International Fide events

[Jonathan Livingstone]

Who knows what is next to go, but it is no secret the fantastic Edinburgh Congress that is FIDE rated is making losses for some years and at serious risk of being the next casualty.

That will be news to Chess Edinburgh, Jonathan! The congress did make a small loss when it moved out of the city centre last year, due to a drop off in numbers, but it is back in an excellently located central venue this April - St Thomas of Aquin's high school, very close to Heriots which hosted the event for a number of years.

Major pressures facing the Edinburgh events are, I gather, similar to those facing the rest of the country, i.e:

- Finding suitable venues at an acceptable cost,
- Perhaps most significant: finding enough volunteers to help organise and run weekend events.

Merely bemoaning the lack of events and calling on others to set up working parties/whatever will have no effect. Helping to organise an event will have a positive impact. And if you pick your role wisely you might even still get to play in your brand new/resurrected weekender. Arrange a venue, book the arbiters, put out chairs/tables/sets. It's a lot of work for one person but not so much for a team.

Martin, it won't be news to Chess Edinburgh as that info comes directly from the Chess Edinburgh council members and I will reiterate is no secret. The Edinburgh FIDE is now in its 3rd venue in 3 years. That is far from stability, and venue costs as you have mentioned are a big part of the issue with that congress. Edinburgh Congress has made a loss for several years running. Is there any congresses out there not making a loss I wonder or even in profit?

I believe George and myself as active players who attend congresses and happen to be members of CS are more than entitled to have our say and voice our opinion. We are still a democratic federation are we not? I don't see anyone bemoaning here except yourself at George and myself. Enough with telling us to start organising/volunteering etc that is not really helpful. Like George I also work and have a young family and like to play chess myself. I also do my own wee bit in chess locally in various different ways.

As it happens my tiny little seaside town club to which I belong has been having ideas about starting up a congress of some description. Nothing to report or get excited about at this stage really. It has recently been picked up again and someone has been looking into costs, viability, venues, etc.

Sensible points have been made re the decline. Glossing over things and watching things with binoculars is not helpful, compared to raising concerns. Nobody is being criticised in postings about the decline of congresses. Even criticism itself can be okay where it is constructive.