European Individual Chess Championship Mar 21st - 3rd Apr

[Mick Norris]

Estonia - Scotland springs to mind.

I was going to mention this is as some Baltic team v Scotland. This was more of a dispute about playing times than anything else and the game was eventually played.

I don't think it was. From memory it got as far as Scotland kicking off, at which point the game was abandoned and Scotland awarded a 2-0 victory. But the point was, as also with the Middlesbrough game, that this wasn't about a team turning up late, it was about a team not turning up at all. Kick-offs are regularly delayed when teams are delayed in traffic etc.

I think it was a dispute about the floodlights, and whether they were adequate for a night time kick off, resulting in the game being rearranged for the afternoon, when only Scotland was there

The game was replayed in, I think, Monaco

I've actually been at Gigg Lane twice when floodlights have failed before or during a match

Bury have had a few games with kick off delayed because of problems e.g. crowds turning up late and not being able to get in on time, traffic problems for crowd or opposition teams - I think it was Boxing Day one year when Shrewsbury didn't make it because their coach was stuck on the M6 (even though some of their players, who lived further south, managed to arrive by car using the same route) - and I know Bury have been late for games due to motorway problems

At county level in the MCCU, where one or both teams uses the M6, I think it is about 50% of the time that teams are short of players due to traffic problems

[Sean Hewitt]

Bury have had a few games with kick off delayed because of problems e.g. crowds turning up late and not being able to get in on time

Is that because the one man can get in ok, but his dog has trouble with the turnstile?

[LozCooper]

Peter Wells is on live here: http://euro3.echecs.asso.fr/TOMA/ and Luke is here: http://euro4.echecs.asso.fr/TOMA/

Anyone able to prounounce Pete's opponent? Niepomniachtchi

[David Shepherd]

Anyone able to prounounce Pete's opponent? Niepomniachtchi

Ian

[Alex Holowczak]

Niepomniachtchi

Yes.

Simon Spivack may be a higher figure of authority on this, but I'd plump for Ne-pom-nee-atch-chee

[LozCooper]

Niepomniachtchi

Yes.

Simon Spivack may be a higher figure of authority on this, but I'd plump for Ne-pom-nee-atch-chee

I can pronounce his first name, it's Ian

[John Saunders]

I can pronounce his first name, it's Ian

I wonder if you can, really... it's not the British 'Ian' ('EE-an'), more a one-syllable 'Yan'. Macauley Peterson gives a proper Russian pronunciation of the N-name on a 'Full English Breakfast' podcast - something like Nuh-POM-nee-ash-ee (I think I have the accentuation right - I recall he says it dies away towards the end).

[LozCooper]

Early days but only euro3 working of the five sets of live boards

[David Sedgwick]

Here at the European Championships in Aix-les-Bains spectators are not allowed. Players, arbiters, organisers are issued with accreditation and if you're not wearing it, you're not allowed in.

Going further (and some of you will love this) there is a one way system. If a player leaves the playing venue (which includes toilets and a smoking area) they are not allowed back in to the playing venue.

That was also the case at the Olympiad & European Team. There was a seating area for spectators where they could watch games live on a screen but you had to have a name badge and a certain coloured card as a player to get in to the playing hall.

I've copied this over from the "cheating" thread.

Sean, are they any facilities for spectators (screens, commentary, etc) at Aix-les-Bains?

And what happens if players want to have a post-mortem? Do they have to leave the "playing venue" to analyse, thus rendering themselves unable to go back and follow games still in progress?

[Sean Hewitt]

Sean, are they any facilities for spectators (screens, commentary, etc) at Aix-les-Bains?

There are screens all over the place and a commentary room. The 'live' games have a 15 minutes delay, and the same is true of the screens and commentary.

And what happens if players want to have a post-mortem? Do they have to leave the "playing venue" to analyse, thus rendering themselves unable to go back and follow games still in progress?

Correct. Once they are out, there is no going back in.

[David Sedgwick]

Early days but only euro3 working of the five sets of live boards

At least it's the one with our Pete and the unpronounceable Russian.

Edit: From Sean's post, it seems that the error is on the one that is working. There's supposed to be a 15 minute delay.

2nd Edit: Sure enough, they're all working now, but still with no 15 minute delay on the third set. (Sean, if you're still there, please note.)

[LozCooper]

Here at the European Championships in Aix-les-Bains spectators are not allowed. Players, arbiters, organisers are issued with accreditation and if you're not wearing it, you're not allowed in.

Going further (and some of you will love this) there is a one way system. If a player leaves the playing venue (which includes toilets and a smoking area) they are not allowed back in to the playing venue.

That was also the case at the Olympiad & European Team. There was a seating area for spectators where they could watch games live on a screen but you had to have a name badge and a certain coloured card as a player to get in to the playing hall.

I've copied this over from the "cheating" thread.

Sean, are they any facilities for spectators (screens, commentary, etc) at Aix-les-Bains?

And what happens if players want to have a post-mortem? Do they have to leave the "playing venue" to analyse, thus rendering themselves unable to go back and follow games still in progress?

In Khanty players were pounced on as soon as they had finished and had to hand over their coloured card before they'd even signed the scoresheets. They were often being pushed away from the match before they could put jumpers on and collect their drinks etc Well intentioned but somewhat overly enthusiastic.

[Sean Hewitt]

2nd Edit: Sure enough, they're all working now, but still with no 15 minute delay on the third set. (Sean, if you're still there, please note.)

I've alerted the technical bods.

[Roger de Coverly]

Sean, are they any facilities for spectators (screens, commentary, etc) at Aix-les-Bains?

And what happens if players want to have a post-mortem? Do they have to leave the "playing venue" to analyse, thus rendering themselves unable to go back and follow games still in progress?

Looking at the pictures on chessbase http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7105, the room layout looks much like a typical e2e4 event at Denham or Sunningdale, so not obviously tight for space.

So does this initiative come from the local organisers or chief arbiter, the FFE, or more worryingly ECU or FIDE?

You might, or perhaps should, seal off the top boards. If you've got two French 1800 players playing each other, why prevent their friends coming to watch?

[Sean Hewitt]

2nd Edit: Sure enough, they're all working now, but still with no 15 minute delay on the third set. (Sean, if you're still there, please note.)

I've alerted the technical bods.

And the answer is, it's a test. They had some transmission problems yesterday and want to check that they were not caused by the delay. So euro3 has no delay in order to check this out.