Declining entries

[andyburnett]

I too am against FIDE rating of weekend congresses -too hard for me to maintain a 2300 rating. I might consider playing in Glasgow weekender - cost of travel + accommodation is nearly £100 otherwise. I would also consider playing in an interesting FIDE rated tournament abroad if I thought it was value for money.

This reply is not just for Andy Muir but others who have posted similar arguments. It's an argument which is almost exclusively put forward by our stronger players, but those below international honours level want international ratings from their chess (common all over the world afaik) so we have an impasse of sorts.

Why is it important to keep your '2300 rating'? If it's for 'international honours' then you should be playing somewhere (Scotland/UK/overseas) on a regular basis.

If you can't (for time/money reasons) then you shouldn't be serious about international honours or find some other way to fund things. Unfortunate, but a fact of life in Scotland today as regards chess. I am not the only one who has benefitted from external funding to help progress my chess aspirations (limited though they are!)

If it's just rating for ratings sake, then that's not a decent argument either imo.

If Scottish events ARE the only option open to you, and they are FIDE-rated, then focus some of your chess study/approach on how to win at quicker controls/2 games a day etc. I have a database of all the Scottish players, with notes on those I am most likely to meet whenever I play. If you don't have this (which saves time and energy and is likely to help you gain elo in such events, again you are not serious - and shouldn't then act as though you are serious - about your chess.

I haven't checked, but I would guess my own 'weekenders' show a significant plus in FIDE rating over the years. Has anyone who is forwarding the 'FIDE-rating of weekenders as a problem' argument actually checked their elo won/lost ratio? I'd be interested in some statistics

Cheers,
Andy Burnett