ECF Funding for the British Championship

[Chris Goodall]

Years ago, winning the British Championship would have most likely got you an invitation to the Hastings Premier. I don't know whether it now gets you anything at the Hastings Masters; I'd guess not. Even longer ago, might it have got you a place in an England team?

As you were typing that, I was thinking: what if we made the highest placed English player at the British an automatic selection for the next Olympiad? I must have an old soul.

[NickFaulks]

Even longer ago, might it have got you a place in an England team?

But not necessarily any games when you got there.

[Angus French]

Even longer ago, might it have got you a place in an England team?

But not necessarily any games when you got there.

Would the attachment of a guaranteed number of games work - although it sounds a bit artificial? Maybe the award should be for the Olympiad or the European Teams, whichever comes next. Maybe, also, the award should be to a non-regular player for England teams (from the England team perspective I think this could be a useful thing: inject some new blood).

[Angus French]

If it's true that the Championship prize fund is the reason the annual party can't pay for itself, then get rid of the Championship prize fund.

The monopoly on the title "British Champion" should be a net asset to the ECF. It should generate income by enticing players to compete at a discount to their usual rate. Instead it's a net liability; the ECF have to keep up the façade that holding the title makes one a reasonably big fish in the British chess scene, whereas the professionals would happily skip "The British Championship" for a random Open in Latvia with cheap rooms, so they have to bribe players into competing for it.

The British is the Flagship event for the ECF and it is to do with venues cost etc.
i know there been proposals with the championship and people don't see the future.

if anyone got any good ideas. let the ECF know

My idea, as suggested upthread, is to seek sponsorship. Are any efforts being made in this regard?

[LawrenceCooper]

If it's true that the Championship prize fund is the reason the annual party can't pay for itself, then get rid of the Championship prize fund.

The monopoly on the title "British Champion" should be a net asset to the ECF. It should generate income by enticing players to compete at a discount to their usual rate. Instead it's a net liability; the ECF have to keep up the façade that holding the title makes one a reasonably big fish in the British chess scene, whereas the professionals would happily skip "The British Championship" for a random Open in Latvia with cheap rooms, so they have to bribe players into competing for it.

The British is the Flagship event for the ECF and it is to do with venues cost etc.
i know there been proposals with the championship and people don't see the future.

if anyone got any good ideas. let the ECF know

My idea, as suggested upthread, is to seek sponsorship. Are any efforts being made in this regard?

This sounds like a perfect question for the ECF meeting which has just happened.

[Roger de Coverly]

Maybe the award should be for the Olympiad or the European Teams, whichever comes next

They have tried that for the winner of the Women's title.

As far as the Open champion is concerned, there are some precedents for not having such a rule. Perhaps the 1957 champion was hard done by, but not I think the1972 one. In almost every other year going back decades, the Champion, if English eligible, would have been an automatic selection.

[Chris Goodall]

My idea, as suggested upthread, is to seek sponsorship. Are any efforts being made in this regard?

They tell a tale in these parts of an old wizard called the Grand Master, who alone is able to cast the Summon Sponsor spell. But outside the gates of the Grand Master's castle lives an imp, and whenever the Federation sends a young sorcerer to learn the secret of Summon Sponsor, the imp waylays him and says "Thou hast the power to summon a sponsor who will bestow much gold upon thee; who but a fool would use such a power for the good of the Federation? For the Officers of the Federation sit upon diamond-encrusted swivel chairs at computing machines made of gold and know not what they spend our taxes upon, while the volunteers at thine own poor weekender have gone about in sackcloth and ashes these five years. Come, let us cast Summon Sponsor upon thine event, and when the tales of thy beneficence have spread to every corner of the land, the Federation will fall at thy feet and offer thee thine own diamond-encrusted swivel chair for a pittance from thy coffers!"

[Paul Cooksey]

Thanks all for voting.

If it's true that the Championship prize fund is the reason the annual party can't pay for itself, then get rid of the Championship prize fund.

The monopoly on the title "British Champion" should be a net asset to the ECF. It should generate income by enticing players to compete at a discount to their usual rate. Instead it's a net liability; the ECF have to keep up the façade that holding the title makes one a reasonably big fish in the British chess scene, whereas the professionals would happily skip "The British Championship" for a random Open in Latvia with cheap rooms, so they have to bribe players into competing for it.

The British is a festival rather than an elite event. The ECF are monetising the title in a different way, using it got attract entries.

[Paul Cooksey]

Thanks all for voting.

If it's true that the Championship prize fund is the reason the annual party can't pay for itself, then get rid of the Championship prize fund.

The monopoly on the title "British Champion" should be a net asset to the ECF. It should generate income by enticing players to compete at a discount to their usual rate. Instead it's a net liability; the ECF have to keep up the façade that holding the title makes one a reasonably big fish in the British chess scene, whereas the professionals would happily skip "The British Championship" for a random Open in Latvia with cheap rooms, so they have to bribe players into competing for it.

The British is a festival rather than an elite event. The ECF are monetising the title in a different way, using it got attract entries.

[NickFaulks]

This sounds like a perfect question for the ECF meeting which has just happened.

It was a Zoom meeting, which is in practice equivalent to no meeting.

[Mick Norris]

ECF Board meeting minutes

NT said that the BCC accounts were not complete but the event was expected to make a small surplus against an expected loss of £5,000-£6,000. Blitz and rapid events in particular had helped to boost the entry numbers and the social events had also been very successful. He hoped to be able to make an announcement regarding the venue for 2024 by the end of the year.