(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Wadih Khoury]

Even a relatively mild restriction such as limiting indoor gatherings to one hundred people would cancel the Congress in its usual form.

Indoor gatherings were limited to 6 last summer, but it seemed there was scope for local governments to define "gathering" in such a way that you can fit more than one gathering of 6 into a playing hall. If it's 100, you'd only need to divide the hall into two or three partitioned areas.

Then of course you'd only need to hire in the additional toilet facilities to keep the various groups separate.

I don't recall that separate toilets were an issue when the rule of 6 indoors was in place last time. I thought in phase 3, one could organise multiple groups of 6 all-play-all.
What can be done (like in Biel or Heidelberg) is to limit the number of people simultaneously in the toilets (either self regulation, or use of tokens)

[Adam Raoof]

Indoor gatherings were limited to 6 last summer, but it seemed there was scope for local governments to define "gathering" in such a way that you can fit more than one gathering of 6 into a playing hall. If it's 100, you'd only need to divide the hall into two or three partitioned areas.

Then of course you'd only need to hire in the additional toilet facilities to keep the various groups separate.

I don't recall that separate toilets were an issue when the rule of 6 indoors was in place last time. I thought in phase 3, one could organise multiple groups of 6 all-play-all.
What can be done (like in Biel or Heidelberg) is to limit the number of people simultaneously in the toilets (either self regulation, or use of tokens)

This is what I am currently planning - maybe 10 groups of 6 players, 5 rounds and a later start time to ensure people can play all the games without a need for a bye. No need for players to crowd around a board or screen to find out who they are playing!

[Chris Goodall]

I don't recall that separate toilets were an issue when the rule of 6 indoors was in place last time. [...]

What can be done (like in Biel or Heidelberg) is to limit the number of people simultaneously in the toilets (either self regulation, or use of tokens)

Indeed - the ECF's Risk Assessment document mentions toilets (item 1.5) and there's nothing to say they can't be used by more than one cluster of 6.

Possible action you may take:

• Placing antiseptic hand wash in each toilet
• Placing antiseptic wipes in each toilet
• Ensuring disposable paper towels are available
• Instructing players to wipe surfaces (BIN) and then use handwash thoroughly after using toilet
• Instructing players to maintain social distancing if queueing

[Matthew Turner]

Indoor gatherings were limited to 6 last summer, but it seemed there was scope for local governments to define "gathering" in such a way that you can fit more than one gathering of 6 into a playing hall. If it's 100, you'd only need to divide the hall into two or three partitioned areas.

Then of course you'd only need to hire in the additional toilet facilities to keep the various groups separate.

I don't recall that separate toilets were an issue when the rule of 6 indoors was in place last time. I thought in phase 3, one could organise multiple groups of 6 all-play-all.
What can be done (like in Biel or Heidelberg) is to limit the number of people simultaneously in the toilets (either self regulation, or use of tokens)

Who knows? Weddings or funerals weren't allowed to get around the rule of 30 by saying people were in separate rooms, so there is no history of this partitioning in the UK (that I am aware of). I just don't see how anyone could expect the ECF to organise the British on the basis of what might be allowed and they might be able to get away with.

[Stewart Reuben]

Chris Goodall asked a perfectly reasonable chess question of me:
>If you were a chess club secretary, and you didn't have access to professional medical or legal advice on demand, would you schedule your summer tournament to start in May (step 3), or would you wait for step 4, or even 5 (with or without proof of vaccinations)?<

I don't think I have ever been a chess club secretary, at least since 1957, when I was secretary of my school chess club.
I think 4 22/6 would be too soon. Thus I think sometime in July would be more circumspect. People would possibly have time to get used to the idea of otb chess. If your summer tournament is scheduled to be played in a free venue and does not involve people having to book accommodation, then you could risk earlier, especially if it would be easy to contact people to explain why the event has to be postponed.

[Chris Goodall]

Who knows? Weddings or funerals weren't allowed to get around the rule of 30 by saying people were in separate rooms, so there is no history of this partitioning in the UK (that I am aware of). I just don't see how anyone could expect the ECF to organise the British on the basis of what might be allowed and they might be able to get away with.

The government's advice for indoor sports last time round was "consult your national governing body". So on the chess side, if the ECF want to do it, then it's allowed. It's up to the venue to find out from their local council and police what the CoViD-safe capacity of their rooms is, because ultimately they will enforce whatever interpretation of the rules they want to. What would "not getting away with it" amount to - the venue cancelling the booking and giving the ECF their money back?

[Roger de Coverly]

The government's advice for indoor sports last time round was "consult your national governing body".

There's also the problem that more often than not, the government refuses to regard chess as a sport.

There is a quasi Government body namely the "Sport & Recreation Alliance" of which the ECF is a member.
https://www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/

It doesn't seem to have had much to say in recent weeks about "returning to normal".

[Joseph Conlon]

We are not a sport. This has advantages and disadvantages - for junior chess, coming under the very general 'activities for children' heading can allow quite a broad dispensation for running events. On the other hand, for adult chess this can delay matters by putting chess in a broader category of adult social activities, which are viewed with suspicion as being good sources of covid-spreading.

Personally I am hoping to run a junior event on the 12th April, 4 x 8 players all-play-all, treating them as 4 separate bubbles which maintain social separation between the different events.

[NickFaulks]

Possible action you may take:

• Placing antiseptic hand wash in each toilet
• Placing antiseptic wipes in each toilet
• Ensuring disposable paper towels are available
• Instructing players to wipe surfaces (BIN) and then use handwash thoroughly after using toilet
• Instructing players to maintain social distancing if queueing

The first four sound quite desirable anyway.

[Nick Grey]

you are not correct on scope for local government - public health and local politicians.

[David Gilbert]

In the United States, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has announced today that vaccinated people will soon be given freedoms that unvaccinated won't have, that includes gathering indoors in small groups without precautions (while still wearing masks and practising social distancing in public places). If that proves safe and effective other countries could step in behind them. Nick Faulks' prophesy of vaccinated and non-vaccinated Leagues could then become at least half true?

[NickFaulks]

The CDC’s recommendations are guidelines, and carry no legal weight. Such matters are entirely in the hands of state authorities, some follow them when they feel like it, others ignore them completely.

[Roger de Coverly]

(while still wearing masks and practising social distancing in public places).

You cannot play over the board chess normally, by which I mean on a single board without screens, and remain two metres from your opponent. Three hours or more in a mask is unlikely to be popular either.

[Chris Goodall]

The CDC’s recommendations are guidelines, and carry no legal weight. Such matters are entirely in the hands of state authorities, some follow them when they feel like it, others ignore them completely.

No legal force certainly, but you wouldn't want to be a lawyer arguing that you didn't kill someone after you rejected the CDC's advice.

[Nick Grey]

On junior chess government want catch up on education not playing chess. Big fine on those organising a indoor gathering.