(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Brian Towers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Brian Towers » Tue Jun 29, 2021 2:39 pm

Brian Towers wrote:
Tue Jun 29, 2021 12:46 pm
Wadih Khoury wrote:
Fri Jun 25, 2021 5:28 pm
I am however still struggling to find a way to reduce the likelihood of pairings between juniors.
I'm struggling to understand why this is difficult. My version of Swiss Manager has an option in the "Pairings" menu called "Forbidden Pairings". Yes, I know it is a lot of work but still easier than trying to do it with pairing cards. Also a bit puzzled why the IAs who have replied seem to be missing this from their versions of SM.
OK, so there is a potentially easier way to do this in SM without risking running out of legal pairings although SM really doesn't want you to do this and will fight you every inch of the way. It is to do your own version of accelerated pairings.

In normal accelerated pairings (which SM supports relatively easily) for the first few (configurable) number of rounds you can add something like 2 points (probably also configurable) to the top half of the field. You can't otherwise choose who gets the extra points.

For roll-your-own accelerated pairings there are some hoops to jump through.

Start in the Tournament Setup page. In the General tab make sure Rated FIDE is set to "No". In the Other tab uncheck "Apply FIDE rules for Swiss tournaments..." In the same tab check the ominously labelled "Add points in the field PtsAdd in the player dialog for pairing and ranking [disabled"

In the Input menu Update Players option add a large number of points to all the players in the group you want to accelerate (smaller of juniors or adults to save input).

Then in Pairings menu option Computer Pairings on the right hand side check "Swiss Manager engine (not available for FIDE tournaments)". Lower down check "Pair according to tie-break, not start rank".

Of course you have to be very brave to do this. You have to get past many messages from SM warning "You are in great peril!!! Here be demons and dragons!!!" but if you steel yourself you can get through. As always worth having a practice first to make sure you have mastered all the magic incantations necessary to navigate the backwaters of SM.
Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.

Simon Rogers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Simon Rogers » Wed Jun 30, 2021 2:55 pm

On a different note. It might be worth you all checking the links on your club's websites. Two County Associations have changed their domain recently. I'll post some of changes in the Links Category.

Simon Rogers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Jul 06, 2021 7:08 pm

I believe that travel restrictions to Germany are being relaxed.
Any tournaments coming up there?
I notice Israel is on the green list, I've found a couple of interesting tournaments taking place there soon.

Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Wed Jul 07, 2021 9:07 am

Simon Rogers wrote:
Tue Jul 06, 2021 7:08 pm
I believe that travel restrictions to Germany are being relaxed.
Any tournaments coming up there?
I notice Israel is on the green list, I've found a couple of interesting tournaments taking place there soon.
"Relaxed" is a relative term.
Here is the UK Foreign Office's take on entry requirements to Germany:

Entry rules in response to coronavirus (COVID-19)
Entry to Germany
From 7 July the UK is designated as a high-incidence area, which means that you may only enter Germany from the UK if you are fully vaccinated (for any travel purpose), or, if not, you are a German citizen or, resident, or their spouse/partner/child under 18 serve in an important role, or have an urgent need to travel. Otherwise travellers may not enter Germany from the UK. Further information about restrictions on entry is on the Federal Interior Ministry website, including information about what constitutes an urgent need for travel.

Travel from the UK is generally subject to pre-departure digital registration and 10-day quarantine with test and release available after 5 days. The fully vaccinated are exempt from quarantine.

Unvaccinated children under 12 years of age are allowed to enter Germany if they present proof of a negative test result and travel with at least one fully vaccinated parent.

If you are travelling from a country outside the EU which is not on Germany’s travel corridor list, you are currently generally only permitted to enter Germany if: you are returning to your place of residence; if you serve in an important role; or there is an urgent need for your travel. This excludes commercial travel. Further information about possible exceptions for non-residents is on the Federal Interior Ministry website, under “What constitutes an urgent need for travel”. The decision on whether to allow entry in such circumstances is at the discretion of border guards.

