(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Kevin Thurlow]

The buttons are quite big on those clocks, could you issue each player with a disinfected broom-handle to press the clock?

[Simon Rogers]

I suppose, at the end of the tournament, the players can then use the rest of the broom to sweep the floor and clear the litter under the tables.

[Tim Spanton]

Anyone thinking of playing at Biel should note this Foreign Office update:

"From 15 June, the Swiss Government will lift ... restrictions for travellers from the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway and the European Union."

Now the question is: will our government lift quarantine-return rules before Biel ends and players are due back on Jul 30?

https://beauchess.blogspot.com/

[Tim Spanton]

New Foreign Office update on the Czech Rep (relevant for anyone hoping to play in CzechTour events - I have underlined the particularly pertinent parts):

The Czech government has announced a new system of entry requirements, with different rules for entry into the country from three categories of countries; high, medium and low risk. This system applies to all EU countries and five other European countries including the UK. A list of those countries can be found on the Ministry of Health website.

The UK has been a designated ‘medium risk’ country. Individuals with Czech residency travelling from countries designated by the Czech Government as ‘medium or low risk’ will be able to enter the Czech Republic for any reason, without a test result and without self-isolating.

If you do not have Czech residency, you will only be able to enter the Czech Republic freely if you are travelling from and resident in a country designated ‘low risk’ by the Czech Government. If you are travelling from and resident in a ‘medium’ or ‘high risk’ country, you will need to provide a negative test result taken in the last four days, or self-isolate for fourteen days. In addition, you may only enter the Czech Republic for certain purposes, including business, visiting family members, and study at university.

[Ian Thompson]

The Biel GM tournament is planned to go ahead this year, but most of the rest of the usual tournaments are cancelled.

The organisers do, though, plan a "Corona Amateur Tournament" where "each player has a chessboard with his own pieces in front of him and sits offset at the same table with his opponent".

The details are now published, but leave quite a few unanswered questions.

• Face masks and gloves are optional.
• Limit of 300 people in the playing hall.
• Players in the GM tournament will sit face-to-face with a plexiglass screen between them. Will that work effectively with the players still able to reach the 8th rank?
• Players in other adult tournaments will be given their own set of pieces for the duration of the tournament.
• Moving and clock pressing is done in the same way as when playing a blind player (without an assistant).
• No comment at all on how both players will be able to see the clock.
• Players in U16 tournaments will play as normal.

... and today they've said it's definitely going ahead, but with the rules (*) revised again:

• Players separated by two tables, each 0.8 m wide
• Board and clock in the middle of the two tables
• For some moves and for pressing the clock, a player may have to get off their chair
• 45 second increments will be used instead of the usual 30 second increments
• Players who are unable to rise from their seat can use Plexiglass panes as a protective device
• After each round, boards, pieces and clocks are cleaned and disinfected

The Swiss social distancing requirement is 1.5 m. I don't see how that will be maintained with a 1.6 m wide table. It only needs a player to lean forwards a little, which they're likely to do if the board's a long way away, and are bound to do when reaching to move pieces. The wearing of face masks is still optional.

The tournament now has 85 entries, although only 15 of them have made the commitment of paying the entry fee.

(*) The link to the English version of the rules actually links to the German version at the time of posting.

[Leonard Barden]

https://www.europechess.org/internation ... e-to-july/

Biel is not alone. As the above European Chess Union calendar list shows, so far 12 countries have announced tournaments, mostly international opens or festivals, for June/July, and a few of these have already started.

That is producing a contrast with the UK, where nothing over the board seems to be planned for at least several months.

[Roger de Coverly]

That is producing a contrast with the UK, where nothing over the board seems to be planned for at least several months.

Isn't it still illegal in the UK to hold indoor "meetings" involving multiple households? I'm wondering whether pubs, particularly those with outdoor seating will be configured to permit Blitz chess with a normal sized board.

[Paul Robert Jackson]

Realistically OTB chess returning in this country before later in 2021 is highly unlikely.
Sadly, I feel this could be the end for historically well-established chess clubs & congresses.

The government guidelines on how we need to socially interact to remain safe, will curtail any gatherings such as OTB chess competition.

[J T Melsom]

I've no idea of the likely timescale for a return, so no longer tempted to speculate. I think though that if a club or congress is genuinely 'well-established' rather than built on sand, then it should have the resilience to return. Obviously there are external factors - however well you run the chess bit of the equation, its a bit challenging if the venue goes bust, but we should perhaps not be too doom laden.

[Mick Norris]

Moving venues is common, though not possible if they've all gone bust; the Bury Rapidplay went through 3 during its existence; I've played at Bolton in 3 different venues and there have no doubt been more; Manchester summer/autumn has been through half a dozen within the same University campus

If events are dependent on an individual who decides for whatever reason to give up, then they are at risk, yes, as indeed are clubs in the same scenario

[Paul Robert Jackson]

I've no idea of the likely timescale for a return, so no longer tempted to speculate. I think though that if a club or congress is genuinely 'well-established' rather than built on sand, then it should have the resilience to return. Obviously there are external factors - however well you run the chess bit of the equation, its a bit challenging if the venue goes bust, but we should perhaps not be too doom laden.

Personally I am quite optimistic:
If venues go out of business, I am sure they will be replaced by others who will be wanting to make a financial success of their new venture.
I am hoping club members & congress organisers will also be enthusiastic about getting local leagues & congresses up & running again.

I am also not going to try to give a timescale
.......but even with my optimism, I can see this being quite a long time.

[Paul Robert Jackson]

If events are dependent on an individual who decides for whatever reason to give up, then they are at risk, yes, as indeed are clubs in the same scenario

I am hoping their will be individuals who will not give up, & also other club members & congress players who will be happy to step in & support current organisers.

[Adam Raoof]

I just did a survey of players on my mailing list. 40% said they wanted to start playing chess over the board right now!

The problems are many and varied.

I can't plan that far ahead, as there could be another wave of the virus. Even if I get the go ahead from a venue, they could change their minds at the last minute.
Some venues are not opening up to outside hire for a period
If I hold an event too soon there may not be enough confidence from players to get enough people to make it viable.
I need to make sure the toilets get cleaned regularly all day
People have to bring their own masks, and we would have to require that or have some spares to hand. People can claim a medical exemption from wearing them on public transport...
We need to find some hand gel, in bulk
The organiser is in a high risk group, and does not look forward to large events just at the moment

[David Blower]

That is producing a contrast with the UK, where nothing over the board seems to be planned for at least several months.

Isn't it still illegal in the UK to hold indoor "meetings" involving multiple households? I'm wondering whether pubs, particularly those with outdoor seating will be configured to permit Blitz chess with a normal sized board.

In the strictest sense are you suggesting that if any pub has one person serving behind the bar, than the only other people that can be in any pub is members of one family.

That doesn't seem likely to happen in any pub that is going to reopen at all.

[Angus French]

Relevant to discussions on re-starting over-the-board chess - and also to re-opening pubs and other facilities - are case studies on the transmission of the virus. This piece by Erin Bromage, a Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts, is informative and not too technical. I note in particular that social distancing in enclosed spaces over a period of time provides insufficient protection in itself. You may not get a single large dose of the virus but you are at risk of being hit by an accumulation of small doses to the same effect.

Also, as we know, the older you are the more at risk you are. Stats from Cambridge University and Public Health England currently (at 22 June 2020) give an infection fatality rate of 0.44% for those aged 45-64, 2.9% for those aged 65-74 and 17% for those aged 75+.