Chess Scotland Noticeboard

DGCongalton · Queen Joined: 07 Nov 2010 Posts: 113

Keith - I have a travelodge login and a premier inn login and they send me e-mails on a regular basis, providing details of saver rates. I think it's a summer sale that Travelodge are having now, with selected rooms at £19.

For the Dundee congress, I've booked in at Panmuirfield Premier Inn at £29 a night. I stayed there last year and quite liked it. It's not too far from the venue and there's a row of shops there, which is quite handy.

robin moore · King Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 164

I hope most of you guessed there is a bit of tongue in cheek banter going on here. The fact is it is me who nearly always stays in the travelodge ! They are fantastic value for money especially if you don't mind sharing. We usually pay around £19 for a family room with a really nice en-suite bathroom, so between three of us it's just over £6 pppn.

Keith S Rose · Queen Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 107

DGC - thanks David. I hadn't thought of doing that but will now.

BTW - you didn't say if you partook of the Bell Tree Inn at Panmurefield last year. If not (and for anyone else thinking of staying at your hotel) they serve a wide range of very decent meals and a small selection of very acceptable ales.

Robin - there are three Travelodges in Dundee so can we look forward to the pleasure of your company at the Dundee (& Angus) Congress? Smile

robin moore · King Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 164

I hope so Keith but I will have to wait till much nearer the time to find out if the big supermarket chain beginning with s gives me the weekend off in the rota.

David Deary · Queen Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 98

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

For a number of reasons - mostly because of wrong assumptions I made
Crying or Very sad

- Jonny is playing in an event next week (E2E4) in a section containing players that will be significantly lower graded than we hoped, based on the CS conversion formula of 10*ECF + 180 (7 players being <1680 and 2 at 1700&1740). The ECF still uses the old 8*ECF+600 formula and this obviously this makes quite a difference (1700 becomes 1800).

My main two questions here are:-
1. Has there been any further look at the conversion formula to judge how accurate it is?
2. What is the experience of players who have played in England, is the CS formula accurate?
(I know its impossible to be exact!!)

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

My ECF grade on 8 games is 163 (therefore unpublished by I know people!). Under the old conversion this would have made me in the 1900s which at my prime would have been reasonably accurate but now ....

Unless we are going to introduce a range of formulas for different rating bands I think our conversion factor is much better than that used by the ECF.

robin moore · King Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 164

Mike,

You really need replies from guys who have played in England over the last couple of years but as yet do not have an ECF rating. There are a couple of exceptions tournament wise but most organisers/chief arbiters in England will always use your existing ECF grade first and if you don't have one then they will use the "old" conversion system which is the official one on the ECF site. To my knowledge the only ones that I have known to use the "new" system are Blackpool and I believe Scarborough.

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

Mike,

E2e4 uses FIDE. If the opponent has a FIDE grade then I would use it.

I have played Blackpool, I find the conversion a little generous as it gives the ECF player a higher grade than I find them. I scored 50% in the Intermediate which if we used the old conversion would have meant 50% v 17-1800. I know I am capable of this on my day but I can show you the games here and you will agree that is not the 17-1800 standard up here.

If they are coveting using x 8 + 600 it is going to put Jonny at a serious advantage in his section

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

We entered this more as a training/development exercise, with the aim of getting a good number of tough games higher rated opponents.

So although I am sure he will have tough games whatever the grades, they will be a different style than those played against 1900+ players. Its all good practice for sure but it is unlikely to be what we were hoping for, which is disappointing when both pennies and time are tight.

What is interesting is that the actual FIDE grades are closer to what one would estimate using the ECF formula rather than the CS formula. It is was for that reason I was wondering about the CS formula.

robin moore · King Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 164

Don't want to stray off topic but my friends (yes, I still have some) and I have found that continental established Fide grades in particular are either 100-150 points too high or we are 100-150 too low when you compare our national grade to their Fide grade. Haven't played any Fide events in England so can't speculate as to their accuracy. It may however be something to do with the size of the player pool in their countries in comparison to our relatively small pool here at home. I also am told that in Spain for example the minimum Fide grade was approx 1600 until a couple of years or so ago. Players of this type of Fide grade there are closer to 1300 Scottish.