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George Neave Wrote:davidstewart Wrote:At the Chess Edinburgh Council Meeting it was agreed to organise the Lothian’s Championship for the players of Chess Edinburgh Member Clubs.
This Championship will be a five round Swiss Event in which we will use the time controls of 34 moves in 70 minutes followed by 15 minutes quick play finish.
Entries will be accepted until the end of October with each round to finish before the end of November, December, January, February and March. There is a £5 entry fee with the Champion winning the Smerdon Cup using Member Clubs venues.
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This sounds like the former Nancy Elder shrunk down. DIdn't that model die a death over the past few years? This is hardly an inspiring choice. At the very least getting all entrants under one roof on a weekend would be a better. Edinburgh CC maybe? Maybe using the format of the old FIDE events there from 10 years ago? That filled the room at least. I can't imagine this new format is going to survive long.
Am sure this is the thing Calum McGilvery from Edinburgh CC (and also on the Lothian League Council) has been looking to organise for a couple of years. When I got wind of it in the past I thought it was a good idea and that it had legs and potential as there is nothing like it for those of us in the East. A gap in the market if you like. There is an East Kilbride swiss spread out over various weeknights that seems to do reasonably well.
The Elder and abandoned MacIssac were not drawing players from the East for many years and is no secret those competitions have their issues around formatting. Sometimes it needs something new and different to plug the gaps. Might work, might not, but is something I will be keen to support and play in and give it a chance.
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One game a week with no prizes? Perfect for club and hobby players.
I'd also like to see something in the underused Edinburgh CC but I guess that avenue has already been explored.
Musselburgh is fine for people who drive but cycling or bussing do not really appeal.
I suppose I should get both trophies engraved so they are ready to be picked up when the time comes.
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Alan Tate Wrote:One game a week with no prizes? Perfect for club and hobby players.
I'd also like to see something in the underused Edinburgh CC but I guess that avenue has already been explored.
Musselburgh is fine for people who drive but cycling or bussing do not really appeal.
I suppose I should get both trophies engraved so they are ready to be picked up when the time comes.
One game a week with no prizes is not necessarily a target market for club/hobby players? How many chess players in Scotland are actually making a living from their chess playing though? That must be a very low number, and whatever your rating, most if not almost all of us are in truth club/hobby players on some level?
Not sure why we are talking about Musselburgh, but it also has a train station and is all of 3-4 miles approx. from Edinburgh city centre. Not the worst place to get to?
I await the details of this new individual event with great interest, but just hope it has no restrictions and draws some reasonable playing strength. An issue I frequently feedback to the Lothian League Council is that 2 of the 3 club/team events we have are not inclusive of stronger players, and are actually reducing the available players by a significant number. I.e. the Allegro Lge which is in decline has an average team rating cap of 1500. The Summer Knockout Cup with its handicap system makes it a less desirable event for many to interest them in playing. And if your looking to be competitive in this event as a club, playing stronger players is counter productive and reduces your chances of progressing through the rounds.
In summary two thirds or 66.6% of the team events significantly exclude our strongest players. Madness???
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It's more about motivation. Would you go out in a cold windy evening to play someone you've played many times before or someone rated 400 points below you... and do this 5 times, for no reward?
This banning of stronger players is also something I found when looking for rapid tournaments in England as well. Most had an upper limit of major.
No wonder Scotland hasn't produced an IM in over a decade.
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If no one else want to organise these things then I will do it. In say 10-15 years.
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Alan Tate Wrote:It's more about motivation. Would you go out in a cold windy evening to play someone you've played many times before or someone rated 400 points below you... and do this 5 times, for no reward?
Nah I wouldn't for an individual event. Have only ever 'played down' if that's the right term for team chess and to help club progress.
George Neave Wrote:For the record, I really liked the FIDE events that Willie Rutherford ran at Edinburgh CC. Played over 2 consecutive weekends. FIDE, central Edinburgh, draw in advance and fully subscribed. Believe it stopped because WIllie had better things to do. I think something similar would be worth a try. I don't think 1 game a week at various church halls after work and scattered across the Lothians has much chance. Just saying. Happy to be proved wrong.
I really enjoyed David Oswald's Armageddon events at Edinburgh CC which were over 1 weekend. They had a minimum rating entry requirement and were targeted for the stronger players/elite or whatever you call yourselves these days
I only got in as not all places were taken but was still strong. Did not care much for the Armageddon part in the last round myself, but even then I thought they were very good and successful.
Maybe someone at Edi CC will be raising an eyebrow and getting ideas.
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