Germany uses a three-tier system of risk categories (virus variant areas, high-incidence areas and risk areas), with distinct rules on entry and quarantine for each tier. You can find a complete list of designated areas here. If you are travelling from a designated risk area, such as the UK, you will need to quarantine on arrival, and complete pre-departure digital registration.

A ‘test and release’ system is in place in Germany. This means that if you are travelling from a risk area you can be exempted from quarantine if you provide a negative test result or indicate that you are fully vaccinated or recently recovered from a C-19 infection when filling in the digital registration. See the ‘quarantine after travel from risk areas’ section below for more details. See the ‘testing requirements’ section below for more details on the type of test accepted.

Proof of residence
UK nationals resident in Germany must demonstrate proof of residence. If you are not yet in possession of a residence card, you will be required to provide credible evidence that you are resident in Germany.

This could include an address registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), a tenancy agreement, a utility bill in your name, or a certificate of application (Fiktionsbescheinigung).

The German authorities have confirmed that individuals who are registered at a German address in the population register (Melderegister), who can present identification (including residence documents) displaying a German address, or documents (paper or electronic) issued in their name by third parties stating an address in Germany, may be presumed to be resident in Germany. A document which has been left in Germany but which can be accessed by someone else may be photographed or scanned and sent to the traveller abroad by email or via cloud for presentation at checks. See the guidance from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community.

Hauliers
Hauliers are generally exempt from the requirement to quarantine when entering Germany, provided they do not stay for more than 72 hours and that they comply with appropriate health protection and hygiene plans. Hauliers from the UK are required to possess a negative COVID-19 test, proof of vaccination or proof of recovery prior to entering Germany, unless they stay in Germany for less than 72 hours.

Testing requirements
Travellers flying to Germany from anywhere in the world must possess proof of vaccination, proof of recovery, or a negative COVID-19 test prior to departure for presentation to the airline. If you are travelling from the UK and are not fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, you will need to enter Germany with either a PCR test result that is no more than 72 hours old, or a rapid antigen or other test sample that is no more than 24 hours old. The result of the test required by the German authorities can either be in paper or electronic form. Children aged five or under are exempt.

Travellers by land from designated high-incidence or virus variant areas are also required to demonstrate a negative test taken no more than 48 hours or 24 hours prior to entry, respectively. Travellers by land from designated risk areas must demonstrate a negative test taken within 48 hours of arrival.

Molecular based tests (PCR tests) from the UK are accepted in Germany. Antigen tests are accepted as well, provided they meet the minimum criteria recommended by the WHO. This includes tests that meet ≥80% sensitivity and ≥97% specificity, compared to a PCR test. Most lateral flow tests work on the same basis as antigen tests and must meet the same criteria to be accepted. Details on the antigen or lateral flow test manufacturer must be given on the test certificate. ‘LAMP’ (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) tests are also now accepted. Border officials and local public health authorities will not accept a negative test result if there is justified doubt about whether the test meets the minimum performance requirements.

You can find more information about acceptable tests from Germany’s public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute’s, website (PDF available in English via the link). Further information on testing requirements can be obtained from your local public health authority. You can find further details about the current restrictions, including quarantining after a negative test on the German Health Ministry website.

Quarantine after travel from risk areas
From 7 July onwards the UK is designated as a high-incidence area. This means that travellers arriving from the UK are subject to 10-day quarantine, and test and release is available after 5 days. Fully vaccinated individuals are exempt from this requirement.

If, in the 10 days before you travel to Germany, you have been in an area designated at the time of entry as presenting an increased risk of infection, you must register online in advance of travelling to Germany. On arrival, you must travel to your accommodation and quarantine there for up to 14 days. If you are travelling from a high-incidence or risk area, you can be released from quarantine immediately if you provide one of the following with the pre-departure digital registration:

A negative C-19 test;
Proof that you are fully vaccinated (this means that you have taken the last of the recommended doses of a C-19 vaccine authorised in the EU more than 14 days ago) (See ‘Demonstrating your COVID-19 vaccination status’)
Proof that you have recently recovered from a C-19 infection. Proof of recovery is a positive PCR test no older than six months, but older than 28 days.
If you are travelling from a virus variant area, you must quarantine for the full 14 days, and do not have access to test to release.

