Richardson, Spens, Nancy Elder and MacIssac

[Ianbrownlee]

we' are looking at various options of making the tournament more attractive and would appreciate any input from anyone. I've now completed my first year as home director and will be making my report to council. There are several significant suggestions which I am hoping will be incorporated into next year's domestic tournaments. I am happy to discuss at length with anyone at length any ideas

[Adam Bremner]

It might be time to ask why the top players aren't playing the Richardson. Forget asking team captains, as the players!

Well regards the Poly match, don't arrange rounds to clash with 4NCL. I believe they asked for a different date and it was declined, hence the default.

[Andy Howie]

Which begs the question when do you want to play it. 4NCL takes 2 weekends, SNCL one and there is normally at least one congress up here.

Avoiding 4NCL is not really going to be the easiest to do

[Adam Bremner]

Which begs the question when do you want to play it. 4NCL takes 2 weekends, SNCL one and there is normally at least one congress up here.

Avoiding 4NCL is not really going to be the easiest to do

Not the easiest, but very important if people want the top players playing, because this year it basically lead to the default of one of the best teams on paper, and I think there was a spare weekend right beside it.

I think the first round is in January, so no SNCL there. This year was also an exception, because there were some of the top players playing in the 4NCL div 3, but from next season onwards, everyone will be in the div 1 and 2 weekend. The last weekend of 4NCL is after the final, so it only leaves 2 weekends in the year to avoid. Also is an SNCL weekend completely impossible if you use the Saturday?

[Alan Tate]

Well regards the Poly match, don't arrange rounds to clash with 4NCL. I believe they asked for a different date and it was declined, hence the default.

I see. That's somewhat different from

no Poly couldnt raise a team against Cathcart

There are only 3 rounds in the Richardson. How hard can it be not to clash with another event? 4NCL dates are known far in advance. Change the month of the Richardson if need be.

There are several significant suggestions which I am hoping will be incorporated into next year's domestic tournaments. I am happy to discuss at length with anyone at length any ideas

Thanks for the reply Ian. What do you have in mind?

[Jonathan Livingstone]

Hi Ian

I am like a broken record on this, but at least I am consistent. The single biggest issue with the Spens/Rich is surely about location and date uncertainty. So change it to a fixed date, at a fixed location (i.e. Grangemouth/Dunfermline/Livingston or wherever), and watch the team entries flow in (my own clubs entry will be the first one).

[Andy Howie]

Which begs the question when do you want to play it. 4NCL takes 2 weekends, SNCL one and there is normally at least one congress up here.

Avoiding 4NCL is not really going to be the easiest to do

Not the easiest, but very important if people want the top players playing, because this year it basically lead to the default of one of the best teams on paper, and I think there was a spare weekend right beside it.

I think the first round is in January, so no SNCL there. This year was also an exception, because there were some of the top players playing in the 4NCL div 3, but from next season onwards, everyone will be in the div 1 and 2 weekend. The last weekend of 4NCL is after the final, so it only leaves 2 weekends in the year to avoid. Also is an SNCL weekend completely impossible if you use the Saturday?

And this Jan had 2 4ncl and 2 congresses.

[Andy Howie]

Hi Ian

I am like a broken record on this, but at least I am consistent. The single biggest issue with the Spens/Rich is surely about location and date uncertainty. So change it to a fixed date, at a fixed location (i.e. Grangemouth/Dunfermline/Livingston or wherever), and watch the team entries flow in (my own clubs entry will be the first one).

Jonathan ,

This is something we are looking at at the moment.

[Adam Bremner]

Which begs the question when do you want to play it. 4NCL takes 2 weekends, SNCL one and there is normally at least one congress up here.

Avoiding 4NCL is not really going to be the easiest to do

Not the easiest, but very important if people want the top players playing, because this year it basically lead to the default of one of the best teams on paper, and I think there was a spare weekend right beside it.

I think the first round is in January, so no SNCL there. This year was also an exception, because there were some of the top players playing in the 4NCL div 3, but from next season onwards, everyone will be in the div 1 and 2 weekend. The last weekend of 4NCL is after the final, so it only leaves 2 weekends in the year to avoid. Also is an SNCL weekend completely impossible if you use the Saturday?

And this Jan had 2 4ncl and 2 congresses.

9th Jan- Lothians Allegro (one day)- 10th Jan free
16/17th- 4NCL div 3
23/24th- 4NCL div 1 and 2
30/31st- Livingston
6/7th Feb- free

Now I don't know how the 23rd was chosen, but was the 4NCL even involved in the thought process? If it was, you would know 6 players would be involved on 16/17th, and that an unknown but significant number of players would be involved on 23/24th. First weekend of Feb was completely free.

It isn't a complaint because it didn't make a difference for us, but the question was how to get top players playing next season. This season, 4NCL dates were a problem for some players. Next season, you will just have one 4NCL date clashing in Jan. If it is unavoidable then so be it, but please take it into consideration.

[hamish olson]

Hi Ian

I am like a broken record on this, but at least I am consistent. The single biggest issue with the Spens/Rich is surely about location and date uncertainty. So change it to a fixed date, at a fixed location (i.e. Grangemouth/Dunfermline/Livingston or wherever), and watch the team entries flow in (my own clubs entry will be the first one).

Jonathan ,

This is something we are looking at at the moment.

I am dead against this and Bon Accord probably wouldn't enter if this was implemented. If you are going to do a central venue then it has to be genuinely central i.e. Perth, not 40 minutes from Edinburgh and 2 and a half from Aberdeen (5 hours of driving every round). If you want to have Grangemouth as the finals every year as seems to be the case then thats fine but it's too much to have it every round. We already have the SNCL which is fantastic, we don't need to make a pale imitation of it which is all the Richardson would be if we held an event in the same way but with a fifth of the teams and half the rounds and no track record in this format.

The question "Why don't the top players play in the Richardson?" is the wrong question in my view. The correct question is "Why don't the top players play in Scotland?" (I don't have answers other than that most of them work for Quality Chess and understandably don't want to spend their spare time doing the same thing they do during the week). The Richardson in actual fact is the only tournament where the top players (Keti, Mcnab, Aagard etc.) do play consistently (when dates don't clash with 4NCL!).

N.B. This criticism of Grangemouth as a "central" venue is in no way sour grapes about yesterday - there is no way that 7-1 could have been turned around even if it was held in Bon Accord's home venue and I mentioned this problem after Bon Accord won in 2014 as well!