.
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-gov ... n-12169134

[John McKenna]

"... not only is it 70% faster spreading... "

I think if you look into that you'll find it is said to be from 40% up to 70%.

Just heard Prof. Andrew Hayward on BBC Radio 4 News say what sounded like it could be 70% on average.

Too soon to gave anything more accurate than ballpark figures it seems.

[John Moore]

I don’t know what other people think, but probably these next couple of months might be the worst so far. I’d guess another lengthy national lockdown in January must be fairly likely, with the added tricky element that the new strain seemed to still spread fairly easily in the south east despite the last lockdown. With the bonus awful news that not only is it 70% faster spreading, the new strain would appear also to deliver a bigger viral load to the unlucky recipient.
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-gov ... n-12169134

Rather oddly, it doesn't seem clear that a higher viral load necessarily causes a worse case of the disease. There seems to be differing views on this - really, you say, with a sigh. What it does mean is that a higher virus load will cause you to shed more virus particles and you will therefore be considerably more infectious. Hence the increased transmissibility of the new strain.

[Simon Rogers]

"Flights from Britain to Poland will be suspended from midnight on Monday due to concerns over a new strain of coronavirus, the government's spokesman announced on Twitter." THEfirstNEWS

That's put paid to Kraków, not that it seemed likely to go ahead from Dec 27 anyway (the venue hotel has to shut from the 28th)

Bit of a shame. I think flights are still going ahead to Czech Republic and Slovakia. Anything taking place over there?
I think flights to Israel have been suspended, not sure about Malta.

[Simon Rogers]

I don’t know what other people think, but probably these next couple of months might be the worst so far. I’d guess another lengthy national lockdown in January must be fairly likely, with the added tricky element that the new strain seemed to still spread fairly easily in the south east despite the last lockdown. With the bonus awful news that not only is it 70% faster spreading, the new strain would appear also to deliver a bigger viral load to the unlucky recipient.
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-gov ... n-12169134

I've noticed your local Labour MP wanted Lancaster to drop into Tier 2 last week. Since then, cases in Lancaster have gone up by 85%.

[Simon Rogers]

I am sorry to say I have a further 2 Deaths and Obituaries to report later. One from Yorkshire and the other from the South West. Not Covid related.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Rather oddly, it doesn't seem clear that a higher viral load necessarily causes a worse case of the disease. There seems to be differing views on this - really, you say, with a sigh. What it does mean is that a higher virus load will cause you to shed more virus particles and you will therefore be considerably more infectious. Hence the increased transmissibility of the new strain."

Unfortunately, it is very likely that this thing will mutate (I think mutations were spotted months ago). That's entirely normal. It might be easier to catch, but it might be milder (we hope) or worse... Also, are the public getting used to the restrictions and routinely being careful, or are they getting so used to them, they get careless?

I have had the flu jab every year for years and it either works totally or pretty well, depending on what the flu virus is doing. (The one year I didn't get the flu jab, I got three bad cases of flu.) So any covid vaccine should be at least partially effective. Vaccine suppliers are always "playing catch up".

[Tim Spanton]

"Flights from Britain to Poland will be suspended from midnight on Monday due to concerns over a new strain of coronavirus, the government's spokesman announced on Twitter." THEfirstNEWS

That's put paid to Kraków, not that it seemed likely to go ahead from Dec 27 anyway (the venue hotel has to shut from the 28th)

Bit of a shame. I think flights are still going ahead to Czech Republic and Slovakia. Anything taking place over there?
I think flights to Israel have been suspended, not sure about Malta.

This has just appeared at the CzechTour site:

The festivals in Prague and Marienbad were postponed due to corona crisis development in the Czech Republic. New dates are 16—23 April 2021 for Marienbad Open and 24 April — 1 May 2021 for Prague Open.

[Simon Rogers]

Thanks Tim. There seems to be plenty of tournaments down under already for next year. The New Zealand Calendar is filling up nicely.
I'll probably start a New Topic for Obscure Tournaments in 2021.
Good to see an OTB Tournament for Juniors taking place in Oxford,Oxfordshire Sunday 10th January. Well done Joseph Conlon for arranging it.

[Stewart Reuben]

None of you seems to mention the First Saturday round robin tournaments in Budapest. They have been proceeding on schedule. There is never any scheduled for January.

[Leonard Barden]

None of you seems to mention the First Saturday round robin tournaments in Budapest. They have been proceeding on schedule. There is never any scheduled for January.

Quite right, Stewart, and what is more Keith Arkell played in a First Saturday two months or so ago, announcing it advance here and winning a nice game despite a below par overall result, and that wasn't covered, If this topic is to be of value, surely the highest priority should go to events where English players participate, and the lowest to events in far flung continents where our players cannot realistically venture.

Right now two English juniors, one of them the son of a respected Forum member, are competing in Sunway Sitges in an international open, fighting bravely against much higher rated opponents, and still gaining Fide rating points. Don't they merit at least as much coverage as events in New Zealand or Alaska?

[Stewart Reuben]

Mark Lyell also frequently plays in the First Saturday events. James Howell played every month until he achieved the GM title - and then retired from chess.
The graded sections do go down fairly low. There are the usual pros and cons of round robin v Swiss.
When I looked in once, it seemed well enough run.
I don't know the travel regulations to and from Hungary.