Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Alex McFarlane · King Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 413

Such rules are also for the protection of the teacher. Most accusations of misconduct are made by the opposite sex. In additions female pupils are much less likely to point out certain 'conditions' they may be experiencing to a male teacher.

Whilst I tend to think that the rule is overly strict I do have some sympathy for it. Much worse is the risk assessment forms that often have to be filled in. These sometimes require you to indicate where you're going to park your car in advancce of getting there!!! And since I wasn't allowed to take Claire Voyance with me, how would I know?
Very Happy

AMcHarg · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:58 am Post subject:

sigrun · King Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 307 Location: Europa

Paul Denham · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:43 pm Post subject:

The newcomers event is interesting and I can identify with the "brave" comment for anyone coming along to a chess club from scratch. That was me 6.5 years ago and a friendly website convinced me that I would be welcome at Troon Chess Club and welcome I was so websites being as welcoming and friendly as possible is one must do for clubs. Some mug shots help I think .... prospective chess player probably things ... ah that bunch look at least as geeky as me!! I won my first ever game (unrated) and had I lost a whole bunch I am not sure how long it would have taken for me to conclude I am not good enough for a chess club.

In terms of the brave thing, one sad aspect of chess is that when an experience player meets someone just learning the ropes in a graded game then the experienced player must show ZERO MERCY if he or she is interested in their grade otherwise its 25 points off their grade. I have seen relative beginners play well for 20-25 moves, offer a draw in an even(ish) position and as its graded there is NO WAY ON EARTH I will accept the offer even though I know the player has excelled themselves by getting their pieces developed/avoiding some tactics etc etc.

I think one idea of a novices event is if experienced players were paired against them and the idea was to play a couple of 30 min(each) games an evening with the more experienced player notating the game and it being unrated. It would allow some time after games to ask questions. I would argue from experience that the clubs I have seen/been part of are not elitist but they are damn' competitive and it varies from 1 week to 4 weeks to 6 months before some newcomers realise its sink or swim. Some come with the idea they were good at school and that they will show these club boys and girls a thing or two - 2 or three swift defeats later and mentally battered and bruised their ego's cannot take it.

Another type of newcomer is the ones who think the club is social in the way a dominoes or card game might be and get put off by the library "quiet please" element of the game where to many of us more experienced players we enjoy the long silent/inner part of the game as much as we do the analysis afterwards.

As the success at the game involves things such as pattern recognition, calculation skills, evaluation skills, effective time management which all take time - getting new players of similar experience/strength together to play each other OR changing from us boxing them all the time to us sparring with them from time to time would reduce the numbers that are lost.
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It is said that life is too short for chess but that is the fault of life, not chess

Pat McGovern · Bishop Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 24 Location: saltcoats

The Ayrshire Chess Association AGM is yet to be held, i'm sure this topic will be raised. There are moves being made to boost junior involvement within Ayrshire, perhaps we can include novice adults too? At previous Ayrshire committee meetings one of the big problems appeared to be getting "suitable" adults to do coaching. Any ideas to solve this problem?

Pat McGovern · Bishop Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 24 Location: saltcoats

I agree with you Sigrun, but would it be worthwhile in Ayrshire? Greenwood have won all the trophies (even if some did not get presented Rolling Eyes

), have very active players (nationally and internationally) the only thing we lack are female players. AH! an idea, Sigrun wanna join Greenwood?

DGCongalton · Queen Joined: 07 Nov 2010 Posts: 113

If I were to propose a strategy for generating interest, getting new players along to clubs and keep them coming back the key points would be as follows.

1. Have one person charged with the task and give them autonomy to perform the role. The ideal candidate would be someone with a passion for the game as a whole, has played chess in the area for a number of years, who can put the self interest of their own club aside for the greater good of chess in their wider community, who is widely known and respected throughout the regions chess community and as a consequence can obtain assistance from each club in the county in order to achieve their objectives.

2. I would keep the strategy for the encouragement of new adult players separate from the strategy to boost junior involvement within the County, although I would be mindful there may be areas and opportunities where the two might overlap, such as family nights and at an early stage, I would discuss the planning of such areas and events with whoever was tasked with encouraging junior participation, in order to co-ordinate the timetable/schedule of both.

