06-08-2014, 07:40 PM
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Congratulations to all the players and organisers. You are normally talking about roughly 160 persons (forty per delegation) from all areas of the British Isles arriving and departing at the venue via all routes. Stirling University looked a great venue and hopefully it will be under consideration for all chess events in the future.
The event is now drawing to a close and I wish to ask for thoughts and opinions as the event is fresh in everyone's mind. This event has been going since the year 1949, the format changing over the years.
At present we have an open U18 event (five players), a girls U18 event (three players) and two open events (U14 and U12-six players per team).
Traditionalists will say that's a good format, there is a nice blend of ages and genders.
These are the concerns I have...
The Euroyouth/World Youth events are played at U8,U10,U12,U14,U16,U18 for girls and boys. Does it not seem correct that we should try and emulate the agegroup format of these pinnacle events as close as reasonably possible?
I am worried on two fronts...
1/ We may lose some of our best U14 players as they are good enough to play in the Robinson (U14) event but may not be good enough for two or three years to play in the full U18 Glorney (an U16 section could be a solution).
2/ I am most concerned that we are not giving enough of our youngest players opportunities to represent Scotland at international level. If we had an U10 section at the Glorney and for that matter the Liverpool Quadrangular (end of November, beginning of December) could that be a step in the right direction? I don't feel the Liverpool event is particularly worthwhile for U16's (the standard is lower) but definitely is for U14/U12. To me, an U10 section addition seems a better fit for Glorney and Liverpool.
Congratulations to all the players and organisers. You are normally talking about roughly 160 persons (forty per delegation) from all areas of the British Isles arriving and departing at the venue via all routes. Stirling University looked a great venue and hopefully it will be under consideration for all chess events in the future.
The event is now drawing to a close and I wish to ask for thoughts and opinions as the event is fresh in everyone's mind. This event has been going since the year 1949, the format changing over the years.
At present we have an open U18 event (five players), a girls U18 event (three players) and two open events (U14 and U12-six players per team).
Traditionalists will say that's a good format, there is a nice blend of ages and genders.
These are the concerns I have...
The Euroyouth/World Youth events are played at U8,U10,U12,U14,U16,U18 for girls and boys. Does it not seem correct that we should try and emulate the agegroup format of these pinnacle events as close as reasonably possible?
I am worried on two fronts...
1/ We may lose some of our best U14 players as they are good enough to play in the Robinson (U14) event but may not be good enough for two or three years to play in the full U18 Glorney (an U16 section could be a solution).
2/ I am most concerned that we are not giving enough of our youngest players opportunities to represent Scotland at international level. If we had an U10 section at the Glorney and for that matter the Liverpool Quadrangular (end of November, beginning of December) could that be a step in the right direction? I don't feel the Liverpool event is particularly worthwhile for U16's (the standard is lower) but definitely is for U14/U12. To me, an U10 section addition seems a better fit for Glorney and Liverpool.