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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:50 pm
by Tim Spanton
Chess may be a wargame, however wargaming is not chess.
Nevertheless I find it interesting that the Society of Ancients feels confident enough to announce in the latest issue of its magazine Slingshot that its annual Battleday convention has been booked for August 15.
I have never been to a Battleday but I imagine it involves a lot of people milling about in close proximity.
Further info promised at soa.org.uk/joomla/battle-day
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm
by Mick Norris
David Sedgwick wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 12:52 am
Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑Fri Mar 19, 2021 8:50 pm
FIDE were proposing to repeat their World Championship Swiss qualifier in the Isle of Man in autumn. The Isle of Man has self-isolated and
I don't think has given any statements as to when it will reopen the borders. Most recently it went back into lockdown having imported an outbreak via a Manx based employee of the ferry company.
For once you are not up to date with the news.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe ... n-56333593.
The FIDE Grand Swiss is scheduled to take place from 25th October to 8th November. I haven't spoken to anyone on the island for a while, but as things stand I would put the chances of the event going ahead on those dates at about 50-50.
IoM
reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:10 pm
by Roger de Coverly
Mick Norris wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm
IoM reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
The question for the Grand Swiss is when they reopen their borders to visitors.
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:34 pm
by Mick Norris
Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:10 pm
Mick Norris wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm
IoM reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
The question for the Grand Swiss is when they reopen their borders to visitors.
Indeed, but they seem to be
progressing with vaccination faster than us, so maybe their target date of September to reopen their borders will be met
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:23 pm
by Paul Habershon
Covid 19 and surfaces. Dominic Lawson in yesterday's Sunday Times strongly dismisses the idea that the virus can easily be transmitted by communal touching of surfaces. Quoting scientific evidence, he says that expensive deep sanitising is unnecessary. Separately I have heard that charity shops no longer have to quarantine clothing and other donations.
This has implications for the resumption of OTB chess and F2F bridge. It would seem that masks may be a more useful precaution than the careful sanitisation of equipment, though of course we would all hope that they too can soon be discarded. Careful cleaning is much emphasised by the English Bridge Union in its advice to clubs. Normally the playing cards and the cards in bidding boxes are handled by several players during a session, so you can understand the caution, but is constant cleaning really necessary? Perhaps a hand sanitizer at every table would be a cheaper and easier way of inspiring confidence.
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:11 am
by Angus French
Paul Habershon wrote: ↑Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:23 pm
Covid 19 and surfaces. Dominic Lawson in yesterday's Sunday Times strongly dismisses the idea that the virus can easily be transmitted by communal touching of surfaces. Quoting scientific evidence, he says that expensive deep sanitising is unnecessary. Separately I have heard that charity shops no longer have to quarantine clothing and other donations.
This has implications for the resumption of OTB chess and F2F bridge. It would seem that masks may be a more useful precaution than the careful sanitisation of equipment, though of course we would all hope that they too can soon be discarded. Careful cleaning is much emphasised by the English Bridge Union in its advice to clubs. Normally the playing cards and the cards in bidding boxes are handled by several players during a session, so you can understand the caution, but is constant cleaning really necessary? Perhaps a hand sanitizer at every table would be a cheaper and easier way of inspiring confidence.
Can you say which scientific papers were quoted by Dominic?
I've read a couple of papers in the last few days -
one in the Lancet and
one in the British Medical Journal - both of which seemed, in my reading, to downplay the risk of transmission from surfaces though they don't discount it. Neither paper made me confident about being inside and mixing with other people for several hours. If you're doing that, you'd want - due to the apparent risk of transmission from aerosols - social distancing to be practiced, masks to be worn, and very good ventilation, no?
Two more links:
-
Further explanations from one of the authors of the Lancet piece
-
Some short animations about aerosol transmission
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:36 am
by Paul Habershon
Angus French wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:11 am
Can you say which scientific papers were quoted by Dominic?
Dominic Lawson refers to this:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lani ... 2/fulltext
This was published nine months ago and Lawson adds: 'Anyway, the British Medical Journal has finally sided with Professor Goldman's Lancet paper.....last week it published an editorial saying that the chance of transmission... after touching surfaces is now considered to be relatively minimal.'
The thesis was also supported in America on April 5th by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Lawson also reports that the WHO admits 'There are no specific reports which have directly demonstrated fomite transmission.'
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:30 am
by Kevin Thurlow
It now seems that it is unlikely that Covid is transmissible by touching hard surfaces, but it was a sensible precaution when we didn't know... Similarly, if you work in a laboratory and encounter a white solid, you don't taste it!
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:01 pm
by David Sedgwick
Mick Norris wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:34 pm
Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:10 pm
Mick Norris wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:57 pm
IoM reopening businesses on Monday 19 April
The question for the Grand Swiss is when they reopen their borders to visitors.
Indeed, but they seem to be
progressing with vaccination faster than us, so maybe their target date of September to reopen their borders will be met
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe ... n-56847501
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:13 am
by Paul Robert Jackson
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:24 pm
by Adam Raoof
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:52 pm
by John Sellen
It is likely that by the Autumn the majority of adults in this country will have had 2 Covid vaccinations which at the moment would appear to offer a high level of protection( obviously new variants may change this)
Personally I would be happy to play in congresses without too many restrictions if I knew the other participants had been vaccinated
Two questions for forum members
1. Is it reasonable for congress organizers to ask for proof of vaccination ( there will almost certainly be some sort of Vaccine Passport by that time )
2.If so what about juniors who may not have have been vaccinated
Would be interested to hear opinions on this
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:56 pm
by Simon Rogers
Hi Adam.
Can't get on website. It says it can't provide a secure connection. Something to do with protocols.
Need to disappear for a little while everyone. I've got my first covid vaccination in Blackpool in less than a hour's time.
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:23 pm
by NickFaulks
John Sellen wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:52 pm
1. Is it reasonable for congress organizers to ask for proof of vaccination ( there will almost certainly be some sort of Vaccine Passport by that time )
In my opinion yes, if that is what they want, although personally I would not take part in such a discriminatory event.
Whether such conditions are legal will doubtless be tested in court.
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:41 pm
by Mick Norris
John Sellen wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:52 pm
It is likely that by the Autumn the majority of adults in this country will have had 2 Covid vaccinations which at the moment would appear to offer a high level of protection( obviously new variants may change this)
Personally I would be happy to play in congresses without too many restrictions if I knew the other participants had been vaccinated
Two questions for forum members
1. Is it reasonable for congress organizers to ask for proof of vaccination ( there will almost certainly be some sort of Vaccine Passport by that time )
2.If so what about juniors who may not have have been vaccinated
Would be interested to hear opinions on this
My understanding on the current
test events is that they require negative Covid tests in advance; I'm not sure, like Nick, that requirement for proof of vaccination will be legal; as well as juniors not being vaccinated, there are some in the adult population who have been advised against vaccination
I can see the logic for, say, a Seniors event
Like you John, I'd be much happier knowing that everyone has been vaccinated; however, from an organiser's perspective, another thing to check for anyone coming to a congress might not be welcome