3. Working with a designated member of each club I would devise a schedule of events throughout the season for new adult members, starting with the very basics and beginner’s classes and building on this throughout the year with a variety of open evenings, events, competitions, coaching and activities. Chess night school, if you like. The idea being to sustain the interest of the new player and gradually introduce them into chess in the county. I would have at least one event going on somewhere for newcomers each week and try to have one event a month which took place at the weekend.

4. Ideally, every club would have their own individual strategy for new members but with only limited new additions to the chess playing numbers each season it has to be better done on a county basis, to begin with, with the participation of each club. As the “New Adult Tsar” I would know what each individual club could offer by way of an evening for new players and would work with the clubs to make each evening a success. I would kick things off with a grand opening of the season, on a county level. This would be a well publicised open evening for players throughout the county, which would be held at one of the clubs venues and could be held at a different venue each year. The idea would be to have more of a social evening, than a serious chess evening, with players of all ages and abilities encouraged and enticed to come along and get the season started. Invite players who used to play but have drifted away. Food could be provided, entertainment, book stalls. Make it a carnival atmosphere, why not hire a carnival. Get everyone together in one place, get them to bring non chess playing friends, make it an occasion. Obviously have chess equipment at hand and players could break off the socialising to play but keep it informal. Get the press along to cover it.

5. Having kicked off the season with a grand opening, the schedule would then take the newcomers tour of the county, starting with informal beginner’s nights. Again, such nights would be publicised as much as possible, through local press, radio, posters, websites and any other means available, Clubs would take responsibility for getting and accompanying new players to that week’s event, wherever that might be. So, for example, in Ayrshire the first event could be held at Kilmarnock Chess Club on their first or second night of the season. Normal activities would be “given up” for one night. Members of Kilmarnock Chess Club would make the effort to come out in strength and welcome the new adult players and provide an informal evening of beginner’s chess. This might involve quick games between the newcomers with club members on hand to watch and advise. The following week the tour could move to Troon Chess Club with the members of that club organising the evening’s activities. Perhaps, all the players could be split into two teams or more and play discussion chess, where the teams discuss each move at different sides of the room with the more experienced players taking on the role of coaches and pointing out the good and the bad, before the team moves on a board in the middle of the room. Week three and Ayr could be the venue and clocks could be introduced, week four could be Prestwick and longer games with analysis such as Paul Denham suggested in his post.

I think by now, the idea of how I would schedule things should be apparent. A variety of evenings, a sharing of the task and a bit of a shake-up and wake-up.

As each club would be taking responsibility for organising an evening with the involvement of all their members then there’s no need to decide on a suitable person to coach. Everyone is getting involved at some level. With the involvement of all ten clubs in Ayrshire, clubs would be organising only four or five such nights a year. Weekend events could be organised by the County or in conjunction with interested clubs.

Clubs or members who are reluctant to get involved in the idea, should be encouraged to consider who they will be playing in season’s to come, as those leaving the club, for one reason or another, are not replaced by new members.

I don’t expect such a strategy would be a magic fix and I’m sure someone working on this as their project could come up with more meat for the bones, more innovative ways to encourage new people and sustain the interest, better ways to get the message out and probably a better plan overall.

I imagine it might be a slow process to start with but the key would be to persevere with the plan over a period of time. Five new players this season, could become ten next, then twenty the following, as word spreads.

sigrun · King Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 307 Location: Europa

Talking of publicity: We've got a wee piece about the Prestwick congress in this week's paper & a pic of the 2nd div league winners.
Could the 1st & 3rd div winners come along to Stewarton on sun so I can take a pic of each club for the papers? I've never seen those worthy players who've won the cup often times in the local papers! It's time we managed it.
I'd like to do a feature on the female players of Ayrshire in the future. I hope to catch the girls at Stewarton as well.

Pat, if you want female players why don't you get your club to introduce your grannies, mums, sisters, wives & friends into the secrets of tactics & various #? then ask Stephen Taylor to let them lose in the 3rd div teams? They won't need his permission to drive to the other venues!
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''All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.'' Voltaire

sigrun · King Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 307 Location: Europa

DGCongalton · Queen Joined: 07 Nov 2010 Posts: 113

It's just my opinion, that the encouragement and retention of new adult players might be more succesful, if it's initially treated as a separate issue from the encouragement and retention of junior players. I was solely addressing the former. What works for new juniors may not work for new adults.

