World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

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Tim Harding
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World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Aug 17, 2018 5:06 pm

The closing date for registrations is one month from today (17 September).
Arrival date is 17 November, 11 rounds 18-29 November (free day on the 24th).
Play starts 3pm for rounds 1-10 but unlike previous years it is 10am for Round 11.

Contrary to what the website says, there isn't an online entry form and it is not necessary to use the messy Excel file on offer.
(That's only really for federations submitting multiple entries.)

What they need is your name, Federation, FIDE ID, hotel preference, date of birth and tournament you are entering; also (f known) dates of arrival and departure, and details of any accompanying persons.
Transfer requests can be made later if you are not sure of travel arrangements yet.

Your name will go up on the entry list once they receive your money (150 euro per player and for hotel deposit 150 Euro per person).

Just send your details to [email protected] and if you have any queries before entering, I found that chief organiser Georg Mohr will reply promptly in English.

Payment information is at http://wscc2018.european-chessacademy.c ... structions.

Entries from our part of the world so far:
WOMEN 50+ Petra Fink-Nunn (also Helen Milligan NZL but formerly SCO)
WOMEN 65+ Dinah Norman
OPEN 50+ Terry Chapman, Rosemary Giulian (SCO), Owen Phillips, and Hassan Erdogan (ENG, unrated by FIDE)
OPEN 65+ Philip Giulian and Douglas Mckerracher and Jim Webster (all SCO); Kenneth Norman, Brian Hewson, Ian D.W. Reynolds, William Ingham, David Bray (ENG, unrated by FIDE), and myself.

No Welsh players have entered as yet.

Total entries are well below last year at present but usually a lot of people enter in the last few weeks.
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

Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Wed Aug 29, 2018 4:35 pm

Entry lists have been updated again today at http://wscc2018.european-chessacademy.com/index.php/en/

Entries from our part of the world so far:
WOMEN 50+ Petra Fink-Nunn (also Helen Milligan NZL but formerly SCO); total entries to date: 15.

WOMEN 65+ Dinah Norman; total entries to date: 8. They probably need a few more to run a separate tournament.

OPEN 50+ Rosemary Giulian, Stephen Mannion, Peter R. Smith (SCO);
Terry Chapman, Owen S. Phillips, and Hassan Erdogan (ENG, unrated by FIDE); total entries to date 59.

OPEN 65+ Philip Giulian and Douglas Mckerracher and Jim Webster (all SCO); Craig Pritchett told me he may enter.
Kenneth Norman, Brian Hewson, Ivan Myall, Ian D.W. Reynolds, William Ingham, David Bray (ENG, unrated by FIDE), and myself (IRL). SO far 110 entries.
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

Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Sep 10, 2018 11:35 pm

Entries close in a week (17 Sept). The entry lists were updated today at
http://chess-results.com/tnr361548.aspx ... ES&flag=30

After the usual late rush there are now 150 players in the 65+. Sveshnikov is in now as second seed.
Craig Pritchett, currently 15th seed, is the top British player, as usual. Raj Bhopal brings the Scots entries up to five.
The Irish contingent is now up to two as our super-veteran Eamon Keogh has entered.

The same six English as listed above and no Welsh. Tony Stebbings hasn't entered (as yet anyway) but he's already played two tough senior events this year.

There are now ten 65+ women (including Dinah Norman) so if it stays at that or doesn't exceed twelve entries they will probably play a round-robin.
There are 19 currently in the 50+ women; no further British entries.

In the Open 50+ there are now 81 entries, including Rosemary Giulian and at least one other woman.
Peter Gayson who did so well in the EU individuals last month has entered.
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

Craig Pritchett
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Craig Pritchett » Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:46 am

Thanks, as ever, to Tim for consolidating all this useful information for all of us who play in the events. Modesty, however, forbids me to accept that I am the top-rated British player in the 65+ championship, as Tim suggests, 'as usual'.

