English Chess Forum

Pia Cramling.

To be honest Chris, whilst we are all guilty of sending threads off in tangential directions, given that this thread was started for a specific (and i think reasonable) purpose, it seems to me that you should probably start your own thread if you are attracted by the “lure of the past”. And, further...

I presume other major European leagues (some of which function as national team championships) produce norm opportunities as well. e.g. Bundesliga, the French national league. Not sure others would do so. There is one in Spain I think. Showing the limits of my European chess knowledge here. Russia ...

After my complaint above about a lack of Nottingham 1936 video footage, I was stunned (and so pleased) to find that it apparently does exist! Chessbase came up trumps by on the 90th anniversary promoting a YouTube video from a year ago. <snip> film footage from the event has also survived as a valu...

In William Winter's memoirs (https://britishchessnews.com/2020/12/18/william-winters-memoirs/) he said: In view of the extreme importance of the occasion it seemed to me best, both in my interests and those of the tournament as a whole, to accept a proffered draw. Having regard to certain accusatio...

My only 2400+ rating was my first one! Mine was the one i needed (after the norms) to get the title! I therefore have great sympathy for those players who came within a whisker of meeting the rating requirements for IM/GM having secured the norms, usually just before entering the "other world", and...

Thanks, Richard. If you can better remember the year for that APA in Croydon it would help. Is it not on BritBase (maybe a reminder that some events are still missing from there)? Nope. Full memory of year erased in favour of 1) Andrew Whitely failing to extinguish his pipe before returning to the ...

Weirdly i always thought that the norms used for my title were a Chris Dunworth A-P-A tournament in Croydon in (probably) 1995 (achieved after something like 11 of 13 rounds, which I think was allowed back then - it isn't now - for A-P-A), 2nd SCCU international in 1996 (which is referenced on Britb...

Incidentally i assume that is also partially why I think FIDE (arguably perversely) tightened norm requirements some years ago to so that a 2300+ untitled player couldn’t be counted as titled I think it was above all a general feeling that "could have claimed the title if they wanted to" isn't the ...

Hi Andy - as earlier i think it depends on what the reason for discounted FM entry fees is/was. To be honest (whilst as i say there is an argument that it should be in recognition/reward of earning the title itself) i always thought it was mainly because FMs/titled players were valuable because they...

It's certainly true that the British Championships need to raise money through entry fees across the suite of events that are organised in order to work financially. If we flattened out/removed the pricing points there, then the logical consequence is that we have to put them up somewhere else for ...

OK then - well i’m not sure then why you think the organisers/ECF would know either then! (unless funding came directly from some ECF linked grant stream). Personally i think that it’s probably a bit unfair, in the context of qualification criteria being quite strict (as opposed to the near free for...

Are you saying that if I ever qualify for the British (no sniggering at the back!) that I would have to pay £225 for the privilege (I would hope I would be graded above 2000). And that those graded below 2000 (mostly under-rated juniors?) are being fleeced of £350 for the experience? Possibly even ...

OK fair enough - apologies. I took at face value the original post saying there was no discounted entry fee at the British. I stand corrected.

Whilst of course an argument can still be made, i can see that there is no obvious “change in policy”.