Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Jim Stevenson · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:03 am Post subject:

Speaking as someone who (despite considerable organisational difficulties, including a 500 (!?) mile drive often on the morning of the first round etc, ) played year on year, purely because it was such a good tournament, and who can't play now because the scheduling is too difficult...

With a few possible modifications, Craig's approach is spot -on. The Scottish has always been a great event, and a great asset to Scottish chess. Why we seem to want to destroy it, rather than operate is sensibly and celebrate it, is beyond me.

GN · King Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 415

I think Craig's suggestion is interesting and worth a try.

Being a believer in meritocracy, the only adjustment I'd propose is that the "top women" and "top junior" places are only offered if the 2000 rating minimum criteria applied to everyone else is also met by these individuals. Otherwise, I'd support it.

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

We've just read about an 8 years old girl who's sponsored (£ 4000 per year by the Lawn Tennis group) to improve her tennis. But the parents think that's not enough, so they're selling their house to pay for her tennis education... Shocked

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AMcHarg · Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:19 am Post subject:

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

Whilst I agree that tennis players will earn more than chess players, Anand is reported to have a sponsorship deal of circa £1m per year with MIIT, earns €60-80000 for appearances and $1.2m when he won the world championship.

A chess parent paying £4000 a year for coaching and travel (probably less than paying for a private education) could possibly consider that their offspring could make a generous return on their investment.
You would certainly have to leave Britain to do so though.

AMcHarg · Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:17 am Post subject:

£4000 isn't actually that much money these days. A lot of people pay £1500 each for a family holiday once per year. By the time you have taken flights and accommodation into considerationg, you're lucky if £4k would take the girl to more than a couple of foreign tournaments, considering that at least one adult would need to be with her. A few tournaments per year is never going to turn her into the next Maria Sharapova, selling their house just might; committed parents.

SteveHilton · King Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 443 Location: Greenock

Andrew,
We have to deal with reality here. In the situation you mention, I would hate to have such parents. I am not against developing their talents, but it is most important to have a life outside of chess. Ecluding everything else in favour of one thing is a dangerous road to take. Bobby Fisher is a classic example of this.

Jacqui Thomas · King Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 340

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

The point is, that chess is not, in the current world, a spectator "sport".
Millions of people would have tuned in to watch the Wimbledon final on Sunday. This interest generates a lot of money. That's why tennis players make a lot of money. Chess can't do that. Under free market systems money talks, and chess can barely raise a whisper.

Only where the state has a) the ability to control/direct spending and b) holds the view that chess is a worthwhile activity to promote will we see this happen. The old USSR would be the classic/obvious example.

The fact that chess was such a popular "sport" in the Soviet Union, where there was genuine mass interest in following matches, only highlights the difficulties and in no way suggests that it's easy to turn chess into a specator "sport" The nature of chess means that to watch/follow/enjoy, one requires a degree of technical knowledge/understanding that is actually quite high. This can only exist in a population (such as the USSR) where chess was widely promoted, understood and held in esteem. My mum used to enjoy sitting and watch tennis and snooker on the telly with little knowledge of the games. She could never have done this with a "sport" like chess. This is a harsh reality that needs facing. Should we be looking to join the CP rather than searching for sponsorship Wink

admin · Site Admin Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1386

Craig Pritchett · Queen Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 114

[quote="admin"][quote] I think the most interesting thing for me, given the comments on this thread is that the majority (55%) wanted a 9 day event.

Unfortunately, I fear that this "finding" from last year has itself been "found out". That may be what folk said but they haven't remotely acted on it this year. The poor interest shown in this year's event has really shocked me. And I think it's a signal that radical change is necessary ... we could try to stumble on but the odds must be that any 9 day format (Open international or restricted closed national Swiss event) will neither attract sponsorship nor, even more importantly, attract sufficient entrants to avoid CS making an ongoing and significant financial loss each year.

I still think that we are being inexorably driven towards the Welsh example (and that's probably no bad thing) - a single championship event over 7 rds, restricted to say up to 20 x 2000+ rated players, over 4 consecutive days ... with Easter being an obvious choice from the Friday to Monday - as the only way to try to kick-start real interest again. I don't think that it would attract much, if any sponsorship at all next year (and possibly not for many years) but I'm sure that it would attract more interest, including from many higher-rated players. ALL players (ALL levels) appear to be saying for a wide range of understandable reasons (and I know that I am repeating my earlier post) that we can't easily find or simply justify the time required to play in a championship that is anything other than a concentrated event played over one four day period.

I have perhaps one crumb of sponsorship comfort to offer. The SJCA educational trust would, I think (but I'd have to consult fellow trustees and confirm a lot of small print), be interested in sponsoring a possible financial prize for the top junior in such a four-day event ... this would go to the top junior, in recognition of the expense such a Scottish representative would have to incur later in the year ... as long as that junior benefits from a guaranteed place in the following world u-18 championship, through having won the prize in the championship. I find that an attractive principle (and here I speak as a possible sponsor as well as someone simply interested in promoting the best in Scottish chess).

With my "possible sponsor's hat" on, this is one reason why I think it vitally important that CS shows greater belief in its potential champions (and they don't have to be in the "top 5" or whatever of the CS rating list in any one-year, they just need to have gone for the title and won it). That includes a guarantee that the (overall) champion receives an invited place in the following Olympiad or Euro team champioships. Without such signals, why should any sponsor bother? You might find that a sponsor might put up money specifically and solely for the overall champion to take up that guaranteed place.

Hope helpful.

Daniel Rocks · Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:30 pm Post subject:

Great tournament format idea, Craig. I for one would definitely be interested in playing a 4 day event. 9 days is far too long and I guess most people have something which always crops up and prevents them from playing with such a length of tournament. It would be good to see this idea come to fruition, especially with the incentive of a guaranteed sponsor! Smile

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admin · Site Admin Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1386

I could add that the entry has actually increased on last year...

We moved to 7 days and 9 rounds, people complained about 2 games a day. SNCL, people won't play because it is 2 games a day in a FIDE rated tournament. When people were surveyed they were totally against the 2 weekend format.

How can we consider that format when the overwhelming evidence is against it?

Edinburgh CC using the same format struggled to get entries this year for the first time...

We have tried the closed format tournament, entries dropped to 9.

admin · Site Admin Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1386

Ah, penny just dropped

Alan Jelfs · Queen Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 81

Maybe the Irish Championship could be a model?

http://www.e2e4.org.uk/ireland/
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