(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Roger de Coverly]

From the Agenda at the ECF AGM

15 Formation of Working Group on Safe Restarting of ChessTo consider a motion from Cumbria Chess Association and Durham Chess

Association to instruct the ECF Board to form a Working Group:Council resolves:that the ECF Board should convene at the earliest possible opportunity a Working Group comprised of experienced organisers and arbiters, plus qualified medical and health & safety professionals, to encourage and support the safe, socially distanced restart of over-the-board and hybrid (online under arbiter supervision) chess events over the coming year.that the Working Group be available to offer advice to clubs, leagues, congresses and other chess events in completing and publishing Risk Assessments for their venues that comply with government safety guidelines on preventing the transmission of the Covid-19 virus.

I'm not so sure that Over the Board chess will ever restart if it has to be "safe, socially distanced".

In the immediate future, clarity on "Rule of Six" would be necessary, noticing that in this context, more than six English juniors and presumably their parents had been able to assemble in a hotel venue for the recent European Junior online event. Indoor sports such as five a side football have recently been banned, but Chess isn't legally a sport.

[Matt Bridgeman]

From the Agenda at the ECF AGM

15 Formation of Working Group on Safe Restarting of ChessTo consider a motion from Cumbria Chess Association and Durham Chess

Association to instruct the ECF Board to form a Working Group:Council resolves:that the ECF Board should convene at the earliest possible opportunity a Working Group comprised of experienced organisers and arbiters, plus qualified medical and health & safety professionals, to encourage and support the safe, socially distanced restart of over-the-board and hybrid (online under arbiter supervision) chess events over the coming year.that the Working Group be available to offer advice to clubs, leagues, congresses and other chess events in completing and publishing Risk Assessments for their venues that comply with government safety guidelines on preventing the transmission of the Covid-19 virus.

I'm not so sure that Over the Board chess will ever restart if it has to be "safe, socially distanced".

In the immediate future, clarity on "Rule of Six" would be necessary, noticing that in this context, more than six English juniors and presumably their parents had been able to assemble in a hotel venue for the recent European Junior online event. Indoor sports such as five a side football have recently been banned, but Chess isn't legally a sport.

Is was second time lucky with the hybrid junior event, as the Mercure Daventry Court Hotel cancelled less than two weeks out after reading the ECF guidelines.

[David Sedgwick]

"I wonder if there has ever been a Bishop v/s a Knight chess game"

I'm pretty sure that Geoff Bishop mentioned he had played someone called Knight.

I think that was a pairing at the Gibraltar International Chess Festival one year.

[David Sedgwick]

Everything seems back to normal in the Isle of Man, so the Manx Chess Championship is still going ahead and the Douglas Championship is taking place at the moment.
I assume the Chess clubs are open there.

To the best of my knowledge the Isle of Man Chess Club is now the only club on the island.

[Joseph Conlon]

In the immediate future, clarity on "Rule of Six" would be necessary, noticing that in this context, more than six English juniors and presumably their parents had been able to assemble in a hotel venue for the recent European Junior online event. Indoor sports such as five a side football have recently been banned, but Chess isn't legally a sport.

'Supervised activities provided for children' is one of the exemptions from the recent 'Rule of Six' guidance.

Depending on a lot of things, I am hoping to be able to run a small junior tournament at around the same time and location that I ran an LJCC qualifier last year (i.e. late Oct/early Nov).

Of course anyone trying to plan anything knows that plans may blow up when the government guidance changes in three weeks time, but covid is not going away soon and for any event to take place people need to be willing to prepare oven-ready plans for how a tournament will be structured and accept that there is a significant chance of the plan then being washed away/ needing modification / postponed.

[Matt Bridgeman]

It’s a tricky business at present as the rate seems to be doubling every 7 days. So potentially 12,000 a day in 7 days time, and 24,000 in 14 days. (Hopefully it tapers off before that.) France was 16,000 yesterday. Perhaps ECF plans would be best timed when the rate is dropping to safer levels.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Nothing stopping them making "plans" contingent on the virus being at least moderately under control.

If they are in place, the quicker we can get at least some OTB chess going again.

[Simon Rogers]

Everything seems back to normal in the Isle of Man, so the Manx Chess Championship is still going ahead and the Douglas Championship is taking place at the moment.
I assume the Chess clubs are open there.

To the best of my knowledge the Isle of Man Chess Club is now the only club on the island.

Yeah you're right. Apologies David. There was another Chess Club at Port Erin called Southern Chess Club, it seems to have folded in the early 2000s.

The Harrogate Chess Congress scheduled for the 23rd to 25th October has disappeared from the ECF Calendar.
The Manx Chess Championship has now appeared on the ECF Calendar but is only accepting entries from Isle of Man residents.

[David Sedgwick]

There was another Chess Club at Port Erin called Southern Chess Club, it seems to have folded in the early 2000s.

Actually mid to late 2000s, if memory serves.

