Multi-section opens.
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2026 2:42 pm
Why are multi-section opens rare in the UK while being quite common in Europe?
The basic set up is one big Swiss tournament in which anyone or any rating can enter with no options for rating restricted events. Instead what is on offer are quite generous prizes for rating limited sections within the tournament, plus junior, senior and women's prizes. Rather than just a rating prize of say £50, inevitably to be shared multiple ways, a rating prize might be £150 with perhaps 2nd and 3rd prizes withy some sort of tie-break arrangement. You can have as many rating bands as you like and they can go up quite far to say 2200. Contrary to the views of some organisers, a cash price is an incentive if it's reasonably attainable and at least it offsets costs. Being one big tournament it saves on organisational effort and, therefore, costs.
Common in the UK is a congress with an Open event and 2 or 3 sections with rating restrictions. The problem is, you do well in the lower sections, find yourself rated over 1900, and then you're mostly faced with Opens where not only is a prize unlikely, but you get crushed rather a lot. People lose heart which is perhaps why we have tournaments with lots of juniors, lots of seniors and no-one much in the middle. It may also be why we have a problem attracting players, except juniors, between 1900 and 2200. Experienced players at that level are crucial if you want to give up and coming juniors good experienced opposition, and if they're not entering tournaments this has an effect on revenue.
When I was residing in France I twice entered the Avoine International Open (a 9 day tourney) and also the Avoine Weekender. All tournaments were very well attended with well over 300 participants, including some GMs and IMs and other titled players, lots of juniors and far more working age adults, and many more women than are usually seen in UK events. I ended up winning 50 Euro in the weekender for coming third in my rating section and 75 Euros plus a bottle of rather good wine in my second Avoine International Open for second in my rating section.
The basic set up is one big Swiss tournament in which anyone or any rating can enter with no options for rating restricted events. Instead what is on offer are quite generous prizes for rating limited sections within the tournament, plus junior, senior and women's prizes. Rather than just a rating prize of say £50, inevitably to be shared multiple ways, a rating prize might be £150 with perhaps 2nd and 3rd prizes withy some sort of tie-break arrangement. You can have as many rating bands as you like and they can go up quite far to say 2200. Contrary to the views of some organisers, a cash price is an incentive if it's reasonably attainable and at least it offsets costs. Being one big tournament it saves on organisational effort and, therefore, costs.
Common in the UK is a congress with an Open event and 2 or 3 sections with rating restrictions. The problem is, you do well in the lower sections, find yourself rated over 1900, and then you're mostly faced with Opens where not only is a prize unlikely, but you get crushed rather a lot. People lose heart which is perhaps why we have tournaments with lots of juniors, lots of seniors and no-one much in the middle. It may also be why we have a problem attracting players, except juniors, between 1900 and 2200. Experienced players at that level are crucial if you want to give up and coming juniors good experienced opposition, and if they're not entering tournaments this has an effect on revenue.
When I was residing in France I twice entered the Avoine International Open (a 9 day tourney) and also the Avoine Weekender. All tournaments were very well attended with well over 300 participants, including some GMs and IMs and other titled players, lots of juniors and far more working age adults, and many more women than are usually seen in UK events. I ended up winning 50 Euro in the weekender for coming third in my rating section and 75 Euros plus a bottle of rather good wine in my second Avoine International Open for second in my rating section.