Chess Scotland Noticeboard

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

Has the closed format for four day championship that I suggest really been properly polled?

For a start the key target for pollsters must surely be say all 2000 plus rated players in Scotland (CS or FIDE), who are likely to play in it and we only need 8 of them to actually play to have a viable 2000 plus tournament

A two weekend event would certainly be a complete non-starter in my book (I probably voted against it last year and think it highly unattractive from almost any angle you look at it). When the closed format entrants dropped to 9, that was on the old 9 day (not 4 day) basis ... and if they are 2000 plus then there's no problem in a four day championship of the sort I'm suggesting anyway. If FIDE rating is a problem for more than one round a day (I'm more or less neutral ... though I don't like it for the SNCL), don't FIDE rate it (CS rating for all but a very small number of players in Scotland, who play more FIDE rated games than solely CS rated games is much more meaningful anyway).

The availability of norms isn't even all that essential ... virtually all players who have obtained titles or may be seeking them have had to (or do) travel away from Scotland to gain them generally speaking ... and nowadays there are innumerable opportunities for the ambitious norm hunter. The championship should be primarily about deciding a champion (or champions) ... it shouldn't be loaded with all sorts of other, often near-impossible expectations.

I'm not sure what relevance there may be in the S Wales international - it may have attracted one or two English players who might have played in Scotland, but I'm not convnced of that ... though the clash is certainly unfortunate. And there don't appear to be any Scots entrants in that event either, so it has drained no one away on that score.

On the other hand, if CS can continue to take the financial hit on the 9 day format, maybe it is worth persisting with it, although it must be seriously hard for poor old Alex to have to battle to try to make this work year after year.

I agree that it's no easy matter to resolve these issues. But it remains frightening that this year's excellent venue / organisational set-up hasn't managed to attract at least another 50-75 entries (including some more 2000 plus players). That said, I'm sure that all who play next week will thoroughly enjoy the experience.

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

Craig, go and take a look at last years survey results. The higher the grade, the less the preference for anything but a nine day event. Faced with that data, 9 days, Glasgow or Edinburgh, what would you do?

Ironic isn't it

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

I would like to hear what others think of Craigs idea with a couple of modifications.

People don't want 2 x 5hr games in a day but would two four hour games be more acceptable?

The Easter weekend is a non-starter almost anywhere other than Edinburgh Chess Club. The hire of a venue over a public holiday means that it would cost as much for those four days as an 8-10 day event at another time. Also the idea of a strong junior event so close to exam time must require further consideration.

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Polls are all well and good but I read or heard recently about a study into market research based on polls/questionaires that concluded that the correlation between what people said they would do and what they actually did in practice was poor.

The conclusion was that the market research replies were completed by one part of the brain whereas another part entirely controlled by another. The recommendation was that the only research that was worth while was that based on what people had actually done in the past.

GN · King Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 415

For the record, I would have entered this year if event had been over 4 days with weekend in the middle. Whether or not I'd do that every year would depend on commuting distance from Edinburgh. 2 days off doesn't disrupt the family summer holiday in same way as a week does.

I also strongly support the idea of an Olympiad place guarantee to the Scottish Champion.

On slightly different but related point, can I check is online entry up to date? I was wondering shoudl I enter the weekender event but with equal prizes for all sections (which I object to on principle) and with only 4 or 5 entries in top section (and so full point byes looming) it's hardly looking like an attractive way to spend a weekend.

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

Jim Stevenson · Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:40 am Post subject:

A relatively minor point but still puzzling.

9 day 'international' open format. There must be an expectation that, invited GM's apart, a large proportion of the target market will come from our neighbours south of the border, and further, that a large proportion of these potential players will be either juniors or adults with kids of school age.

....English school holidays begin the last week of July Idea

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

[quote="Craig Pritchett"][quote="admin"]

A Muir · King Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 489 Location: Dumbarton

if anyone wants the scottish champion to have automatic olympiad place, please propose it at AGM

the best scottish championships were those in the 1980s, Troon & St Andrews, 7 rounds, no appearance fees or norms, seaside holidays , all top scots, no foreigners, Roddy McKay, Gerald Bonner etc

JR · King Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 447 Location: Edinburgh

Wasn't the Olympiad place for Scottish Champion proposed a few years ago and voted for at the AGM, however I seem to remember that Jacob Aagaard was completely against it and persuaded people to vote against it at the AGM.

Could be worth another vote though now as this was a good few years ago. The idea makes complete sense. I would actually go a lot further and say that anyone playing in the Olympiad should be playing regularly in Scotland, but that debate is for another topic.

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

Certainly is one for the AGM Joe, The main issues I have are :-

1. We have 5 GM's and a new one appearing shortly. Whom do you drop?

and

2. The Olympiad takes place every 2 years. To give the place to the Euro team one year and the Olympiad team the next is not exactly fair given the level of funding each receives

JR · King Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 447 Location: Edinburgh

Who is the new one?!

Just because you are a GM does not automatically entitle you to a place in the Olympiad team. The GM title shows that at one point that player was of 2500 strength, which is not the case with some of our GMs now. For instance I would strongly argue that players in current good form such as Craig Pritchett and Alan Tate should be higher up on the list for selection than others at the moment.

Look at other sports, players have to QUALIFY for such places. I do not understand this attitude that players have some entitlement to a place in the Olympiad team just because they have a title. The whole selection process for the Olympiad has been flawed for many years as I have said many times in the past. Selectors for the Olympiad should not be contenders for places in the team! When is this going to change?

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

AMcHarg · Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:39 pm Post subject:

AMcHarg · Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:44 pm Post subject:

The Scottish Championship needs to mean something. The trouble is that Chess Scotland doesn't have a whole lot of money to give. We rely on people wanting to be the 'Scottish Champion', but the top players don't seem too bothered anymore.

I would go further than to suggest that the winner of the Championship gets a place in the Olympiad team, and suggest that only players who have played in the Championship are eligible for the Olympiad team.