(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Tim Spanton]

The Covid numbers start a lot lower for the Czech Republic than many of its European neighbours but they have been rising in the past few days according to this article. Enough for Norway to slap a 10-day quarantine for anyone arriving from there.

Hmm - I hope Boris Mussolini and his chums don't get wind of this

[NickFaulks]

The Covid numbers start a lot lower for the Czech Republic than many of its European neighbours but they have been rising in the past few days according to this article. Enough for Norway to slap a 10-day quarantine for anyone arriving from there.

They have obviously been testing more people - a bad mistake if you want to keep your "case" statistics down.

[Wadih Khoury]

No they had 2 big clusters appear if I recall. One in a mining region, another in Prague itself, likely linked to night life and/ or tourism.

[NickFaulks]

No they had 2 big clusters appear if I recall. One in a mining region, another in Prague itself, likely linked to night life and/ or tourism.

Yes, obviously linked to people enjoying themselves, couldn't possibly be just more testing. Lots of hospitalisations, then?

[Roger de Coverly]

Yes, obviously linked to people enjoying themselves, couldn't possibly be just more testing. Lots of hospitalisations, then?

Possibly press scaremongering but
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -home.html

More than 500,000 Britons face a scramble to get home amid fears France, Holland, Switzerland, Poland and Malta could all be added to UK's quarantine list

But not Czech Republic.

[NickFaulks]

They might as well throw darts at a map. Perhaps they do.

[John Moore]

Yes, obviously linked to people enjoying themselves, couldn't possibly be just more testing. Lots of hospitalisations, then?

Possibly press scaremongering but
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -home.html

More than 500,000 Britons face a scramble to get home amid fears France, Holland, Switzerland, Poland and Malta could all be added to UK's quarantine list

But not Czech Republic.

Roger - since it's The Daily Mail, then scaremongering would be my best bet.

[Tim Spanton]

Mass of photos from the Summer Prague tournaments:
https://www.facebook.com/czechtouren/ph ... 243197461/

[Roger de Coverly]

Mass of photos from the Summer Prague tournaments:

In comparison to the most recent Hastings, the tables are that little bit larger, having the depth to accommodate both a DGT board and two scoresheets. Also the boards appear a little further apart, so even having the scoresheet or a cup of tea/coffee to one side is in no danger of invading the space of the player to the left or the right. But perhaps these were the playing conditions also in previous years?

Hastings for comparison
https://brendanogorman.smugmug.com/Ches ... s-2019-20/

[Chris Rice]

Mass of photos from the Summer Prague tournaments:
https://www.facebook.com/czechtouren/ph ... 243197461/

The covid rate is rising in Greece again and they have added some countries to their list from next Monday where you have to prove you don't have coronavirus before you are let in. The new list includes the Czech Republic.

Looking at these photos Tim has put up, apart from a few spectators wearing masks, they just confirm that the organisers are not taking the covid concerns seriously. If this is the prevailing attitude through the country little wonder I guess why the rate is rising. Poland which I mentioned earlier has recorded a record rise in cases and its only now that it will be obligatory to wear masks and only using half the seats on public transport and a limit to the number of people who will be able to attend weddings, funerals and other celebrations, which will presumably include chess tournaments.

I want OTB chess tournaments back as soon as possible but it appears organising them at the moment in the way that Poland and the Czech Republic are doing is possibly making the problem worse rather than the way they were organising the tournaments in Biel and Dublin.

[Alex Bullen]

It really is life as normal here in the Czech Republic though, so why would they take care at chess tournaments? Masks only need be worn on the Metro (Underground) and the whole country feel that they are well past the worst of COVID. I don't feel like anyone can point the finger at the organisers as they have (presumably) followed their governments guidelines for mass gatherings!
I was in a nightclub here last weekend with no precautions, so again if these are allowed to open and operate as normal then chess tournaments are well within their rights to do so too.
Personally, I only have issue with shaking hands here, but a quick anti-bac and we're good to go.

[Chris Rice]

It really is life as normal here in the Czech Republic though, so why would they take care at chess tournaments? Masks only need be worn on the Metro (Underground) and the whole country feel that they are well past the worst of COVID. I don't feel like anyone can point the finger at the organisers as they have (presumably) followed their governments guidelines for mass gatherings!
I was in a nightclub here last weekend with no precautions, so again if these are allowed to open and operate as normal then chess tournaments are well within their rights to do so too.
Personally, I only have issue with shaking hands here, but a quick anti-bac and we're good to go.

My point was not on the legality of chess tournaments or mass gatherings in the Czech Republic but whether the fact that they are allowed in the first place without many of the social distancing and PPE measures that are now common in other countries is leading to rising figures. You haven't answered that but I'm guessing from your laissez faire attitude that this isn't a particular priority for you as long as the Czech government say its ok. Hope you are right but the figures at the moment are pointing the other way. Guess we'll just have to see what happens.

[Matt Bridgeman]

Well done to Alex for nearly knocking over that strong Russian FM yesterday. Listening to The Chess Pit podcast with the CEO of the Hastings tournament it sounds like they are leaning towards having an online event to mark the 100th anniversary over Christmas/New Year, with perhaps an over-the-board tournament cautiously penciled in for Spring 2021.

[Chris Rice]

Well done to Alex for nearly knocking over that strong Russian FM yesterday.

Great game!

Bullen, Alex (WLS) - Pozdnjakov, Viatcheslav (RUS) 0-1

Summer Prague Open 2020 round 04

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nbd2 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bd3 O-O 6. O-O c5 7. c3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nc6 9. Re1 Bg4 10. h3 Bd7 11. Nb3 a5 12. Be3 a4 13. Nbd2 Nb4 14. Bb1 Bb5 15. Nf1 Re8 16. a3 Nc6 17. N1d2 e5 18. Ba2 h6 19. Rc1 Bd3 20. d5 Ne7 21. Bb1 Bb5 22. Nc4 Nc8 23. Qd2 Kh7 24. Qb4 Qd7 25. Rc3 Nh5 26. Bd3 Ba6 27. Rec1 Bf6 28. Nb6 Nxb6 29. Rc7 Bxd3 30. Rxd7 Nxd7 31. Qxb7 Red8 32. Rc7 Rab8 33. Qc6 Bb5 34. Qxd6 Bg7 35. Qe7 Kg8 36. Qb4 Bf8 37. Qa5 Bd6 38. Rc1 Be2 39. Qxa4 Bxf3 40. gxf3 Rxb2 41. Bxh6 Nf4 42. Bxf4 exf4 43. Rc2 Nb6 44. Qc6 Rb1+ 45. Rc1 Rxc1+ 46. Qxc1 Rc8 47. Qb2 Nc4 48. Qb7 Rb8 49. Qa6 Rb1+ 50. Kg2 Rc1 51. h4 Kg7 52. a4 Rc2 53. h5 gxh5 54. a5 Bc5 55. Kh1 Bxf2 56. e5 Nxe5 57. Qd6 Bd4

[Tim Spanton]

See here for a mass of graphs showing covid cases and deaths in the Czech Rep. Not all seem to tell the same story:

https://www.google.com/search?q=czech+r ... e&ie=UTF-8