British Chess Championships 2010

[Mark Howitt]

I think it's pretty obvious that a Polish student is not British. Furthermore, he is potentially taking away that place from an actual British person who has contributed to English chess.

Also, I can't see why the Students' Guild (aka taxpayers) should pay his entry fee. I never saw anything of that nature when I was at uni.

[Alex Holowczak]

I think it's pretty obvious that a Polish student is not British. Furthermore, he is potentially taking away that place from an actual British person who has contributed to English chess.

He has lived in Britain for most of the last five years, with visits to Poland over the summer, Christmas and Easter.

He has contributed to British chess in several ways:
1) Plays in the 4NCL
2) Plays in league chess for West Bromwich (or will from next season), and Aston University
3) Plays in some of Sean's congresses (now he knows about them!)
4) Attends weekly society meetings and helps coach us

So he contributes far more to British chess than the majority of League players.

Also, I can't see why the Students' Guild (aka taxpayers) should pay his entry fee. I never saw anything of that nature when I was at uni.

Did you think to ask?

They were delighted that one of their students had qualified for the country's national championship.

[Matthew Peat]

I think due to a number of the reasons, the top section of the British Championships has lost a lot of the prestige it had formerly. Still, as a 2100 player, I would love the opportunity to play and would pay the £200 fee for the privilege. I notice the bar has been raised for next year's championships in respect of qualification by rating performance from 2350 to 2400. Fair enough I thought, until I saw one of the other ways of qualifying:

"4) A score of 7½/11 (7/11 if born 1989 or later) or higher in the Major Open, if eligible to play. These players receive half price entry."

Considering its strength, you don't have to get achieve a performance of anywhere near 2400 to get 7½/11 in the Major Open. Indeed Mr G Senior who achieved this score last year has a rating performance indicated of 2102!

Surely another anomaly that needs correcting.

[Ian Thompson]

So, they can be considered "British", and they're prepared to pay the £200 entry fee. They're strong enough to add value to the competition. I say let them play.

They may make the tournament stronger than it otherwise would be, but what if one of them won it? Would it be desirable if the British Champion is neither a British citizen, nor registered with FIDE as a player from one of the British chess federations? I think the general public would think this strange.

[Alex Holowczak]

So, they can be considered "British", and they're prepared to pay the £200 entry fee. They're strong enough to add value to the competition. I say let them play.

They may make the tournament stronger than it otherwise would be, but what if one of them won it? Would it be desirable if the British Champion is neither a British citizen, nor registered with FIDE as a player from one of the British chess federations? I think the general public would think this strange.

"<player> won the 2010 British Championship. ... <player>, who qualified through attending <university>, ..."

They could get around it.

[Ian Thompson]

So, they can be considered "British", and they're prepared to pay the £200 entry fee. They're strong enough to add value to the competition. I say let them play.

They may make the tournament stronger than it otherwise would be, but what if one of them won it? Would it be desirable if the British Champion is neither a British citizen, nor registered with FIDE as a player from one of the British chess federations? I think the general public would think this strange.

"<player> won the 2010 British Championship. ... <player>, who qualified through attending <university>, ..."

... and if it has to say ... "<player> won the 2010 British Championship. ... <player>, who qualified through working as a receptionist/cleaner/waiter in a hotel for a year, ..."

[Gareth Harley-Yeo]

"<player> won the 2010 British Championship. ... <player>, who qualified through attending <university>, ..."

... and if it has to say ... "<player> won the 2010 British Championship. ... <player>, who qualified through working as a receptionist/cleaner/waiter in a hotel for a year, ..."



"¿qué?"

[Alex Holowczak]

If that person has played the vast majority of his domestic chess in the preceding year in UK & Ireland + other bits in the BICC, what's the problem?

[Adam Raoof]

I have been reading this thread with a sinking feeling. Remember http://www.bcmchess.co.uk/news/bcf2003.html?

Let us approach the organisation of the British from the point of view of 'who do I want to play?' and not 'who do I not want to play?'

The answer is more money. Until we get to grips with that issue, we can't attract the top UK players into the event in large numbers. We are making progress in that direction.

[Mark Howitt]

So, they can be considered "British", and they're prepared to pay the £200 entry fee. They're strong enough to add value to the competition. I say let them play.

They may make the tournament stronger than it otherwise would be, but what if one of them won it? Would it be desirable if the British Champion is neither a British citizen, nor registered with FIDE as a player from one of the British chess federations? I think the general public would think this strange.

Exactly.

What do you think the average English chessplayer would think if this happened?

The most unusual and abnormal site I saw was when I attended the British Championships in Scarborough in 2001 I think. Indian kids were winning quite a few of the junior chess championships. I'm sure that helped English junior chess. The Indians participating in British Championships were subsidised by their federation while basically taking money off English chessplayers. We all know what chessplayers thought of that.

If the ECF seriously wants to improve, and wants to charge players increasing game fees or make people members, it has to be responsive to the needs of its consumer base.

[Alex McFarlane]

And to add to Adam's reply.

We are looking at how to make the Major Open more attractive and therefore also a stronger event so it does not make a lot of sense to me to tighten up on one of the things which makes it an attractive event currently i.e. as a qualifying route to the British.

If things were to continue as is then that would be a different matter.

The performance norms were increased because it did not seem right that a performance of x (dependant on age) had exactly the same effect as a published rating of x. It seems to me that the performance should be higher. If the actual rating bands were to be reduced then we would have been accused of weakening the event.

[Alex Holowczak]

The most unusual and abnormal site I saw was when I attended the British Championships in Scarborough in 2001 I think. Indian kids were winning quite a few of the junior chess championships. I'm sure that helped English junior chess. The Indians participating in British Championships were subsidised by their federation while basically taking money off English chessplayers. We all know what chessplayers thought of that.

If the ECF seriously wants to improve, and wants to charge players increasing game fees or make people members, it has to be responsive to the needs of its consumer base.

These foreigners, coming over here winning all our chess tournaments because they're better than us...

[Mark Howitt]

Lol, that's GLOBALISM.

*Shrugs* I know it's systematic of the world today. But what the English chess federation should be doing is actually trying to make English chess better- which is pretty difficult when anybody with any chess talent could earn more money and have a better social life doing something else.

[Ben Purton]

I think it's pretty obvious that a Polish student is not British. Furthermore, he is potentially taking away that place from an actual British person who has contributed to English chess.

Also, I can't see why the Students' Guild (aka taxpayers) should pay his entry fee. I never saw anything of that nature when I was at uni.

This guy lives in england, don't he play for like celtic tigers in 4ncl, hes done shots with the sharks many a time.

He fufils the criteria under FIDE law , the same criteria that allows randomers to play for England.

So I guess like it or lump it Howitt .

Ben

[David Shepherd]

Why is the prize for the British woman champion so low? I would have thought it should be set at more than the prize for the English woman champion, and that £1,000 or £750 would have fitted in better in the scale.