(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Jon Mahony]

Will chess return back to the online sector?

Veteran British players will no doubt recall playing in extremely cold church halls and scout huts.

Increased rents may well become an issue, as will increased hotel costs.

Playing online has the disadvantage for serious play that you have limited ability to be sure that your opponent isn't consulting external sources of information,

Agreed - Covid has pushed Chess further online and there seems to be resistance in some quarters to return things to normal (younger people enjoy doing everything online) for me though, it's pointless playing anything over a 5 minute game online due to the epidemic engine use - give me a drafty church hall and an opponent I can see any day.

[Simon Rogers]

I am pleased to report that Poulton-le-Fylde Chess Club finally has a website.
Here it is:
poultonchess.wordpress.com

[Simon Rogers]

I have just arrived in Scarborough for thr Congress, after the drive from Blackpool, with Martin Mitchell and Peter Garrett. I will try and do a report at the end of each round, like last year in the Congress Diary Category.
Good luck to the rest of the forum members playing in the tournament.

[Simon Rogers]

338 entries for Scarborough. We were each given a free pen with the words Scarborough Chess Congress on the side. Which is a nice touch.
There are entry forms provided for Hastings, Hull Rapidplay, Doncaster and Blackpool.
Although Blackpool appears to be online entry only and clashes with 4NCL.
I've posted my first report on the Scarborough Chess Congress in the Congress Diary Category and a link to the live boards in the Live Games Category.

[Simon Rogers]

I am pleased to report that we had a new member a few weeks ago and a new member tonight.
Both players show a lot of promise and have been playing Chess regularly online.

[Simon Rogers]

Our new member tonight has already signed up to the ECF under Lancashire.

[Stephen Westmoreland]

Good to hear. 34 juniors at Holmfirth now and several have only played online and are at a great standard already.

[Simon Rogers]

I am going through chess notation with the two new members at Poulton-le-Fylde Chess Club tonight.

[Simon Rogers]

Good to hear. 34 juniors at Holmfirth now and several have only played online and are at a great standard already.

I am pleased to report that we had four new members at Poulton-le-Fylde Chess Club last night. Two males and two females, not related.
Three new juniors at Cleveleys a couple of weeks ago, three year old, five year old and eight year old siblings.

[Ian Thompson]

Three new juniors at Cleveleys a couple of weeks ago, three year old, ...

Seriously?

[Wadih Khoury]

Three new juniors at Cleveleys a couple of weeks ago, three year old, ...

Seriously?

I think it's great if they know the rules and know how to behave.
My own sons knew the rules at 3, but I didn't want to encourage it so no chess played at all from 3 to 8 roughly.
I don't have many regrets, but in hindsight I should have registered them to a junior club at the time rather than waiting till 9.

[NickFaulks]

My own sons knew the rules at 3, but I didn't want to encourage it so no chess played at all from 3 to 8 roughly.

I think that's a shame. Three year olds can have quite sophisticated ideas but struggle to express them in words. Moving pieces of wood around is something they can do.

[Simon Rogers]

Three new juniors at Cleveleys a couple of weeks ago, three year old, ...

Seriously?

Hi Ian.
Yes. The three year old sat with her dad.
The five year old and eight year old are very promising.
Polish family, originally from Gdansk.
I've been asked to teach the children the Polish Opening as the grandfather plays as well and wants to see them play it.
I must admit, I've never played it myself and only faced it once against the protégé Niamh Bridgeman at Scarborough Congres and lost.
I'll be asking advice about the Polish Opening in the Chess Questions Category in the future.

[Stephen Westmoreland]

My lad started playing at four with great enthusiasm. He went on and off chess but became very enthusiastic again recently with a standard play grade at 1451.

[Ian Thompson]

Polish family, originally from Gdansk.
I've been asked to teach the children the Polish Opening as the grandfather plays as well and wants to see them play it.

Lucky that they're not Latvian, or, even worse, Irish.