English Chess Forum

• It is forbidden to shake hands
• You need a protection over the mouth and the nose
• You will not be able to participate if you have symptoms
• It is mandatory to disinfect your hand at the entrance and before the games
• Participants from an at risk foreign region will have to present a negative coronavirus test that took place less than 48 hours ago
• We will register information to enable contact tracing
• Apart from the direct participants, people will have to observe a 1.5m security distance
• Maximum two persons in the toilet at the same time
• Spectators and guests are not authorised to attend

• 150+ players over 2 sections. I estimate about 20-25% of no shows and late cancellations (200 players were expected) due to imminent tightening of rules in Germany and other countries (e.g. french players could not take the chance of getting stuck in Germany)
• I did note however few senior or.senior+ players, unlike the summer tournaments. Some juniors, with most players in the 20-50 age range.
• In the end, masks were not required for players while sat at the board. The chess experience was therefore 100% normal. I did note that probably half the players chose to keep their mask on.
• The system for the toilets was quite creative: there was a magnetic board in front of the toilet and each player had a magnetic token. If there were 2 tokens, you had to wait. If not, just attach your token to the board, and when finished recover it, notifying the next in queue there is a free slot.
• Lots of hand sanitizer everywhere
• Details were collected, and organisers did check for proof of Negative Covid test for those coming from a risk region or country.
• No hand shakes. I did see some players analysing afterwards.
• Good spacing between boards. See picture.

Wadih Khoury wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:09 pm

Some quick observations on the tournament:

• 150+ players over 2 sections. I estimate about 20-25% of no shows and late cancellations (200 players were expected) due to imminent tightening of rules in Germany and other countries (e.g. french players could not take the chance of getting stuck in Germany)
• I did note however few senior or.senior+ players, unlike the summer tournaments. Some juniors, with most players in the 20-50 age range.
• In the end, masks were not required for players while sat at the board. The chess experience was therefore 100% normal. I did note that probably half the players chose to keep their mask on.
• The system for the toilets was quite creative: there was a magnetic board in front of the toilet and each player had a magnetic token. If there were 2 tokens, you had to wait. If not, just attach your token to the board, and when finished recover it, notifying the next in queue there is a free slot.
• Lots of hand sanitizer everywhere
• Details were collected, and organisers did check for proof of Negative Covid test for those coming from a risk region or country.
• No hand shakes. I did see some players analysing afterwards.
• Good spacing between boards. See picture.

Overall, worth doing. Main cost was the test, and if the tournament was held one week earlier it would hav cost barely more than a UK
4 day congresss.

Tim Spanton wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:01 am

How did you get tested?

Wadih Khoury wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:04 am

Tim Spanton wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:01 am

How did you get tested?

PCR test in the UK, less than 48 hours before landing in Germany.
Some took their test in Germany (very fast, I think took them 6 hours, definitely less than 24).

Tim Spanton wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:31 am

Wadih Khoury wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:04 am

Tim Spanton wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:01 am

How did you get tested?

PCR test in the UK, less than 48 hours before landing in Germany.
Some took their test in Germany (very fast, I think took them 6 hours, definitely less than 24).

A brave new world. Any other tournaments on your horizons?