New "Seniors" Club

[Scott Freeman]

Next month, CCF is starting what will (for this year at least) be a once a month "seniors" club. Basically that means anyone who can make it at 2pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month between October and April (inclusive). On offer will be a FIDE Rated Swiss (more than 1 section if we get enough players) and the chance for the more woodpushing minded senior players to turn up and get an ECF graded game or just play friendlies. Details of the FIDE event and those entered so far can be seen at:
http://www.ccfworld.com/Chess/ChessClub ... sIndex.htm.

The idea is to provide a club for players who don't fancy being out late at night (of all levels) who would like to play their chess more in daylight hours (OK, the middle months they will finish in the dark). Quite happy to see other adults whose schedules allow them to be there at that time. Obviously juniors will be ruled out as they will be at school at that time........well I hope they will be!

The original plan had be to run a "seniors" congress, but this idea seems to have cpatured the imagination a lot more!

[Roger de Coverly]

Next month, CCF is starting what will (for this year at least) be a once a month "seniors" club. Basically that means anyone who can make it at 2pm on the 3rd Tuesday of the month between October and April (inclusive).

It's an approach that's worked for Bridge clubs for years.

[Scott Freeman]

We run 3 of them as well! Monday and Friday daytimes plus Tuesday evenings! Mind you, I think they have a base age of 85 or there abouts......

[IM Jack Rudd]

I make those dates:

18 October
15 November
20 December
17 January
21 February
20 March
17 April

Sounds like a good project.

[Adam Raoof]

What is the CCF definition of 'senior', Scott?

[IM Jack Rudd]

What is the CCF definition of 'senior', Scott?

It's "someone who can regularly make these sessions", if I read it correctly.

[Brendan O'Gorman]

Scott, this could be quite attractive. Would it be possible to take one or more byes (apart from the last round)?

[Scott Freeman]

Jack has read it right on the difinition of "senior." In principle it is aimed at those who are senior in age but to deny one or two available middle aged players to me would seem pointless. The event obviously does preclude junior players who will be at school for at least 6 of the 7 rounds in any case. Maybe Charles Storey would approve.....!

Regarding byes, we will probably operate a 3-2-1 scoring system as we did with our 7 round summer tournaments. This allows defaults to be penalised by a further point instead of a simple loss. As such, we would allow one 2 point bye and a 2nd 1 point bye if required. If anyone needed a bye in the final round, it would have to be a 1 pointer.

I intend to do pairings a few days before each round and will require players to have notified availability by then. Exact details to be decided but as this is the first time we are doing this event, I am feeling my way a little. However am pleased to see we already have half a dozen entries with just under a month to go, so it looks like we will get off the ground OK.

[Alex Holowczak]

Regarding byes, we will probably operate a 3-2-1 scoring system as we did with our 7 round summer tournaments. This allows defaults to be penalised by a further point loss.

Of course, 3-2-1-0 is equivalent to 1-0.5-0-(-0.5)! (I guess it saves getting the website to print fractions...)

You do have one, admittedly small, target market you perhaps haven't considered - students! If they have a gap in their timetable at the appropriate slot, maybe they could even pop along.

[Scott Freeman]

No reason why not! Am sure most of the players will be OK with it. But not all I am sure!