(11-09-2017, 10:19 AM)George Neave Wrote: As a broader observation, I feel CS and tournament organisers are overly focussed on junior chess. It feels to me that anyone with a degree of talent and who puts in hard work will find ample opportunity to participate up to the age of 18 at which point the game drops off a cliff and you need to be willing to play overseas or 4NCL to progress further.
George, as someone in the trenches of junior chess, I disagree with the idea that CS and tournament organisers are overly focussed on junior chess. It may well be a by-product that for most juniors there is sufficient challenge in playing adults at congresses - but I wouldn't say thats because CS or tournament organisers are focussed on junior chess.
Its the junior orgs (completely volunteer run) who are organising events in their own area; running or helping to run CS events. Last season there were three CS junior events last year - one of which was run by NEJCA (Girls Champs), one of which (Schools Team) LJC staffed (David C and John McNicoll ran); and another (Primary Individual) which had various volunteers from LJC, NEJCA and other adults step up - or it wouldn't have run.
Back when I was a junior, the weekend congresses all had one day junior sections - I don't think any of them do anymore.
The real issue is trying to keep kids involved as they transition through primary to secondary, and then from secondary to adult life. It's not unique to Scotland, when I've been speaking to people in the ECF, they've got the exact same challenge - but they have a much bigger pool of kids so are feeling the pain less acutely than Scottish chess.
In Lothians, we've got c. 175 kids coming to our events - IMHO an enterprising organiser could try and tap into giving that audience opportunities - because very few of them are playing outside our events on a regular basis.