For travel from designated high-incidence or risk areas there are some exemptions from the quarantine requirement, including for frontier workers and individuals deemed to be providing essential activities. Precise rules are set by the federal states, so please consult the provisions applicable in the place where you are staying.

If you have specific questions about the quarantine requirements which apply in your particular case, you should contact the local public health authority in your place of residence. Please also contact your local public health authority for further details on test and release. You can identify the relevant authority here

Demonstrating your COVID-19 vaccination status
Demonstrating your vaccination status from the UK is not formalised for entry into Germany, so you should follow alternative advice for entry. Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate your vaccine status.

Transiting Germany
For further information about transiting Germany, please consult the Federal Interior Ministry website, under the heading “When is transit through Germany permitted?”.

Paul Bloom
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Paul Bloom » Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:31 am

I have the great pleasure in Informing members of the forum that 3 events have now been set up to play OTB chess at CCF Coulsdon Surrey
They are 2 one day Rapid plays of 7 rounds 20 mins plus 10 secs on Saturday 31st July and Saturday 28th August Both FIDE and ECF rated we will hope to Have 3 sections and a weekend 5 round long play Congress on 18th and 19th September again FIDE and ECF rated hopefully with 4 sections for this one . All 3 events are now open to book by visiting the CCF chess homepage website . I hope to see many friends and familiar faces playing some real chess again ,,,
Last edited by Paul Bloom on Sat Jul 10, 2021 8:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Simon Rogers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Simon Rogers » Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:46 am

Paul Bloom wrote:
Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:31 am
I have the great pleasure in Informing members of the forum that 3 events have now been set up to play OTB chess at CCF Coulsdon Surrey
They are 2 one day Rapid plays of 7 rounds 20 mins plus 10 secs on Saturday 31st July and Saturday 28th August Both FIDE and ECF rated we will hope to Have 3 sections and a weekend 6 round long play Congress on 18th and 19th September again FIDE and ECF rated hopefully with 4 sections for this one . All 3 events are now open to book by visiting the CCF chess homepage website . I hope to see many friends and familiar faces playing some real chess again ,,,
That's great news Paul. Might be worth creating separate topics for them in the Congress Diary Category.
How has the club been going the last couple of weeks?

Paul Bloom
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2020 1:34 pm

Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Paul Bloom » Sat Jul 10, 2021 10:47 am


Paul Bloom
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2020 1:34 pm

Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Paul Bloom » Sat Jul 10, 2021 8:27 pm

Simon Rogers wrote:
Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:46 am
Paul Bloom wrote:
Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:31 am
I have the great pleasure in Informing members of the forum that 3 events have now been set up to play OTB chess at CCF Coulsdon Surrey
They are 2 one day Rapid plays of 7 rounds 20 mins plus 10 secs on Saturday 31st July and Saturday 28th August Both FIDE and ECF rated we will hope to Have 3 sections and a weekend 6 round long play Congress on 18th and 19th September again FIDE and ECF rated hopefully with 4 sections for this one . All 3 events are now open to book by visiting the CCF chess homepage website . I hope to see many friends and familiar faces playing some real chess again ,,,
That's great news Paul. Might be worth creating separate topics for them in the Congress Diary Category.
How has the club been going the last couple of weeks?
HI Simon thanks its been going great thanks just completed the leagues from last season and now we will begin to start the CCF cup for 7 summer weeks and a months worth of training sessions for the kids during August Daytimes

John Reyes
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by John Reyes » Sat Jul 10, 2021 8:55 pm

Our league has a meeting this Wednesday and we will see what they suggested
Any postings on here represent my personal views only and also Dyslexia as well

Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:04 pm

My club in London, Battersea, has made this announcement:

Battersea Chess Club has held its first AGM for two years as it gets back on its feet again after lockdown.
Club members gathered indoors on Tuesday for the first time since March 2020 to decide on a roadmap for starting up again.
Club nights will return from August 3 at the club’s normal venue in Falcon Road, Battersea. Doors open from 7pm as usual. The club is planning to hold just casual club nights in August as we bed in before the league season starts.
Internal tournaments and events are being worked on – more details will be revealed later.
Covid protocols have been put in place to reassure members.
The AGM agreed that the club will ask everyone who attends to leave a name and phone number for track and trace.
Sanitizer and masks will be provided.
Sanitizer should be used before playing and by default masks should be worn by players and spectators (unless mutually agreed otherwise).
Capacity will be limited to 44 which means if the attendance goes above that you may be denied entry. Members are also asked not to shake hands and are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated.
Subs for the 2021/22 season were simplified and set as a flat rate of £70 for full members and £35 for juniors. However, new members can attend for four weeks before they are required to pay subs. Anyone wishing to sign up can do so here.
Anyone who wants to play rated games, either internal or external, will also be required to hold ECF membership.
Another general meeting will be held in late September to revisit some of these decisions, for example, whether it is still necessary to limit capacity.

NickFaulks
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:12 pm

Tim Spanton wrote:
Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:04 pm
My club in London, Battersea, has made this announcement:
What will actually happen if I turn up to play some friendly games?
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Fri Jul 30, 2021 6:04 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:12 pm
Tim Spanton wrote:
Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:04 pm
My club in London, Battersea, has made this announcement:
What will actually happen if I turn up to play some friendly games?
You might be better off heading for my club in Sussex, Hastings & St Leonards, which recently announced:

WE’RE BACK!!

THE COVID RETURN RAPID PLAY

NO FORCED COVID RESTRICTIONS

ORGANISED BY PAUL BUSWELL

by courtesy of

THE CHAIRMAN & COMMITTEE OF

HASTINGS & ST LEONARDS CHESS CLUB

and with the invaluable assistance of Marc Bryant

TO BE HELD ON

SUNDAY 8 AUGUST 2021

CLOCKS START 2:00 p.m.

(arrive and check in by 1:45 p.m.)

7 Round Swiss of 10 minutes per game plus 5 seconds per move.

Results will be submitted for English Chess Federation rapidplay grading.

FREE ENTRY TO CLUB MEMBERS

ENTRIES ONLY FROM CLUB MEMBERS

Many modest (sometimes silly) prizes to be won by players at all levels.

Prize giving is expected to be finished by 6:30 p.m.

Entrance numbers strictly limited to 20 absolute tops

and people will be turned away after that number is reached,

so advance booking is strongly recommended.

Book by contacting Paul Buswell, on e-mail [email protected] or otherwise phone 01424 444321

Don’t give your entry through anyone else, I do not accept indirect or word of mouth entries, they’re too vague.

No tournament if fewer than 12 entries by Monday 2 August.

Tea time refreshments (self-service) provided.

Visitors’ parking vouchers from Jim Wheeler beforehand, contact him direct.

COVID: This event will be played as if it is still the year 2019 and no specific COVID precautions will be taken, e.g. no social distancing. Please note: do not attend if you have COVID symptoms or have recently tested positive; facemasks are optional; hand sanitiser will be available; failing to shake hands will not be thought discourteous. And please be sensitive to others’ approaches to COVID risk, which may not be yours.

NickFaulks
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:44 pm

Tim Spanton wrote:
Fri Jul 30, 2021 6:04 pm
You might be better off heading for my club in Sussex, Hastings & St Leonards
Looks brilliant, but what time is the last bus back to London?
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:52 am

The last train appears to be 21:50. Don't know about the last bus.

Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:32 am

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:52 am
The last train appears to be 21:50. Don't know about the last bus.
Not a problem: "Prize giving is expected to be finished by 6:30 p.m."

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