British Chess Championships 2010

[Adam Raoof]

A lot of people don't realise that the Major Open is already open to non host nation titled players! We just need to let them know...

[Richard Cowan]

I agree somewhat Alan,
but I also think that the 2-week long format of the Major Open makes it unattractive for many people to play in.
I personally don't see the point in having it U-2200 myself. you could still get the 5 top players U-2200 who are eligible to qualify for the british to be given places next year... Might get some foreign players enter then too? They spend money like everyone else!
But not to 2200+ players Adam! might be a few who'd come!?

[Richard Cowan]

Adam, I think it's not attractive for them because it's 2-weeks long and accommodation is expensive in the UK... :/

[Sean Hewitt]

By having more strigent criteria to qualify for the Championship would make the Major Open stronger and more attractive to enter, and should increase entries and thus not affect income significantly

...except, assuming that the entry fee for the Major Open would be less than the Championship you would to attract proportionately more players to the Major Open than just those players who can no longer player in the Championship. That may or may not be possible depending on the new format.

As perhaps one of the busiest organisers in the country I intend a full reply later in the week. However, it's safe to say that you cannot satisfiy everyone. It's about finding acceptable compromises.

[Alex Holowczak]

Another problem is that the British has a high level of players under 2200, this is mainly due to the high volume of qualifying events around the country (now all FIDE rated tournaments get a place).

Why is that a problem?

[Adam Raoof]

Another problem is that the British has a high level of players under 2200, this is mainly due to the high volume of qualifying events around the country (now all FIDE rated tournaments get a place).

Why is that a problem?

It could be a problem because those players are then barred from entering the Major Open, as they are prequalified for the British. These are just the players we need to encourage to play in the Open!

[Stewart Reuben]

York University campus is utterly beautiful and the venue would, at the time I investigated it, have been free. But it was only half the size we needed.
The event is supposed to move around the country. When I took back over briefly in 2009, it was clear to me that the event not having been in the SCCU since 1997 was wrong. Thus Canterbury 2010.
We have been happy with Swansea in Wales of recent years, although Swansea University was unsuitable in 1995. David Welch and I looked at Llandudno. But we cannot get that before 2012 (perhaps 2013?). The playing venue is perfect and the resort delightful. But we failed to find where there was a cluster of restaurants. Aberystwyth, like Torquay is a long way for many people and thus expensive for travelling.
Scotland we can leave in the capable hands of Alex McFarlane to find somewhere suitable. Edinburgh attracts one of the highest level of entries.

Is an entry fee of £200 so high if the total cost of playing in the event is £1000 as stated by somebody? If the event is sponsored, this hs always been because of the British.

The idea of having two 9 round Swises in favour of one 11 round Major Open is a novel one. We used to have 9 rounds in 5 days opens, but they were discontinued due to lack of support. It would be quite expensive to make the Major Open a norm event. The competition from events in other countries is now high.

There would probably have been a questionnaire in 2009, but I was otherwise engaged. If you would like to prepare questions on such a questionnaire to be circulated at the congress, on this forum, on the ECF website and to the ECF members, subscribers to ChessMoves and Right Move, then I am sure Adam would oblige with creating one.
A couple of years ago when there was a similar thread I did volunteer to write a critique of all the venues from 1980. It would be quite a lot of work. Nobody asked me to do so.

Stewart Reuben

[Ian Thompson]

Another problem is that the British has a high level of players under 2200, this is mainly due to the high volume of qualifying events around the country (now all FIDE rated tournaments get a place).

Why is that a problem?

Because the entry fee is high, you need to offer something to make players think it is worth paying. Why would a player rated, say, 2250-2350, want to pay £200 to play in an event with many players rated much lower than himself?

Convince me that I should have paid £200 to play in the British Championship, rather than the €30 I'm actually going to pay to play in Barcelona instead.

[Alan Walton]

I have to agree with Ian, to make the Championship more attractive it has to be a little more exclusive. I have no problem with players under 2200 being the Championship if they have qualified (I am one myself, under 2200 that is), but the problem I see is that most weekenders are of sufficient strength to have the offer of a qualifying place and also there seems to be way to many places on offer

Ideally maybe half of the under 2200 entered this year, would be more suited to enter the Major Open

The current problem is that the Major Open is not a good/strong enough tournament to warrant 2 weeks holiday and the high expense, when, like Ian said you can go abroad and play much stronger tournaments for half the price. I would be willing to enter the Major Open if it was more attractive to the 2100+ players who haven't qualified

[Richard Cowan]

Stewart, what about schools hosting it / etc? Some of them would surely be big enough, and would fit in well with trying to promote the games to juniors too.
Surely a top private school would gain much presitge from hosting the British?
Somewhere like http://www.stpetersvenue.co.uk/conferences.asp] might be worth contacting?
I don't know if you could get a free venue, but with in-built accommodation, it might be possible?