[Paul Bloom]

Hi Everyone
My 1st post here and I have been reading with interest about players desire to get back to playing OTB chess in some way .

there is a way with the right risk assessment and social distancing this can happen . you get players of course to wash their hands when entering a venue and wear masks { these can be removed when away from the board outside of the playing area say to drink } and here is the real difference using the 2 board Blind system where you have a 2/3 mt table { 1 game per table} use 2 boards 2 sets and have the players sit diagonal to each other {this gives extra spacing} when white moves the black player also makes that move on his board and when black moves white plays the move on his board before studying the position and replying so using 2 sets 2 boards the positions remain identical and no one is facing any opponent directly more importantly nobody touches pieces that another player has touched Ie when you take one of your opponents pieces you do it on the board in front of you . clocks you use 2 clocks back to back in the middle of the 2 boards and press both levers when you have moved your opponent does the same but on the levers on their side of the clocks this allows both players so see one of the clocks which are of course in sinc as long as both levers pressed at the same time and no player touches a part of the clock that the other player has touched . All pieces/boards and plastic chairs are sanitized before and after each game . It sounds complicated but it really isn't when you use it . It would allow a small chess club to get some games in of course those playing in a pub would have to be out by 10pm but you could start at 7pm or just have a 60 min each control
All it really needs is some preparation in setting up such as sanitizing equipment and of course 2 boards 2 sets and 2 clocks for every match I think it could even work in a congress if the venue was large enough extra helpers and maybe longer times between rounds and of course enough sets tables and clocks note no extra chairs needed as you are still only using 2 per game but I am guessing as not everyone will feel comfortable at this time returning to OTB a congress that would have had typically 80 entries might only have 40/50 whether this would be financially viable for a congress is a different argument but a small club might find it useful as opposed to online which is not the same for lots of people for different reasons
Your thoughts from anyone here would be useful
Paul Bloom

[Ian Thompson]

The Harrogate Chess Congress scheduled for the 23rd to 25th October has disappeared from the ECF Calendar.

I think someone may have been doing maintenance on it because nearly everything had disappeared a couple of days ago. Many events are now back again.

Harrogate is currently on the calendar, but shown as cancelled. The event website does not say it's cancelled though.

[Simon Rogers]

The Harrogate Chess Congress scheduled for the 23rd to 25th October has disappeared from the ECF Calendar.

I think someone may have been doing maintenance on it because nearly everything had disappeared a couple of days ago. Many events are now back again.

Harrogate is currently on the calendar, but shown as cancelled. The event website does not say it's cancelled though.

Thanks Ian.
I received a phone call from Noel Boustred, the organiser of the Harrogate Chess Congress, at 4.30pm this evening.
Yes, he's informed me that the Harrogate Chess Congress has been cancelled. I've informed him that his website doesn't say that it's cancelled, which he said he will sort out.
On his website, under other events, it still mentions that the Northumberland Chess Congress is still going ahead.
I've informed Noel, that it's been cancelled.
Noel has informed me that due to the enhanced local restrictions in the North East, Gosforth Chess Club has closed again.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Bad for chess, but good for the nuns.

[Andrew Zigmond]

From the Agenda at the ECF AGM

15 Formation of Working Group on Safe Restarting of ChessTo consider a motion from Cumbria Chess Association and Durham Chess

Association to instruct the ECF Board to form a Working Group:Council resolves:that the ECF Board should convene at the earliest possible opportunity a Working Group comprised of experienced organisers and arbiters, plus qualified medical and health & safety professionals, to encourage and support the safe, socially distanced restart of over-the-board and hybrid (online under arbiter supervision) chess events over the coming year.that the Working Group be available to offer advice to clubs, leagues, congresses and other chess events in completing and publishing Risk Assessments for their venues that comply with government safety guidelines on preventing the transmission of the Covid-19 virus.

I'm not so sure that Over the Board chess will ever restart if it has to be "safe, socially distanced".

In the immediate future, clarity on "Rule of Six" would be necessary, noticing that in this context, more than six English juniors and presumably their parents had been able to assemble in a hotel venue for the recent European Junior online event. Indoor sports such as five a side football have recently been banned, but Chess isn't legally a sport.

The problem for organisers at all levels is accountability. At a basic level; if a pub was found with groups of more than six around a table the persons breaking the rule are at fault but so is the manager/ landlord if he hasn't done anything to challenge them. If it was to happen on a night when the manager wasn't there and a junior member of staff was left in charge then the manager would still ultimately be responsible if that person failed in their duty.

What does that mean for chess? If clubs are meeting in public venues (and complying with the rule of six and any other regulations) then that is an obvious workaround. The question then is what happens if the club meets in a private venue. I initially thought my club could continue along those lines but came around to the view of the wider committee that this was impractical. Ultimately someone at the club has to be responsible for policing it; I'm sure every club will have that one member who has to be reminded every few minutes that he can't wander around the room looking at other games, or an autistic member who doesn't understand the implications.

So the ECF could be advising clubs to meet along those lines. But all it takes is for one club to decide the regulations don't really matter, then the police decide to stick their head in and the response is, `We're following ECF guidelines`. Where does that leave the ECF? So I think the board are right to be very cautious.

A final point. As far as club and league players are concerned the ECF has largely had a `back office` role and if the ECF had tried to assume more direct oversight there would have been considerable hostility towards this. The ECF is, of course, now being criticised for not assuming more direct oversight.

[David Blower]

Are there many clubs meeting over the board at the moment.