FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

The very latest International round up of English news.

Chris Rice
Posts: 3416
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:17 am

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Oct 22, 2021 8:14 pm

LawrenceCooper wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 10:26 pm
David Sedgwick wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 1:55 pm
Matthew Turner wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 1:26 pm
I think it is worth quoting what Nakamura said

"If there is indeed a hard lockdown in Latvia starting in a few days, out of respect for Latvians suffering with Covid and for the health and safety of myself and my trainer, I will not be competing in the Grand Swiss chess tournament in Riga."
Purely for the record, I quote the following comment from Emil Sutovsky on Twitter:

"I find a "respect for locals" discourse misplaced as Latvian government supports the event."
Naka's somewhat controversial take on the situation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xouk7IQeSU
Regarding the respect for locals discourse and Naka repeatedly calling Sutovsky "ignorant" I thought it was interesting to hear the views of Arturs Neiksans, a Latvian GM on FB who references Loz's link above:

"The epidemic situation in Latvia is bad but we're fighting it with all it takes and ultimately will manage it. I know the organizing team of the Grand Swiss very well (organizers of RTU Open), and for them, player health safety is a top priority. Please understand, these are not just words - read the health protocol for full safety measures.

In short, all of the Grand Swiss players and accompanying persons will be living in a strict bubble, the same hotel. I live in Riga myself but I won't be able to see my family or friends for 2 weeks and I've accepted that. All of us will be regularly tested every 3 days (including the vaccinated), most of the participants are vaccinated. All of the organizers are vaccinated.

There will be almost no contact with the outside world - players will be met at the airport, delivered to the hotel, delivered to the playing hall, and back. However, it will be allowed to walk to the playing hall for some fresh air as it's a short walking distance. This is not a hard lockdown as the country lives on during the day, traveling is allowed.

The only real concern here is having all of the 200 people at the same location, however, the epidemic situation in Latvia then hardly plays a role. Imagine yourself in a shark-infested sea, if you want, but we will be living on an island and you are advised not to go swimming. Participants' responsibility to obey the rules obviously will be of paramount importance, as the collective understanding to get vaccinated. If you are concerned, you can catch the virus on any airplane, or any airport as there are travellers everywhere.

I believe that we finally have to move on and start not being afraid, otherwise, this will never end."

Angus French
Posts: 2149
Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 1:37 am
Contact:

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Angus French » Fri Oct 22, 2021 10:03 pm

Hikaru is sounding off but he's essentially right, no?

User avatar
Matt Mackenzie
Posts: 5191
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:51 pm
Location: Millom, Cumbria

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Fri Oct 22, 2021 10:15 pm

It is a fully legitimate POV, whether it is totally "right" or not I don't really feel qualified to judge.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Richard Bates
Posts: 3338
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Richard Bates » Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:56 pm

Without getting in to detailed specifics (having not investigated in detail what Nakamura has said) there are a few talking points that could be raised from this.

One is whether the calling into question of the event perhaps betrays a mindset about chess as an arguably “elite (sporting) activity”. With the exception of the first few months of the pandemic, whilst there has been widespread challenging of whether and/or the extent to which elite events should be allowed in person spectating for the most part it has been accepted that the events should go ahead - albeit with varying levels of precautions put in place. This has even often been the case for events taking place over several days and therefore whether there is high prospect of Covid outbreaks causing disruption.

Another point, relevant to Latvia, are whether views on the suitability and/or risk of an event should be informed by general Governmental restrictions - especially if the Government themselves is in favour of the event going ahead (it might be different if eg. the Govt was anti - but for whatever reason had no legal powers to prevent the event, or was supportive only under severe duress).

Because Govt restrictions do not in themselves necessarily speak to the relative risks in any particular country as they may also be influenced by the nature and general approach of its advisers. One could easily point, for example, to a whole host of US states where there are clearly serious problems (with pro-rata death and hospitalisations rates that are off the scale - equivalent to 1000s deaths a day on a U.K. basis) where either because of political outlook or legal impotence few if any restrictions are in place. And of course as we know many people would put the U.K. in that bracket as well.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8452
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:32 pm

Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:56 pm
One could easily point, for example, to a whole host of US states where there are clearly serious problems (with pro-rata death and hospitalisations rates that are off the scale - equivalent to 1000s deaths a day on a U.K. basis) where either because of political outlook or legal impotence few if any restrictions are in place.
Then please point, because I can't find them.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Richard Bates
Posts: 3338
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Richard Bates » Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:59 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:32 pm
Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:56 pm
One could easily point, for example, to a whole host of US states where there are clearly serious problems (with pro-rata death and hospitalisations rates that are off the scale - equivalent to 1000s deaths a day on a U.K. basis) where either because of political outlook or legal impotence few if any restrictions are in place.
Then please point, because I can't find them.
In my defence it is very easy to be misled by varieties of reporting practices so one can pick up a number on one day which is not representative (and of course all reporting of death numbers needs to be treated with heavy caveats). But, for example Wyoming, Montana and Alaska all seem to have average daily numbers per 100k of over 1.5 which is equivalent of around 1000 in the U.K (if my maths holds up...) And these are states where for the most part social distancing can me measured in miles rather than metres.

