03-04-2014, 08:36 PM
Jonathan Livingstone Wrote:Never give free entry to anyone (FM/IM/GMs) for any event
I disagree with Kevin and Andy B here. The masters aren't at the events anyhow. There were none at Glenrothes and the bigger congresses have the odd 2 or 3. Your not saving, nor raising any finance if this was implemented. It should also be up to the Congress to decide, I believe one or two have a no free entry for masters policy already, Dundee if I am not mistaken being one. We should be looking at ways to attract the masters to the congresses. It gives opportunity to us mere mortals to get that rare chance to compete against one, it is good experience that is being lost for younger players?
I was having a look at the size of Opens, and Glenrothes was actually a pretty big field compared to the rest this year. I'm not convinced that at congress level, having titled players attracts entries. If anything, it might be the other way round, because a lack of them makes the events more winnable! It is a tricky one, because you should be rewarded for being good at chess, and these guys are fairly handy, to the extent that if they enter, they win money 99% of the time. Maybe consider restructuring of the prizes to give the lower Open players something like a £50 grading prize that is realistically winnable, and watch as more enter? Worth a shot maybe.