Special events for the 100th in Torquay

[Stewart Reuben]

Objectives
Everybody connected with the event enjoy themselves as much as possible.
The event attract publicity for chess, the sponsors and Torquay.
The event brings tourist value to the area.
The standard of chess play is raised.
There is a lasting legacy.
The event makes a surplus of income over expenditure.

Ideas for Torquay to help achieve the objectives. Let us aim for 100 or more of these. Those below are in no particular order. Many are listed from my book ‘Chess Organiser’s Handbook’. These are in addition to what is usually done annually, such as the quiz, commentary, cricket match, opening simul. I have a few others in mind, but they might not come off and I would like others to be a surprise.

1. Parade of champions. (Hmm. Maybe)
2. Tournament for champions. (Perhaps Sunday before the real start)
3. Chess the Musical. (Probably needs a local dramatic society)
4. A chess play. (Viktor the Second – Part 1 could be adapted, or revive b2 or not b2)
5. Living chess display. (Definitely needs a local organiser)
6. Blindfold simul
7. Tournament on an open deck bus
8. Giant chess sets
9. Is the balloon still there?
10. Swimming tournament
11. Bridge (There is an active local club)
12. Football tournament
13. Treasure Hunt (it never happened in Canterbury, the ideal location)
14. Coach tour to Cornwall and other such trips
15. Adult chess education
16. Blitz tournaments every night
17. Any Questions session
18. A drive to popularise chess with local schoolchildren
19. 1010 tournament entries is needed to break the record
20. Exchange chess event
21. Blindfold tournament (Has one ever been held?)
22. Pairs tournament
23. Crazy Lightning Chess Tournament
24. Opening party
25. Closing party
26. Mayoral reception
27. Concessions for the players, e.g. putting, deck-chairs
28. Souvenir programme
29. Book of the 100 British Chess Championships
30. Souvenir DVD of the event
31. Use Monroi equipment for recording the moves
32. Local restaurants encouragement
33. Hotels offering a prize for people staying there
34. Masters classes during the event
35. Drawing of lots ceremony
36. Voting for Best Game Prizes (at venue or online)
37. Predicting the results (Is betting desirable?)
38. Chess programmes on youtube
39. Pro-celebrity event
40. Kriegspiel
41. Encouraging the participation of disabled players
42. Making it readily possible to get autographs
43. Photo competition
44. Adoption of players by local schools
45. Chess film festival
46. Families Championship
47. Mementos: badges, tee shirts, sweaters, hats, umbrellas
48. The ballet chess
49. A fine art exhibition with a chess theme
50. A disco with a chess theme
51. Daily local radio programme
52. A seniors v juniors event
53. Encouraging greater participation of females
54. Special prizes for the event
55. Special event for those who have played many, many times.
56. Get Kasparov and/or Anand to attend.
57. Celebrities at the Opening Ceremony
58. Media officer (essential)
59. Somebody in charge of the special event activity as in 2004.

[Andrew Camp]

Poker night.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Spelling bee

[Stewart Reuben]

Good ones.
62. Special reception in London to extol the virtues of sponsoring chess.

[Jonathan Bryant]

On a more serious note, you don't seem to have mentioned anything about the official tournament website. It needs thought (and ideally a budget).

One thing that could improve on this year that would cost £0 to implement: put the games up asap. I realise that there will be a cost in terms of sale of bulletins, but

(a) delaying access to games is crazy from a publicity point of view
(b) the games were available elsewhere anyway so all the current arrangements achieved were to encourage people to leave the official site and go elsewhere.

[David Lettington]

Some kind of attempt at a world record? Usually the sort of thing to gain good publicity.

[Stewart Reuben]

I didn't mention the official website because it is already part of the whole event. Making it better goes with the whole concept.

63. World record. Good, but which one? Simul is impossible in England as it is now 1000 games.
Blindfold simul 45 games. Untouchable.
Blitz play against number of opponents. Nobody of status will do that while the event is on.
Greatest number of live games played in an hour. Has this ever been done? On electro-sensitive boards of course. Manage 30?
Any ideas about the world record?

[Brendan O'Gorman]

Any chance of giving these pieces another outing? http://londonist.com/2009/09/in_picture ... afalga.php

[David Sedgwick]

37. Predicting the results (Is betting desirable?)

Definitely not, although it may be unavoidable. Few sports and games are more vulnerable to match fixing than chess.

[Roger de Coverly]

Definitely not, although it may be unavoidable. Few sports and games are more vulnerable to match fixing than chess.

The Yorkshire site had result prediction for the 2012 British. This was an interesting novelty, but potentially dangerous if gambling on the outcomes ever became involved.

[David Lettington]

Any ideas about the world record?

Isn't there some memory competition with reconstruction of chess positions? I vaguely recall Matthew Sadler doing something similar on a TV game show about 25 years ago.

Is there a non-stop chess marathon record?

Re no.56 Getting Kasparov and Short to do an interview about their 1993 match might be interesting. A sort of "20 years on" perspective. If not done live, it could be recorded and premiered at the championships?

[Leonard Barden]

Blindfold simul 45 games. Untouchable.

Really?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/de ... -blindfold

[Stewart Reuben]

64. Brendan. I don't know whether the whole set in Trafalgar Square remains together. The cost of re-mantling it would be high. It's worth looking into.

37. Going back to predicting the results. It dosn't have to be gambling. A prize each day for the closst prediction of the results of the top 10 games could be done online. Plus a prize for the best overall.

David Lettington. I don't know how memory of chess position would work. Easiest done online I would have thought. Matthw Sadler demonstrated on TV he could remember any position from Fischer's 'My 60 Mmorable Games'.
There is a non-stop marathon record. I don't like it as it's very unhealthy.

65. Kasparov + Short to revisit their match. It's worth a separate number.
66. Chess problem-solving competition in shop windows. It's been done before, but not for some years.
67. I collected 3 Union Jacks on a cruise recently. Everybody could be provided with one. Next week thy will be inexpensive. But what to do with them? Ideas please.
68. I simply forgot banners and posters.
69. Youngest v oldest exhibition game.
70. Prizes for the best suggestions about 2013. I should have thought of that earlier! Excluding me.
71. Leonard. Thanks for bringing to my attention the 46 game blindfold record. Did I simply overlook that, or forgot it?
But it gives me an idea. A tandem simul blindfold. Two games might set the record! Two players against two players all 4 blindfold.

Leonard. How do we entice you and Jonathan Penrose to come to Torquay next year?

[Angus French]

It doesn’t really count as an event to be added to Stewart’s list but how about putting together a proposition to take to a TV broadcaster? Perhaps this could be for a daily, late evening, show to run for the duration of the championships. The format could include:

- An update on the state-of-play in the Championships;
- Discussion of a game-of-the-day (the game would be of interest in itself, but could also be used as a reference point for questions about basic chess play; the players could be interviewed and, as in the Master Game, comment on what they were thinking at various points in the game);
- Interviews with the players, officials, and others (for example, Malcolm Pein to talk about Chess in Schools and the London Chess Classic; and celebrities with an interest in chess who might attend the Championships); and,
- Coverage of side events – to provide light relief and add human interest.

Maybe the presenters could include, if they were available and willing, Stephen Gordon and Lawrence Trent – an entertaining double-act at the London Chess Classic and who, I think, would have TV-appeal.

[Stewart Reuben]

The problem Angus is getting air time. The cost is not such a burden as it once was. That was why I described 38 on youtube.I believe our best bet for a TV Channel, prferably terrestrial, is the Candidates next March, where money could probably be found towards the production costs. I have already said 1000 people writing in independemtly might do the trick.