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For me Blackpool remains a great tournament to play in. Holiday resort genuinely on the coast where bed and breakfast can easily be found for £15 a night. If the car park sounds expensive just walk from the digs.
Can't take food into the venue? Get up in time for breakfast, massive choice of cheap eat out options between rounds. Can't take drink into the venue - don't see why that's a problem - I didn't hear anyone complaining at SNCL last weekend. I think Blackpool laid on free water while I was there.
The 2014 Blackpool congress is in two weekends time. I can't make it myself this year...... too many chess based commitments in Scotland over the next few weeks.
Incidentally ECF grade conversions have been problematic over the last few years. The current ECF grading people are doing their best. I see the latest conversion on the ECF web site is 7.5*ECF+700 = FIDE
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They should be very carefull as it could be interpreted to be a racist attitude by some, that might be a strong word but it could be seen to be a justified claim. At best it sounds like it is simply just a case of not wanting prizes to go to 'outsiders' and a bit of shifty goalpost moving. I think foreign players make a tournament better, and to discourage foreign players with this type of attitude is surely at the detriment of the congress.
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I'm quite sure Alex and Lara would be delighted to hear that you think that
"How sad to see, what used to be, a model of decorum and tranquility become like any other sport, a battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee"
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I have competed at Blackpool in 3 of the last 4 years, and posted my entry for this year last night.
Phil I would say, where did you find accommodation at £15 a night? I am returning to digs at £23 a night, including a good breakfast. By the way, this is cheaper than any equivalent accommodation I have been able to get anywhere in Scotland over the last 5 years. Being over 60 has the small benefit of a 'senior Railcard'. With that, and advance booking, travel is only £22 return (as opposed to £65 single on the day), making Blackpool just about affordable for me.
Robin, I think you are being more than a little over-sensitive. The new rules are somewhat more extensive than you quoted, and are NOT aimed at Scots (or other foreigners for that matter).
"Grading history and other sources may be used to place a player in a higher section.
Players without a current grade must give their last published grade and the year of
publication. Failure to disclose will result in disqualification.
Adult players (over 18 years of age) without a grade/history may only enter the Open
section. Ungraded Juniors must give a full indication of their strength."
This is more accurately aimed at ensuring that the 2012 mishap does not recur. Owing to some sort of administration mix-up, an ungraded player was allowed to enter the Minor (U 115) event. He won with a score of 5/5. It emerged that he had been graded at 150 some 10 years previously, and should not have been eligible to enter the Minor. The prize money was withheld. (Needless to say, I was annoyed by the sandbagging as I play in that section.)
The player then took the organisers to the small claims court, and won. The rules at that time were insufficient in law to justify his exclusion. The new regulations are an attempt to ensure that such an embarrassing (for the organisers) event does not happen again.
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Andy McCulloch Wrote:I have competed at Blackpool in 3 of the last 4 years, and posted my entry for this year last night.
Phil I would say, where did you find accommodation at £15 a night? I am returning to digs at £23 a night, including a good breakfast. By the way, this is cheaper than any equivalent accommodation I have been able to get anywhere in Scotland over the last 5 years. Being over 60 has the small benefit of a 'senior Railcard'. With that, and advance booking, travel is only £22 return (as opposed to £65 single on the day), making Blackpool just about affordable for me.
We stayed in Blackpool on a Friday night a week or 3 ago. Driving along the prom road there were numerous vacancy signs up with prices well below £20.
Jacqui and I actually stayed at the Ambassador hotel and paid £29 for bed and breakfast (cooked to order).
Equals £14.50 a head or if you include the dog (she stayed with hotel's consent) £9.67 a head .
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Andy, no suggestion whatsoever that Blackpool's grading interpretation was aimed solely at Scots.
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To be fair to Robin, is probably my own previous comments in this thread that have created thoughts of racism. I stand by those previous comments as I wasn't suggesting there was racism, and I clearly stated it could be interpreted as that. That said I do regret saying what I did, as I could have kept my big mouth shut. I wouldn't want to offend anyone and can now with the wonder of hindsight absolutely see how it could do so, particularly organisers (whom I will always show gratefulness and appreciation for) which Andy H touched on. So for that reason I would like to acknowledge I detract those comments, I would delete them, but I have said them afterall and they have been referenced indirectly now.
And back to what I think is the main subject in hand, I haven't even been to Blackpool Congress as it happens and was making observation from information given. It was one of two tournaments I had previously identified as being a good down south visit (the other being Scarborough) and I am not put off myself and intend to sample the Blackpool experience first hand for myself next year.
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I haven't been myself (yet) but I hear good things about the South Lakes Congress, held in Grange-over-Sands.
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
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Alan,
Quite a few Scottish guys, including myself, have played at the South Lakes event a few times and enjoyed it very much. It's fairly easy to travel to by car and lies about fifteen minutes away from the M6 junction. There is a railway connection too, about ten minutes walk from the venue but I think you have to change at Lancaster and double back. Accommodation in this quaint Victorian seaside resort can be pricey though. We have taken tents to a nice campsite nearby plus used the travelodge at Barrow-in-Furness roughly twenty five minutes away. It's in a lovely setting, the Cumbrian Grand hotel overlooking the bay. Well worth considering.
and before independence kicks in surely we should have cross federation discounts - I understand why but its still expensive for 4