Appearance fees for our best players

[Andrew McHarg]

How many young players go abroad and consistently smash players well above their own grade?

Very very few do so. And certainly not on a regular basis. There are indeed some excellent wins but most players really struggle because of their lack of experience and technical knowledge.

Okay perhaps I was mistaken with regard to the frequency of their wins; but do they consistently perform higher than their grades? How are they supposed to get the experience and technical knowledge without playing in tournaments like these? Nothing at home can prepare you for these events, like these events can!

Also; you didn't answer the point that these juniors are our elite in their age categories. The next Magnus Carlsen might be in Scotland somewhere and if we cannot open opportunities to them at big events then we might never discover what they are capable of.