Chess boom?

[Wadih Khoury]

I noticed that 2 recent events I wanted to register my son for are full (Cambridge and 4NCL congress). Is it due to the specifics of these 2 tournaments or are more and more tournaments hitting their capacity cap, hinting at an increased interest in chess?

[Roger de Coverly]

I Is it due to the specifics of these 2 tournaments or are more and more tournaments hitting their capacity cap, hinting at an increased interest in chess?

The 4NCL Congress at Harrogate regularly sells out. With only three sections, 180 (60 per section) is a practical limit. As for Cambridge, it was a new event. Perhaps the ECF were surprised by the result, as a limit to 120 looks too small for an unrestricted Open.

I think Kidlington in early February was a sell out in 2020. That's restricted to around 180, but is currently only about half that.

[Simon Rogers]

It also helps to make sure the tournaments are well advertised on the websites of the English Chess Forum, English Chess Federation Calendar, and various County Chess Associations.
I try to help by posting the tournaments in the Congress Diary Category.
I'll post some more later this evening, after I've had my dinner and watched Ski Sunday on BBC2.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Are the numbers playing rated chess increasing? Without that it isn't really much of a "boom".

[Brendan O'Gorman]

Since the return of over the board chess in July 2021, most congresses have seen increased demand.

[Simon Rogers]

It's not just congresses that have an increase in numbers.
According to the Shropshire Chess Association website, the Minor Shropshire Individual Championship had a record entry.
Also, a number of new clubs have started around the country.
Locally, Lytham and Preston Chess Clubs have both gained a lot of new members since the pandemic.

[Brian Valentine]

Sorry to be a party pooper.

The has been a steady return to rated chess in 2022, but on average the number of results for both standard and rapid chess are running in the low 60%s of the 2019 levels.

[Joey Stewart]

If numbers of results are lower and yet tournament attendance is higher then perhaps the remaining and new players must be more active in the individual scene and the lost players were mainly from the team events like local leagues.

[Paul Heaton]

If numbers of results are lower and yet tournament attendance is higher then perhaps the remaining and new players must be more active in the individual scene and the lost players were mainly from the team events like local leagues.

I think you can see congresses have dropped away. The London Chess Classic and its associated events being prominent examples, but also off the top of my head Preston. I’m assuming there are others beyond this (eg Heywood and Thanet did not happen last year, though both hope to return this)

[Joey Stewart]

The other thing that tournaments filling up tells me is that there are a lot more wealthy chess players now, as congresses are extremely expensive (maybe not so much the entry price but more the combined transport, accommodation and food costs) so only the richest or most local players can consider them a viable form of chess.

[Tim Spanton]

'Paignton' is a major congress that has not returned, although I understand it likely will this year.
I am currently playing in the 50+ seniors at Mariánské Lázně - 46 entries last year; 92 this year.

[Wadih Khoury]

Sorry to be a party pooper.

The has been a steady return to rated chess in 2022, but on average the number of results for both standard and rapid chess are running in the low 60%s of the 2019 levels.

Thank you for the hard data.
Is the number of submissions also lower by the same proportions or more? I.e. do we have more rated games per tournament?

[Brian Valentine]

Such data is not easily to hand.

[Graham Borrowdale]

Joey makes the point about cost - many congresses are now held in hotels, with obvious limitations on space, and often what they are marketing is a weekend break with a chess tournament thrown in. That they are ‘selling out’ shows that the demand for these events is there. The days of congresses in London schools with several hundred players, using extra classrooms to accommodate late entries, are long gone. Basic supply and demand should mean that more congresses will spring up over time to meet the demand, with volunteer effort being the biggest limiting factor. The model is not risk-free for organisers, though, especially if hotels are involved.

[David Gilbert]

Joey makes the point about cost - many congresses are now held in hotels, with obvious limitations on space, and often what they are marketing is a weekend break with a chess tournament thrown in. That they are ‘selling out’ shows that the demand for these events is there. The days of congresses in London schools with several hundred players, using extra classrooms to accommodate late entries, are long gone. Basic supply and demand should mean that more congresses will spring up over time to meet the demand, with volunteer effort being the biggest limiting factor. The model is not risk-free for organisers, though, especially if hotels are involved.

It's not all bad in London - the Mill Hill FIDE Congresses have been hitting the spot, while the London Chess League recently announced three FIDE rated congresses at the Mind Sports Centre one minute walk from Ravenscourt Park tube:

• 3-5 Feb 2023
  31 Mar-2/Apr 2023
  2-4 Jun 2023

On another page the SCCU has announced the SCCU/London Team Championships at St Luke's Church on 24 June. Elsewhere, coming home from a London League Committee meeting at about 10.30pm on Friday night there were some 30 (I assume) students, who'd attracted a small crowd, playing chess on the low wall outside King’s College at Waterloo. It was cold and they were appropriately dressed in hats, coats, scarves and gloves. It looked like they'd been there most of the evening and the bars where open - what's going on!