Some adults who show an initial interest in playing may be put off by an environment geared towards juniors. Some adults coming to the game may prefer to play other adults to begin with.

Separating the two strategies also allows the responsibility for implementing them to be taken on by two different people. Combining the two implies that the needs and wants of both are the same and if they're not, runs the risk of alienating one or the other, if there is a tendency to organise events geared more towards juniors than adults or vice-versa.

Like many others, I'm all for encouraging juniors to play. Hence, the reduced entry fees for Juniors to the Prestwick Congress and the best performing junior competition at the same event. However, I am guilty of not appreciating that new adults to chess might also require special treatment and/or encouragement to turn their initial interest into a long-term association with the game.

As has been previously mentioned some newcomers initial interest and enjoyment of the game may be sadly blasted apart by losing every game they play for a couple of weeks to more experienced players. Some may give up entirely. As "seasoned" players perhaps we don't appreciate the step-up even from complete beginner or novice to the lower end of club player strength. To be beaten all the time by other, more experienced adults must put some people off, so would being beaten by juniors as well be encouraging or bordering on humiliation?

Maybe, organising a beginners/novice evening class type club for adults, on a county level could be an idea, if the logistics of involving all clubs is too great.

The ideas previously aired were overall ideas to encourage and retain and not specifically aimed at training evenings, which are a great example of where the rest of my item 2 might be succesfully employed -

"..I would be mindful there may be areas and opportunities where the two might overlap, such as family nights and at an early stage, I would discuss the planning of such areas and events with whoever was tasked with encouraging junior participation, in order to co-ordinate the timetable/schedule of both."

Should we also have a separate strategy for encouraging new adult women to join the chess playing community?

Stuart Blyth · King Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 209

I agree adults and juniors need different approaches.

I don't think it's difficult to outline what's required to maximise the likelihood of a chess club being successful:

An agreed strategy on how to treat new members (The first time I attended chess club I had to wait at least ten minutes before anyone actually said hello - and no games were in progress, I should add!)

Designated club members, on a rota basis, agree to take an evening out to greet, play with and generally make welcome any new members and/or to play ‘bounce’/non-serious games with novice adults/those not keen to play serious games.

For new adults,who are a bit more serious:
arrange graded games against players closer to their own level, help them get a grade, tell them of congresses, let them play league games if keen.

In short, do all you can to encourage/nurture new/lower-graded adults.
A planned and regular club program

Properly structured club competitions –
Sections for all levels
Matches arranged in advance (that way people know they will have a match and the competitions are more likely to be completed)
Regular allegro/quickplay league with a designated regular slot on the calendar
Regular time handicap tournaments, involving juniors and adults with prizes on offer.

The above helps ensure that all interests are catered for and that there is regular and planned activity at the club.

Serious publicity:
Weekly report in newspapers
Photos and reports for special events and tournaments and club successes
A decent, regularly updated website
Sponsorship for cups and prizes

Good organisation:
Constitution and rules
Club officers with clearly defined roles
Regular meetings
Make sure fees are collected
Contact members who haven't been along for a while

A well-run junior club (can be a separate night or early on the normal club night), that links well to both schools and the senior club. Involve as many adult members in running/helping with the junior club as possible.

The human element – relative harmony within the club and the ability to put the interest of the club above personal issues are essential elements!
This needs at least one, preferably two or three individuals willing to put in a lot of effort. If these individuals have the ability/personality able to drive the club forward without causing upset/conflict, the task will be easier! Also remember that trying to change too much too quickly can be counterproductive.

The club has to be supportive. Too many people resentful of change make success less likely. Also, if there are people who (while unwilling to put in any effort to improving the club themselves) complain/undermine/criticise for the sake of it, failure is a possibility.

It really takes hard work and good organisation - it's not rocket science.

Glenrothes Chess Club provides a concrete example of all the above in action - from single figure membership to an adult membership of around 30 along with some 25 juniors and back down to single-figure membership and no juniors in the space of a few years.