While it probably is true that I have been the top-rated British player in all of the 65+ (and before that 60+) championships that I have played in since Arco 2010, last year at, Acqui Terme 2017, Tony Stebbings and Nigel Povah (only a few points then between them) were both about 20 rating points ahead of me at the tournament start.

Indeed, while Nigel and I both finished on 7 points, he played the better chess and gained quite a few rating points (I lost a few). It would, of course, be good to see both Nigel and Tony, and indeed any other even higher-rated British players enter the 65+ field at Bled. It's a great event!

Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:12 pm

Craig Pritchett wrote:
Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:46 am
Thanks, as ever, to Tim for consolidating all this useful information for all of us who play in the events. Modesty, however, forbids me to accept that I am the top-rated British player in the 65+ championship, as Tim suggests, 'as usual'.

While it probably is true that I have been the top-rated British player in all of the 65+ (and before that 60+) championships that I have played in since Arco 2010, last year at, Acqui Terme 2017, Tony Stebbings and Nigel Povah (only a few points then between them) were both about 20 rating points ahead of me at the tournament start.

Indeed, while Nigel and I both finished on 7 points, he played the better chess and gained quite a few rating points (I lost a few). It would, of course, be good to see both Nigel and Tony, and indeed any other even higher-rated British players enter the 65+ field at Bled. It's a great event!
Indeed Nigel had a fantastic tournament at Radebeul but maybe he's not coming to Bled. Tony will also be missed if he doesn't come.

The entry lists were updated again today. There is still no entry from last year's 50+ champion Julia Granda but the other three 2017 champions will be defending their titles.

We now have 161 entries in the 65+ Open (compared with 166 last year so that number may be exceeded eventually). Kevin James, who played board 2 for Ireland in the 65+ teams in July and was our most successful player, has now also entered, making 3 from the Emerald Isle.
I don't see any new GB entries since the last update.

There are now 90 in the 50+ Open; Neil Farrell (SCO) has joined. Probably a few more will join (there were 93 last year) butbthe record number from Marienbad 2016 won't be reached. There were 470 players then compared with 315 last year.

There are now 24 women in their 50+ and suddenly 17 in the 65+ so they can have a Swiss after all, though maybe not 11 rounds. (In past years it has twice been reduced to 9 rounds.) This is the highest number of female entries so far, not counting the few who prefer the Open events.
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

Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:22 pm

A new set of entry lists was posted today at http://chess-results.com/tnr361548.aspx ... ES&flag=30 and it is now possible to see entrants by country.
There are two new names from England, very welcome: GM Keith Arkell and WIM Ingrid Lauterbach.

Entries officially closed on Monday but it wouldn't be unusual if a few late entrants trickled in, at least from the host country Slovenia as they only have 16 so far.
As there also tend to be a few dropouts before the actual start, due to illness or whatever, we are probably now close to the final numbers:
25 in Women 50+,
18 in Women 65+ (top seed Nona as usual)
108 in Open 50+ where Keith is 11th seed.
179 in Open 65+
A total of 21 GMs are entered: 12 in the Open 50+, 8 in the 65+ plus Gaprindashvili.

Despite the absence of the defending champion Julio Granda, there are more GMs than last year in the 50+ but there were 11 in the Open 65+ last time including Torre and Tarjan who are not playing this year unless they come in late.
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

Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:55 pm

I have updated the following seniors news page on my website:

http://www.chessmail.com/seniors/Seniors-news.html

There have been a few new entries since I last posted.

If anyone reading this has also entered please let me know (or post here) if you have received the same payment request that I did.
It seems extraordinary that the organisers are saying that the balance of entrants' hotel costs cannot be paid by credit card.
They told me I must either pay by bank transfer by 1 November or else in cash (which for two persons would be around 1500 Euro) on the day of arrival/registration.
The demand also included an item for city tourist tax which was never before mentioned in any of the announcements about the tournament.
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

Roger de Coverly
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:15 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:55 pm
It seems extraordinary that the organisers are saying that the balance of entrants' hotel costs cannot be paid by credit card.
Are they doing the normal organiser's trick of buying the hotel rooms at wholesale cost and passing them on to the participants at retail? That might explain why they cannot take credit cards, if it's the organisers rather than the hotels collecting the balance of payments.

Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:15 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:15 pm
Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:55 pm
It seems extraordinary that the organisers are saying that the balance of entrants' hotel costs cannot be paid by credit card.
Are they doing the normal organiser's trick of buying the hotel rooms at wholesale cost and passing them on to the participants at retail? That might explain why they cannot take credit cards, if it's the organisers rather than the hotels collecting the balance of payments.
It seems to vary each year. With the Czechs at Marienbad 2016 we had to pay the hotel balance direct to the organisers on arrival. With the Greeks in 2014 and the Italians in both 2015 and 2017 we paid the hotel at the end.

In the case of the hotel I've booked, it's changed name and been reopened since the Congress program was announced, so it may just be the new management are saddled with a contract that they have to accept. That's why I was wondering had anyone else got the same email as me; possibly entrants booked to other hotels have not the same issue.

As somebody has noted in another thread about FIDE, the 2020 event has been awarded to Assisi; next year we shall be in Transylvania.
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

NickFaulks
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:42 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:15 pm
As somebody has noted in another thread about FIDE, the 2020 event has been awarded to Assisi
Shame, better avoided I suspect.
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Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:46 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:42 pm
Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:15 pm
As somebody has noted in another thread about FIDE, the 2020 event has been awarded to Assisi
Shame, better avoided I suspect.
Why? Worried about earthquakes?
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

NickFaulks
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:51 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:46 pm
Why? Worried about earthquakes?
No, previous Italian events. Greek seaside resorts are hard to beat.
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Tim Harding
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:30 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:51 pm
Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:46 pm
Why? Worried about earthquakes?
No, previous Italian events. Greek seaside resorts are hard to beat.
Well I don't entirely disagree (not a great fan of the Italian organising team), but I have been to all the Senior World Championships since the 50+/65+ arrangements started in 2014 (two in Italy, one in Greece) and I don't recall you have been to any?

The senior individual championships are held in the second half of November when it's too late to be at the seaside.
When we had the event at a Greek seaside resort the weather was terrible throughout the Balkans/ Aegean region and it was miles from anywhere.

I was actually hoping for a response from one or two people who have entered this year...
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

NickFaulks
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by NickFaulks » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:30 am

Tim Harding wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 9:30 pm
Well I don't entirely disagree (not a great fan of the Italian organising team), but I have been to all the Senior World Championships since the 50+/65+ arrangements started in 2014 (two in Italy, one in Greece) and I don't recall you have been to any?
You are quite correct, I am still influenced by memories of the 2006 Turin Olympiad, which was very disappointing. I might have changed my mind if those at the recent events, such as yourself, had reported excellent organisation, but you have not done so.

As it happens, I am one of those people who like the seaside, even Wijk, in the winter.
Last edited by NickFaulks on Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Craig Pritchett
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Re: World Senior Individuals, Bled, November 2018

Post by Craig Pritchett » Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:07 am

Tim:

very quickly, yes such a payment request has gone out to at least one other of the Scottish entrants but I haven't (yet) had one. It is irritating that the organisers apparently won't accept credit cards, as this has been pretty well 'standard' even in cases where the organisers 'required' all cash be paid directly to them following which they then (re)distributed payments to hotels (minus any organisers' 'cut') rather than where the hotel costs were paid by the players to the hotels directly.

Moreover the apparent "requirement' that any bank transfer must be by 1 November (for an event that starts 18 November) seems very strange to me (what happens if money transferred on 1 November arrives the next day … is it returned?!). This just seems plain daft, not least because players can pay by cash at registration on 17/18 November if they want to.

Do all please reinforce your will to see the 'new' Fide begin to move forward from the old Macro regime and establish a Seniors Chess Commission for the first time so that a reasonable players' perspective can be reflected in these and other important management arrangements, including growing the seniors game (see the relevant link to background at Tim's website above), for which even Dirk Jordan, FIDE seniors director, expressed fulsome support in 2017.

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