Highest prize in a weekend congress

[MSoszynski]

What is the highest cash prize in the UK for a weekend congress? This year and/or historically.

Most presumably, outright first in an Open.

But which one?

Weekenders only please, not "invitation only" ones either.

[Roger de Coverly]

What is the highest cash prize in the UK for a weekend congress? This year and/or historically.

The 4NCL Congresses offer a first prize of £ 500. Scarborough and Blackpool are comparable.

Back in the 1970s, I think some of the massive London weekenders may have offered a first prize of £ 1000. That would have been with sponsorship of course. In practice there were multiple ties which shared it out amongst more players.

[Ian Thompson]

The Bournemouth Grand had a first prize of £1000 each year from 2012 to 2015, so not less than that.

To make comparisons from different years fair account ought to be taken of inflation though. Adjusting for inflation a current prize would need to be £1400 to exceed Bournemouth's 2012 prize.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Craig Pritchett won the first prize of £1000 in the National Bank of Dubai Evening Standard Chess Congress in 1976!
viewtopic.php?t=10284&start=15

However in that thread Stewart Reuben says that Bojan Kurajica won £1200 in that tournament in a different year.

[MSoszynski]

I wouldn't call Blackpool's and Scarborough's £700 comparable to the 4NCL's £500.

Interesting page on the Bournemouth congresses here: https://www.dorsetchess.co.uk/bulletin- ... -congress/

What is the highest prize in a weekender this year?

[Roger de Coverly]

What is the highest prize in a weekender this year?

Blackpool was £ 700
https://www.blackpoolchess.org.uk/image ... ages_2.pdf
Scarborough will also be £ 700
https://www.scarboroughchess.uk/

[Ian Thompson]

Craig Pritchett won the first prize of £1000 in the National Bank of Dubai Evening Standard Chess Congress in 1976!
viewtopic.php?t=10284&start=15

That would be £6500 now after allowing for inflation.

However in that thread Stewart Reuben says that Bojan Kurajica won £1200 in that tournament in a different year.

He won 1975, according to The Chess Organiser's Handbook. If correct, £1200 in 1975 would be just over £9000 now after allowing for inflation. Would the sponsor have reduced the prize money in 1976 compared to 1975? That seems a little unlikely.

[Leonard Barden]

Would the sponsor have reduced the prize money in 1976 compared to 1975? That seems a little unlikely.

My memory of the events is poor, but I think there might have been a year when the Evening Standard scaled down its support before the National Bank of Dubai arrived with much larger backing and an upmarket West End hotel venue instead of a state school.
Stewart Reuben would remember the exact details better.

[Roger de Coverly]

My memory of the events is poor, but I think there might have been a year when the Evening Standard scaled down its support before the National Bank of Dubai arrived with much larger backing and an upmarket West End hotel venue instead of a state school.

According to the BCM of March 1976 page 103-104, the Evening Standard London Chess Congress took place on the weekends of 12-14 December 1975 and 19-21 December. The venue isn't stated but presumably the Islington Green school as in previous years. Winner of the Open (titled National Bank of Dubai) was Kurajica. First Prize is quoted as £ 700.

Later the same year in the November BCM is a report (pages 499-500) on the "Evening Standard' London Congress. The National Bank of Dubai Open was won by Craig Pritchett for a first prize of £ 1000. This was held in Central London hotels over the weekend 30th July to 1st August. The numbers competing are incredible by today's standards. It was 210 in the Open, 144 in the "Amateur", 213 in the "Minor". In total 818 across all sections.

The following years 1977 and 1978, they split the tournaments over consecutive weekends. 1977 was again in a Central London hotel, whilst 1978 was at the Cunard Hotel next to Hammersmith flyover.

[Nick Ivell]

I played in the open won by Pritchett (one of his best performances). The venue was amazing - far better than any school.

[Pete Morriss]

"What is the highest prize in a weekender this year?"

If you include this season, then the Galway Congress (4-6 April 2025) will have a first prize of €1000.

[Joey Stewart]

Some people have mentioned how much prizes of the olden days are worth today with inflation, but conversely that would mean that the average modern tournament with their £150 prizes is the equivalent of a £20 first prize in the 70s.

[Roger de Coverly]

but conversely that would mean that the average modern tournament with their £150 prizes is the equivalent of a £20 first prize in the 70s.

Go back to the 60s before 1972, Fischer and the mega-tournaments and that's about the score.

[Peter Ackley]

Two from my history:

(1) Getting 3rd outright (grading prize only) in a congress with 4.5. 1st (5.5) and 2nd (5) drew with each other and I lost to 1st and drew with 2nd. However the players were ungraded. The rules of the congress were that ungraded players received 50% of any prize, with the remainder floating down to the next graded player. Thus I received the grading prize, 50% of 1st and 50% of 2nd, which was a 10% higher prize than the published 1st prize.

(2) Again getting 3rd in a grading limited congress (U2000, I think) it was identified, prior to the prize giving, that the winner had held an OTB grade of c.2400, before becoming inactive. The organiser, for some reason, accepted this and did not default them. At the prize giving I was handed my envelope and, on looking inside, queried with the organiser whether it was the right envelope. A brusque confirmation was received and I retired to the bar, only to be confronted by the organiser stating he had given me the wrong envelope and could he check it. I pointed out that he had given me the prize and, in front of those players remaining, had confirmed it was the right prize so I would not be getting the envelope out of my pocket. Let's just say I was very happy with my "3rd" prize.

[Peter Ackley]

Probably off topic but I also played in a congress where the prizes were £500 1st, £300 2nd, £200 3rd and £100 4th (or something close to this) with book prizes after this. Being in a four-way split for 2nd I was expecting to get £150 (and part of a book), especially as no tie-break had been communicated in advance.

After the prize giving I was surprised to have a cheque for £300 - what tie breaker had they used? The answer was alphabetical order.

With my rent being £300pcm I booked a few hours off work the following morning and was in the queue at the bank at 0830. Just in case.