[Alex McFarlane]

With slight revision I had all of the following on my computer because the points raised are being investigated. Unfortunately spotting problems is easy, finding solutions much more difficult. I look forward to seeing any suggestions.
For info I did I site visit to a potential venue for 2012 last week. I think that it would be acceptable to those looking for a seaside venue. Obviously at this point I cannot be too specific, but it is not in Scotland.

The Championship
The format for this can only change if a major sponsor is found. The qualifiers and the entry fees paid help cover the costs of the event. I don't think that a 12 or 14 player All-Play-All is the right format even if huge sponsorship could be found. With a good sponsorship agreement it might be beneficial to limit the field to approx 32 players. Making it a strong attractive event but allowing some lower rated players the opportunity to qualify. In which case there is some merit in continuing the existing qualification scheme but in which case you would have an extra stage. This would be participation in one of two or three weekend events at which you then qualified for the British (similar to UK Challenge). Of course fitting these events into the calendar will present other problems.

Regardless it is obvious that if the Championship is to survive as a prestigious event we need a minimum of £10,000 to cover reasonable appearance fees. We must consider ways of raising this money. It will be possible this year to make donations in appreciation of the live game coverage.

If a sponsor is found then any money raised could provide a reserve fund.

Major Open
The Major Open is recognised as being in need of a revamp.
In the past it was very popular as it was one of the few ways in Britain to get a FIDE rating. It still attracts a largish junior entry but that can put off some adults who feel that they are dropping points to under rated juniors. It seems likely that the afternoon 5 day events are taking some of the entry away, also more MO type players seem to be qualifying for the Championship. Qualifiers for the Championship are prevented from taking part in the MO, perhaps this policy should be reviewed.

Ideally it should provide IM norm opportunities using foreign IMs but this is costly and without a sponsor is unlikely to happen. That could also be unpopular with British IMs though there is an argument that if you want a GM norm you play in the British but if you want an IM norm you play in the MO. There is also the additional problem that any alterations to the MO should not adversely affect the Championship itself.

I am assuming that the format stays at one round per day as it would be very difficult to fit in 2 rounds at IM norm times without the problems of staggered starts with the other events. Players would be at an important point in their MO morning game when others come into the hall for the start of their afternoon session.

Unfortunately, at the moment I cannot see an easy to implement alternative format. I can think of a variety of formats but in each the disadvantages seem to outweigh the advantages.

[Richard Cowan]

The Championship... The format for this can only change if a major sponsor is found.

Agree, should be a major priority. If 1 major sponsor cannot be found then 2-5 smaller ones might be a better bet.

I am assuming that the format stays at one round per day as it would be very difficult to fit in 2 rounds at IM norm times without the problems of staggered starts with the other events. Players would be at an important point in their MO morning game when others come into the hall for the start of their afternoon session.

Surely this could be resolved by using some screening and/or use of alternative rooms?

Regardless it is obvious that if the Championship is to survive as a prestigious event we need a minimum of £10,000 to cover reasonable appearance fees. We must consider ways of raising this money. It will be possible this year to make donations in appreciation of the live game coverage.

Maybe the ECF (or individuals) could organise some fundraising events? Simuls / gimmicky events might be an idea? There must people who could ofer their time for free? Even do something like a raffle for a funded place at the British (in whatever section a player was eligible for). I could see youselling a lot of tickets at maybe £3-5... Might be quite easy to sell at congresses for example?

[Alex McFarlane]

Screens can actually increase the amount of noise as people don't see the players!! Separate rooms can limit the choice of venue and would certainly mean more arbiters and therefore higher costs. The Seniors is now an afternoon event for this reason.

To be legal a raffle would require the organiser to be registered. I probably shouldn't say this but a prize of free entry to one of the weekend events is not a very attractive prize for a £3 ticket. A properly organised major raffle is a possibility of course if there is a volunteer willing to find appropriate prizes.

[Alan Walton]

If the ECF took control of the qualifying tournaments then this could be a way of acquiring funds to fees, where £x of the entry fee is specifically channelled towards them

[Richard Cowan]

I meant a prize of entry to the British or MO with funded accommodation. That would be a good prize. The ECF isn't registered already? I believe there are exemptions for non-profit making societies/etc. and I'm not sure if the ECF qualifies, but even if not, maybe this should be something which is looked into? A license might be a worthwhile try to get some more fundraising going?

To be legal a raffle would require the organiser to be registered. I probably shouldn't say this but a prize of free entry to one of the weekend events is not a very attractive prize for a £3 ticket. A properly organised major raffle is a possibility of course if there is a volunteer willing to find appropriate prizes.

Surely the point is that "appropriate prizes" should be entry to chess tournaments, chess books, free ECF membership for a year/etc. and hopefully shouldn't actually cost too much or require much procurement!