Advice on return to OTB chess

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I am hoping the forum can help with advice on my plans to return to playing OTB chess.

To give a bit of background, I last played chess over the board on 13 February 2020 (has anyone else found the pandemic resulted in a break from chess?):

https://www.ecfrating.org.uk/v2/new/lis ... ch=kreuzer

My ECF rating history is here (I was fairly active for a couple of years a while ago):

https://www.ecfrating.org.uk/v2/new/pla ... de=155285F

That last game before the pandemic (I remember it well!) resulted in my rating reaching a personal best of 175 (old money). This has now been converted into a rating of 2013.

It is also a K-rating, though I must confess to not really understanding that, despite what is written here:

https://www.englishchess.org.uk/ecf-rating-categories/

I do have a slight hankering to play a rated game with my, er, not-so-freshly-minted highest-ever rating, but that is not really the main point (though I would need to know when I will actually become unrated, as I am not sure how to work that out).

What I am really after is advice on how best to ease back into playing again. I avoided online chess during the pandemic. I don't really want to get involved with that. But I would like to play OTB chess again, but am not sure whether to start off with league chess, a tournament somewhere, or something else.

Ideally in December, but maybe later. Where is it easiest now to play OTB chess?

If those whose clubs I was a member of before, ask why I am not simply re-joining them, that is a good question! That is an option, but I am looking more here for the OTB tournament options, and whether if I wanted to get a rated game played before the end of the year, should I go the league chess route or find a tournament to play in? I would like to play again before the 3-year mark! (It also needs to be fairly cheap, and I also need to know if I need to rejoin the ECF and at what level.)

Every time I played chess after a break, I always ended up playing quite well. Not sure that will happen this time!

[Roger de Coverly]

but I am looking more here for the OTB tournament options, and whether if I wanted to get a rated game played before the end of the year, should I go the league chess route or find a tournament to play in? I would like to play again before the 3-year mark! (It also needs to be fairly cheap, and I also need to know if I need to rejoin the ECF and at what level.)

Many of the usual tournaments have returned. In London, there are the regular December tournaments in Harrow, as well as Adam Raoof's events and a new monthly series in Ealing.

Outside of London, there's Hastings of course, plus Telford and Harrogate in January. There's even a nine round tournament at the University Arms in Cambridge in February.

As regards the ECF, the rules about membership haven't really changed. At the cost of a surcharge on the entry fee, it's often allowed to play even in FIDE rated tournaments without being a member.

[Mick Norris]

That's a good question Chris, I am in much the same position, except I am yet to gain enthusiasm to play

I considered 4NCL, county (match tomorrow) and a 1 day rapidplay (Bolton Sunday), and even a return to playing in the evening after a break of about 15 years

Whatever you feel comfortable is the answer I guess

Good luck

[David Williams]

I also stopped playing with a grade of 175, and played no online chess. The only difference is that I stopped in April 2018, simply because I wasn't enjoying myself. When I first considered returning, in September 2021, I also had a grade of 2013. When I finally did return a year later, I was ungraded.

I simply went back to my old club, and pretty quickly it was as if I'd never been away. Some of my opponents have also been returners (after two years rather than four) and they seemed to be as rusty as me. I've never been too bothered about grades, but I find myself at 2151 today, which will be a problem if it doesn't revert to something more sensible because next season I will be ineligible for one of the competitions I play in.

My only advice would be not to over-think it. Just do something. What can go wrong?

[MartinCarpenter]

Two years off is mostly nothing in terms of lost strength.

The massive break that loads of people took during Covid has meant that the new four figure ECF grades are rather random right now Instead of 2 1/2 seasons of data looking back, they've got half a season from 2020.

So the extant grades are inevitably rather out in places. They'll take a while to settle down too because there's far less data to stabilise grades, leaving new results to have much more impact than you'd really like.

Nothing really to be done about this, just accept and smile It'll sort itself out over time as the evidence base rebuilds itself.

[MartinCarpenter]

As for whether to do league, or tournament or... chess impossible to say. It'll depend where you are and so on.

I've always felt that league chess is something that you ideally should commit to for a whole season or not at all, but if they're short of players they'll be happy to have to you back!

[J T Melsom]

Chris as you will remember chess requires a lot of application and reasonably healthy head space. The pandemic impacted people in many different ways and the value or priority attached to chess may well have changed. Some have stopped playing, others have joined clubs for the first time after finding online chess a diversion during lockdown. But if you want to play, then you should take those first steps, or you will never know whether your concerns are real or imagined.

As for loss of form or ability, I was scratching around trying to correct a slump when COVID broke. I'm still not playing as I would like, but this is almost certainly because of external factors. Others have a different experience, but you won't know without trying.

I hope you return soon.

[Stephen Westmoreland]

Just enjoy. Chess is having a massive boost from juniors and new adults, so it is a refreshing environment.

[Andy Stoker]

I took a break from OTB chess from Mach 2020 until summer 2022 because of health concerns - partly for me but possibly more that I might transmit a disease to the vulnerable people I am frequently close to. I have enjoyed returning - but still have concerns about transmission ('flu' and Covid) and am apprehensive about venues which do not have adequate ventilation and those responsible who do not recognise the issue. Not always possible to determine this in advance, of course.

[John Clarke]

My personal experiences after lay-offs, for what they’re worth. Draw your own conclusions.

After emigrating in 1977 I had no competitive chess for two years, then started out with some correspondence play. After two seasons I packed it in - it was beginning to consume as much time as OTB, and anyway I’d achieved the modest objectives I’d set myself. During this period I also twice entered a local rapidplay. First time in the bottom section, for which I was clearly too strong (although a first-round muck-up kept me out of the prize-list). Second time in the middle section, where I scored 1/4 plus a bye.

Fast-forward six years, with no competitive play at all bar the tail-end of my second correspondence season. Competed again in the middle section of that rapidplay – and tied for first on 4½/5! Only difference was being more disciplined in my time-use, plus I’d studied an off-beat opening (Alapin’s), which paid off handsomely.

[Matt Mackenzie]

I presume you mean 1 e4 e5 2 Ne2?

[John Clarke]

I presume you mean 1 e4 e5 2 Ne2?

Sure do. But study and prep or not, my conditioning meant I really had to force myself to put that knight on e2!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Thanks all for the advice - much appreciated. I'll have a think and probably take the plunge at some point this month or next month depending on the time I have available (this was the other complicating factor I didn't really explain properly).

[John Sellen]

This has been a really interesting thread for me
I have recently returned to OTB after a long Covid break. My results in the 2 weekenders I have played in have been really disappointing
A lot of this may be due to lack of recent practice but I am worried something worse may be at work : Age
I am 72 and may have to take a decision that I have been putting off. I have never been a strong player but always played in Majors and was normally graded 125 to 130 in old money.
My choice is one that I suspect many aging players have had to face:
Do I keep playing in Majors and make a big effort to get my form back or do I accept that my chess skills are declining and drop down to Minor sections.
Would appreciate comments from others who have faced this situation

[Ronnie Burton]

Hi John

Keep playing in the Majors. My age is 68 and have and good and bad games. I enjoy meeting players I've known for 30 years plus.

Ronnie