03-04-2014, 10:51 PM
Here are a few suggestions:
(1) Increased entry fee and reduced prize money in congresses. Instead play for a trophy or have a best game prize. Prize money gets spent/squandered too quickly...Having high prize money in majors and minors also encourages rating bandits who artificially keep their rating too low. Perhaps with less prize money at stake there won't be as many quick draws in the last round.
(2) Something radical - "The Edinburgh Wifi Congress" - employ security guards and scanners to search everyone. No-one, including spectators is allowed in the playing area with a mobile phone.
(3) No free entry for titled players - I agree with this one. Particularly now when you can see online who else has entered. I can think of a few events over the last few years where titled players have entered at the last minute past the notional closing date for entries.
(4) Late entries have to take a half point bye in round one!
How to spend the money:
Hiring a strong player to give seminars/master classes to leading juniors. This can be invaluable in the run up to World and European age group championships. I wouldn't necessarily agree with spending the money to hire a coach to go to these events as the hard work should be done in the month or two leading up to them. Also, some attention can be given to the debrief process in the weeks and months following these events.
As an aside, I've been reviewing one of my 1.e4 defences over the last week. Part of this involves studying some games from 1986 to 1989. Rather worryingly, none of the things I've learnt over the last week were picked up during the junior training events which took place in Glasgow once or twice a year. It's not meant to be a criticism of trainers or of the organisers, rather an observation that, without regular and proper guidance, many things can be overlooked very easily and mistakes can be repeated....
(1) Increased entry fee and reduced prize money in congresses. Instead play for a trophy or have a best game prize. Prize money gets spent/squandered too quickly...Having high prize money in majors and minors also encourages rating bandits who artificially keep their rating too low. Perhaps with less prize money at stake there won't be as many quick draws in the last round.
(2) Something radical - "The Edinburgh Wifi Congress" - employ security guards and scanners to search everyone. No-one, including spectators is allowed in the playing area with a mobile phone.
(3) No free entry for titled players - I agree with this one. Particularly now when you can see online who else has entered. I can think of a few events over the last few years where titled players have entered at the last minute past the notional closing date for entries.
(4) Late entries have to take a half point bye in round one!
How to spend the money:
Hiring a strong player to give seminars/master classes to leading juniors. This can be invaluable in the run up to World and European age group championships. I wouldn't necessarily agree with spending the money to hire a coach to go to these events as the hard work should be done in the month or two leading up to them. Also, some attention can be given to the debrief process in the weeks and months following these events.
As an aside, I've been reviewing one of my 1.e4 defences over the last week. Part of this involves studying some games from 1986 to 1989. Rather worryingly, none of the things I've learnt over the last week were picked up during the junior training events which took place in Glasgow once or twice a year. It's not meant to be a criticism of trainers or of the organisers, rather an observation that, without regular and proper guidance, many things can be overlooked very easily and mistakes can be repeated....