Chess boom?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"playing chess on the low wall outside King’s College at Waterloo. It was cold and they were appropriately dressed in hats, coats, scarves and gloves. It looked like they'd been there most of the evening and the bars where open - what's going on!"

Previously occupied by Laboratory of the Government (in 1975 roughly 15 % of the staff were members of the chess club!). In those days, there were 26 pubs within 10 minutes walk of the building...

[Angus French]

Sorry to be a party pooper.

The has been a steady return to rated chess in 2022, but on average the number of results for both standard and rapid chess are running in the low 60%s of the 2019 levels.

Can you tell us:
1) How many people played OTB ECF-rated chess in 2019;
2) How many people played OTB ECF-rated chess in 2022; and
3) How many of those who played in 2022 are new and didn't play in 2019?

[Roger de Coverly]

The has been a steady return to rated chess in 2022, but on average the number of results for both standard and rapid chess are running in the low 60%s of the 2019 levels.

I assume you are doing calendar 2019 v calendar 2022. Various major players including Hastings and CSC London were missing in 2022. Would six months Jul 2019 to December 2019 against the same period in 2022 show a better outcome? The 2019-20 season only 8 and a half months to March 2020.

[Brian Valentine]

Sorry to be a party pooper.

The has been a steady return to rated chess in 2022, but on average the number of results for both standard and rapid chess are running in the low 60%s of the 2019 levels.

Can you tell us:
1) How many people played OTB ECF-rated chess in 2019;
2) How many people played OTB ECF-rated chess in 2022; and
3) How many of those who played in 2022 are new and didn't play in 2019?

I have been developing a stats package that will eventually get on the website. So I'm happy to provide extracts from that data. I have plenty else to do without doing personalised extracts. A lot of the data is to keep an eye on how the monthly ratings are going, so my interest in 2019 is limited. This below is available and I hope it works for Angus. It shows the monthly number of active players at standard play. Obviously someone could be active in each of the 12 months.

2019 2022
1 8,617 4,949
2 8,168 5,774
3 8,031 6,427
4 7,002 5,413
5 4,995 4,345
6 2,503 3,135
7 2,421 1,978
8 2,115 1,730
9 4,857 3,733
10 8,300 7,101
11 8,338 7,161
12 6,819 5,139

In answer to Roger, I was quoting in calendar years

[Mike Gunn]

---
Elsewhere, coming home from a London League Committee meeting at about 10.30pm on Friday night there were some 30 (I assume) students, who'd attracted a small crowd, playing chess on the low wall outside King’s College at Waterloo. It was cold and they were appropriately dressed in hats, coats, scarves and gloves. It looked like they'd been there most of the evening and the bars where open - what's going on!

These guys are @otbsouthbank. About 6 months ago I stopped and played a game. I have got a photo of their setup which I could post here if anyone can tell me how.

[Angus French]

Sorry to be a party pooper.

The has been a steady return to rated chess in 2022, but on average the number of results for both standard and rapid chess are running in the low 60%s of the 2019 levels.

Can you tell us:
1) How many people played OTB ECF-rated chess in 2019;
2) How many people played OTB ECF-rated chess in 2022; and
3) How many of those who played in 2022 are new and didn't play in 2019?

I have been developing a stats package that will eventually get on the website. So I'm happy to provide extracts from that data. I have plenty else to do without doing personalised extracts. A lot of the data is to keep an eye on how the monthly ratings are going, so my interest in 2019 is limited. This below is available and I hope it works for Angus. It shows the monthly number of active players at standard play. Obviously someone could be active in each of the 12 months.

2019 2022
1 8,617 4,949
2 8,168 5,774
3 8,031 6,427
4 7,002 5,413
5 4,995 4,345
6 2,503 3,135
7 2,421 1,978
8 2,115 1,730
9 4,857 3,733
10 8,300 7,101
11 8,338 7,161
12 6,819 5,139

In answer to Roger, I was quoting in calendar years

Thanks Brian. Um, I was really interested in annual figures - like Richard Haddrell used to publish (but without the breakdown detail) and to answer the questions: were there fewer active OTB players in 2022 than in 2019 and, if yes, how much smaller was the population? The monthly figures you've provided give some indication but a player will play in some months but not others (typically summer months). I appreciate we now have a monthly rating system.

[Geoff Chandler]

These guys are @otbsouthbank. About 6 months ago I stopped and played a game. I have got a photo of their setup which I could post here if anyone can tell me how.

HI Mike,

Their website has a few pictures; https://southbanklondon.com/Inside-Sout ... s-Club-OTB

Seems to have started up due to covid; "....but for the most part clubs in London are held in pubs, coffee shops, or dingy basement rooms and with the reality of Covid affecting the dynamic of those spaces."

[David Gilbert]

These guys are @otbsouthbank. About 6 months ago I stopped and played a game. I have got a photo of their setup which I could post here if anyone can tell me how.

HI Mike,

Their website has a few pictures; https://southbanklondon.com/Inside-Sout ... s-Club-OTB

Seems to have started up due to covid; "....but for the most part clubs in London are held in pubs, coffee shops, or dingy basement rooms and with the reality of Covid affecting the dynamic of those spaces."

I'm learning more. Seems it's not just the South Bank. Street chess is becoming popular right across London. If you're out & about and desperate for a game then there's one to be found at Granary Square at Kings Cross on a Wednesday night or on Saturday afternoon at St John's Square in Clerkenwell. More here about these two https://www.fourcorner.club/?email= Well done the organisers!

