Northumbria Masters

[Matt Bridgeman]

24-28 August and with a new website! Also, the Masters section is for 2000+ FIDE only to keep those pesky 1800 rated juniors at bay!

https://northumbriamasters.com/

[NickFaulks]

Also, the Masters section is for 2000+ FIDE only to keep those pesky 1800 rated juniors at bay!

That's a shame, because they should be encouraged in general and also how else will their ratings ever get into line with reality if they're not allowed to play against strong adults?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Finding this trend towards lower rating limits for top sections irksome tbh, maybe there is a case for discouraging total patzers but that would mean the floor being a lot lower than 2000 FIDE (if there should be one at all)

[NickFaulks]

Finding this trend towards lower rating limits for top sections irksome tbh, maybe there is a case for discouraging total patzers but that would mean the floor being a lot lower than 2000 FIDE (if there should be one at all)

Provided there were a good Major alongside I would accept 2000 FIDE ( or 1750 for juniors ) but that appears to be the opposite of the motivation in this case.

[Roger de Coverly]

Provided there were a good Major alongside I would accept 2000 FIDE ( or 1750 for juniors ) but that appears to be the opposite of the motivation in this case.

Northumbria has three lower sections under 2000, under 1800 and under 1600, all with the same schedule as the Open.

It's the English Championship which doesn't have any lower sections if you don't meet the 2000 automatic qualification standard.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Provided there were a good Major alongside I would accept 2000 FIDE ( or 1750 for juniors ) but that appears to be the opposite of the motivation in this case.

Northumbria has three lower sections under 2000, under 1800 and under 1600, all with the same schedule as the Open.

It's the English Championship which doesn't have any lower sections if you don't meet the 2000 automatic qualification standard.

I think the English Championships are 2000+ FIDE or ECF rating, whereas this is just 2000+ FIDE, and you have to be over the mark on the FIDE list at the end of July or you’ll get moved down a section it seems.

[TomVilliers]

It was just announced that the Masters is now open to all ratings.
While this is great news for all the 1600s and/or juniors it's not so good for me & other players rated 2000-2200 wanting to avoid underrated opposition

[Roger de Coverly]

It was just announced that the Masters is now open to all ratings.
While this is great news for all the 1600s and/or juniors it's not so good for me & other players rated 2000-2200 wanting to avoid underrated opposition

My guess would be that it's in reaction to a shortfall in entries.

As of writing, the entrants in the five sections total 13, 19, 6, 10 and 1

[Joey Stewart]

I imagine it will go both ways, you'll have an influx of underrated players looking to get a crack at 2000+ ones that entered expecting to play each other but conversely I could see several pulling out in protest of the massive unfair change - I certainly would and not cause I don't think players lower rated then me are not good enough to give me a game ( many are basically the same strength) but because I want to actually be competing to potentially gain points of my own and not be faced with a scenario of score 100% to basically break even or take huge losses.

[Matt Mackenzie]

But if there aren't enough entrants, then its quite possibly a question of letting lower rated players in or not having a top section at all.

[Ian Thompson]

It was just announced that the Masters is now open to all ratings.

... and now it's gone. On Facebook, 12 hours ago, the organiser said

"The tournament deliberately has a minimum qualification rating of 2000 FIDE to encourage 2200+ players to take part (without facing lots of underrated juniors under 2000, and to foster potential title norm chances) ..."

Entries now up to 18, all over 2000, but the IM who was previously registered has gone, leaving only one IM/GM.

I wonder why entries this year are so low when it got a good entry last year and the year before?

[TomVilliers]

I think a lot of people enter last minute, I know several players still likely to play but not entering yet for unexplained reasons

[Derrick Walker]

My wife was going to play this year, after really enjoying it a few years back when it was at the Metrocentre. However, the closest accommodation this year appears to be around a 30-40 minute walk and there is no easy access to the Metro. as there was last year. So that leaves me, and the couple of dozen parents I seen around the Metrocentre a few years back, either stuck at the venue or needing a car to get around.

While there is significant cost pressures on the organisers and the quality of the venue is important, the location this year proved a deal breaker for us.

Plenty of other Congresses to choose from.

[Chris Rice]

I hadn't heard of the Schiller system before but it seems a really good way of helping norm seekers. Tim Wall explained on British Chess News:

"Happy to announce an excellent line up for the Northumbria Chess Masters IM Norm Schiller Team Tournament, 24-28 August in Newcastle upon Tyne. Under the Schiller system, named after the late Eric Schiller, four teams of three players play nine rounds against the players in the other three teams. With an average opposition for each norm seeker of 2283.5+, a score of 6.5/9 is required for an IM norm.

Three experienced IMs (Angus Dunnington, Gavin Wall and Peter Large) take on a hungry field of mostly young talents, including Ireland’s Trisha Kanyamarala, Scotland’s Freddie Waldhausen Gordon & England’s Borna Dorsa Derakhshani."

Here are the four teams on the chess results server

[LawrenceCooper]

I hadn't heard of the Schiller system before but it seems a really good way of helping norm seekers. Tim Wall explained on British Chess News:

"Happy to announce an excellent line up for the Northumbria Chess Masters IM Norm Schiller Team Tournament, 24-28 August in Newcastle upon Tyne. Under the Schiller system, named after the late Eric Schiller, four teams of three players play nine rounds against the players in the other three teams. With an average opposition for each norm seeker of 2283.5+, a score of 6.5/9 is required for an IM norm.

Three experienced IMs (Angus Dunnington, Gavin Wall and Peter Large) take on a hungry field of mostly young talents, including Ireland’s Trisha Kanyamarala, Scotland’s Freddie Waldhausen Gordon & England’s Borna Dorsa Derakhshani."

Here are the four teams on the chess results server

I've been aware of it for some, I'm fairly sure that Adam Raoof used it 20+ years ago. I had wondered about using it instead of an all-play-all but settled for the latter as it's much simpler to explain and understand!