I should say, unrelatedly, in relation to the first “talking point” - this may just be reflective of the extent to which chess players have high levels of control over their activities, and a variety of ways to make a living that makes it easier to exercise personal decisions over whether to take part in events such as this.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8452
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:02 pm

Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:59 pm
NickFaulks wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:32 pm
Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 12:56 pm
One could easily point, for example, to a whole host of US states where there are clearly serious problems (with pro-rata death and hospitalisations rates that are off the scale - equivalent to 1000s deaths a day on a U.K. basis) where either because of political outlook or legal impotence few if any restrictions are in place.
Then please point, because I can't find them.
But, for example Wyoming, Montana and Alaska all seem to have average daily numbers per 100k of over 1.5 which is equivalent of around 1000 in the U.K
That's true, although "around 1000" is not the same as "1000s". In any case, you can't extrapolate too much from single digit figures of daily deaths, which have recently jumped up from literally one or two - winter comes suddenly in those parts, which could be a factor.

It has been notable that the British press, from The Guardian to The Daily Express, have from the very start of the pandemic pushed the official line that everywhere without brutal social repression is going to Hell. It just isn't true.

The more significant states for this comparison are Texas and Florida. They do have higher reported Covid death rates than the UK, because many of their elderly residents choose to live their lives normally and a tiny percentage of them do contact Covid and die from it, a few years earlier than they might otherwise have died after a final existence in solitary confinement. They understand the risk and make their choice. Meanwhile, cancer patients are being diagnosed and treated ( imagine that! ), children are going to school and playing games, students are in college, adults are going to work, all that stuff...

I am in regular contact with people in both of those states and their message is "things are good here, come and join us". My message in return is "don't come to the UK, we're living a paranoid nightmare".
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Richard Bates
Posts: 3338
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:27 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Richard Bates » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:14 pm

Well we could debate it all day, and this isn't really the place, but whether it's true or not, it doesn't undermine my basic argument that Governments imposing restrictions are not necessarily a particularly good test of how badly a country is affected by Covid.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8452
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:42 pm

Richard Bates wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:14 pm
it doesn't undermine my basic argument that Governments imposing restrictions are not necessarily a particularly good test of how badly a country is affected by Covid.
I wasn't sure that was your point, but I certainly agree with it. Governments have used Covid as cover for doing things that they wanted to do anyway but weren't confident they could get away with.

Returning to Texas, imposing unpopular repressive measures on a population where the majority of households own a gun is additionally difficult. That is what the Second Amendment, now somewhat discredited, was originally about.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Matthew Turner
Posts: 3600
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 11:54 am

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Matthew Turner » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:51 pm

Matthew Turner wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 1:26 pm
NickFaulks wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 12:25 pm
Angus French wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 11:32 am
Looks like Hikaru Nakamura won't be going.
He didn't play in the recent US Championships either. I don't think he is very interested.
I think it is worth quoting what Nakamura said

"If there is indeed a hard lockdown in Latvia starting in a few days, out of respect for Latvians suffering with Covid and for the health and safety of myself and my trainer, I will not be competing in the Grand Swiss chess tournament in Riga."

I think that is a very professional attitude and the sort of 'leadership' that we would hope to see from our sports stars.
I perhaps should add at this point that I am currently playing in the GM norm tournament in Hull where 0% of the participants are wearing masks. We are in the same room as the Open where I would say 60+% of players are wearing masks.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8452
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:06 pm

Matthew Turner wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:51 pm
I perhaps should add at this point that I am currently playing in the GM norm tournament in Hull where 0% of the participants are wearing masks. We are in the same room as the Open where I would say 60+% of players are wearing masks.
I can't find anything about Covid requirements in the Open.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Matthew Turner
Posts: 3600
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 11:54 am

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Matthew Turner » Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:44 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:06 pm
Matthew Turner wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:51 pm
I perhaps should add at this point that I am currently playing in the GM norm tournament in Hull where 0% of the participants are wearing masks. We are in the same room as the Open where I would say 60+% of players are wearing masks.
I can't find anything about Covid requirements in the Open.
I am not actually sure what the regulations are, but I am surprised how high a proportion of players are wearing masks. I think in general, players are choosing to wear masks rather than being required to do so.

NickFaulks
Posts: 8452
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:54 pm

Matthew Turner wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:44 pm
I am not actually sure what the regulations are, but I am surprised how high a proportion of players are wearing masks. I think in general, players are choosing to wear masks rather than being required to do so.
I have never faced an opponent wearing a mask. I would prefer that they didn't because it feels a bit weird, but am not that bothered. I imagine it would affect their play more than mine.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Tim Harding
Posts: 2318
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Contact:

Re: FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

Post by Tim Harding » Sun Oct 24, 2021 9:25 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 5:54 pm
Matthew Turner wrote:
Sat Oct 23, 2021 4:44 pm
I am not actually sure what the regulations are, but I am surprised how high a proportion of players are wearing masks. I think in general, players are choosing to wear masks rather than being required to do so.
I have never faced an opponent wearing a mask. I would prefer that they didn't because it feels a bit weird, but am not that bothered. I imagine it would affect their play more than mine.
In Ireland it is required to wear a mask (except for very young kids). I have now played in two tournaments here (and intend to play another next month) and have been arbiter at two junior tournaments.
You get used to wearing them.
We also have very good ventilation - windows and doors open and fans to ensure a constant airflow, without which masks alone would not suffice in a long playing session. So far as I'm aware nobody has yet caught Covid at one of the tournaments here but of course it's a risk and I wouldn't take it if I hadn't had two shots of Pfizer vaccine.
I am appalled to hear of the absence of masks in Hull.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

Post Reply