The Czech Open for older juniors

[robin moore]

I am going to run this by everyone and I would appreciate as much feedback as possible in any form. I would like to use the Czech Open event including the European Amateur Chess Championships 18th-29th July 2012 as a stepping post for our older juniors into overseas adult events. I played there this year along with ten or so others from Scotland of all levels of ability and we loved this event. Direct flights from Edinburgh-Prague, 30 minute shuttle bus transfer from the airport to the train station, 1 hour in train from Prague to Pardubice. It's a 15 minute walk from the train station to the magnificent Czech arena venue for registration, payment and collection of your accomodation voucher. From there it's a ten minute walk to the university hostel. Rooms sleep 4, with own kitchen, shower room and balcony. There is a large supermarket across the road from the uni where we stocked up on fresh groceries for breakfast and lunch. The tournament is very well organised, with evening social events including hog roasts, live bands and dancing. They have other organised trips and sports events. Pardubice itself has an old town with good restaurants that are very, very reasonably priced including the best pizza restaurant I have ever been in. These restaurants are mostly outside on a beautiful town square. The tournaments themselves are strong, sub 2000, sub 2200 etc (right up to the main event that Alan Tate gained his third IM norm in this year containing 50+ Grandmasters) and are full of enthusiastic adult amateurs and juniors from all over Europe. Pardubice is very safe and very clean with a terrific transport system, including lanes for bikes and roller bladers ! There is a bike hire place at the supermarket across from the uni. As an organisation ChessScotland would send a "head of delegation" with you to support you. Although this is an individual event he would be available for duties like arranging transport, booking accomodation, placing entries and dealing directly with the organisers on your behalf. He would be staying at the uni but in seperate accomodation from you. Other duties may include things like making sure you have a daily copy of the draw and finding out where your seat is exactly ( don't laugh at this last one, it took me 15 minutes to find mine in the 3rd round as I had been moved to a seperate room !) He would also be there for social things like checking out places to eat and linking up with social events and their times and locations. Basically he would be there at all times to support you in any way required. The type of player this may appeal to may be guys and girls like....

Ali Roy, Maryann MacDonald, Alice Lampard, Rhian Hughes, Iain MacDonald, Andrew McClement, Shivan Murdochy, Jonny Scott, Hamish Olson, Andrew Newton and David Gillespie.

This is by no means a complete list as I am sure there are many others this may interest but the players listed above are all sensible young adults, many of whom I know well who I am sure would have a wonderful time at this event during July next year when they will have no exam issues.

Robin.