[Tim Spanton]

These guys are @otbsouthbank. About 6 months ago I stopped and played a game. I have got a photo of their setup which I could post here if anyone can tell me how.

HI Mike,

Their website has a few pictures; https://southbanklondon.com/Inside-Sout ... s-Club-OTB

Seems to have started up due to covid; "....but for the most part clubs in London are held in pubs, coffee shops, or dingy basement rooms and with the reality of Covid affecting the dynamic of those spaces."

I'm learning more. Seems it's not just the South Bank. Street chess is becoming popular right across London. If you're out & about and desperate for a game then there's one to be found at Granary Square at Kings Cross on a Wednesday night or on Saturday afternoon at St John's Square in Clerkenwell. More here about these two https://www.fourcorner.club/?email= Well done the organisers!

In Brick Lane on Sundays there's a guy plays blitz against all-comers

[MartinCarpenter]

Thanks Brian. Um, I was really interested in annual figures - like Richard Haddrell used to publish (but without the breakdown detail) and to answer the questions: were there fewer active OTB players in 2022 than in 2019 and, if yes, how much smaller was the population? The monthly figures you've provided give some indication but a player will play in some months but not others (typically summer months). I appreciate we now have a monthly rating system.

Except that chess really isn't an annual affair Or at least a YoY comparison should be September to September. Especially this time. People playing in winter leagues will tend to play in them for a given season or not at all.

You can see it in the data here - Jan 57%, Feb 70%, Mar 80%, Apr 77%, May 87%, Jun 125%(!), July 82%, Aug 82%, Sept 77%, Oct 86%, Nov 86%, Dec 75%

Essentially we recovered to ~85% of pre Covid activity last Spring - once Covid wasn't a truly serious problem - and we seem to be sticking around that level for the moment. Quite a good result overall I'd say, there was always going to be some damage. I think FtF Bridge has been hit much harder?

Matches precisely what I've seen with the Yorkshire league too. That was rather weak in 21-22, its back to fairly normal strength in 22-23.

We might of course actually be in a boom, what are the online play statistics doing? Anyone's guess whether those can be eventually converted into face to face players but they're players none the less.

[Angus French]

Thanks Brian. Um, I was really interested in annual figures - like Richard Haddrell used to publish (but without the breakdown detail) and to answer the questions: were there fewer active OTB players in 2022 than in 2019 and, if yes, how much smaller was the population? The monthly figures you've provided give some indication but a player will play in some months but not others (typically summer months). I appreciate we now have a monthly rating system.

Except that chess really isn't an annual affair Or at least a YoY comparison should be September to September. Especially this time. People playing in winter leagues will tend to play in them for a given season or not at all.

You can see it in the data here - Jan 57%, Feb 70%, Mar 80%, Apr 77%, May 87%, Jun 125%(!), July 82%, Aug 82%, Sept 77%, Oct 86%, Nov 86%, Dec 75%

Essentially we recovered to ~85% of pre Covid activity last Spring - once Covid wasn't a truly serious problem - and we seem to be sticking around that level for the moment. Quite a good result overall I'd say, there was always going to be some damage. I think FtF Bridge has been hit much harder?

Matches precisely what I've seen with the Yorkshire league too. That was rather weak in 21-22, its back to fairly normal strength in 22-23.

We might of course actually be in a boom, what are the online play statistics doing? Anyone's guess whether those can be eventually converted into face to face players but they're players none the less.

Yes, but what you want, no, is an idea of how many players are active and month-on-month comparisons aren't going to give you that because players will play irregularly?

[Geoff Chandler]

The 'Chess Boom' has mainly taken place online and I saw a good question recently.

In the time before computers we were often called 'Wood Pushers' what do we call the online only players?
I've answered 'Pixel Pushers.' ( I'm thinking that is too obvious, any other suggestions?)

[Tim Spanton]

The 'Chess Boom' has mainly taken place online and I saw a good question recently.

In the time before computers we were often called 'Wood Pushers' what do we call the online only players?
I've answered 'Pixel Pushers.' ( I'm thinking that is too obvious, any other suggestions?)

Trackpad touchers?

[MartinCarpenter]

Yes, but what you want, no, is an idea of how many players are active and month-on-month comparisons aren't going to give you that because players will play irregularly?

Maybe. The bulk of players seems to be keeping the monthly comparisons fairly (surprisingly even) stable once Covid is removed as a major factor.

If you want a yearly comparison you really need to wait until we have a whole year without Covid really messing with things. Spring 2022 - Spring 2023 looks like the earliest.

[Brian Valentine]

....Thanks Brian. Um, I was really interested in annual figures - like Richard Haddrell used to publish (but without the breakdown detail) and to answer the questions: were there fewer active OTB players in 2022 than in 2019 and, if yes, how much smaller was the population? The monthly figures you've provided give some indication but a player will play in some months but not others (typically summer months). I appreciate we now have a monthly rating system.

There are reasons that these numbers are not 100%, but curating them for e.g. players who are only there by way of one default, does not justify the effort. The 2022 numbers might increase by a few as late results arrive.

In 2019, 13,947 played standard play with 12,271 equivalent in 2022; 7,004 are found in both lists. If we look at all lists combined (obviously online and OTB blitz were not available for rating in 2019) the corresponding numbers are 22,694/19,156/8,763.

As a rule of thumb there is c15% turnover each year, lapses heavily weighted to new players. This implies people in both lists 3 years apart should be over 60%.