If you haven't seen these already, have a look at these posts from The Chess Nut and the Closet Grandmaster on the 2007 Championship, here and here. The event started yesterday and even had a sponsor, Integra. Unfortunately only 32 players turned up (for all 3 sections) with a couple of players moved up into the championship section, just to make it viable.
Of course there will be the predictable gnashing of teeth over the poor turnout, followed by a lot of finger pointing at the organisers, and the floating of a number of ill thought ideas about what would fix the problem. Just as there was the year before, and the year before that.
The truth of the matter is that "traditional" tournaments, with long time controls and a multi-week format, are on the way out. Just as "traditional" tournaments with long time controls and a multi day format are also on the way out. And soon events that take up the whole of a persons weekend will also be on the way out, followed by events that take up the whole of persons day etc etc
But all is not lost. There is that massive pipeline of junior players which has been operating for the last 15 years, which Australia has been hoping will flood the adult chess scene. Any year now.
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6 comments:
Well it is pretty simple, Shaun. Unless players turn up you ain't got no tournament.
Organisers organise a comp for players to play but if players don't wish to play..................
Why TF bother?
Silly story, one of my daughters in primary school had to make a decision. Either attend dancing class or lunchtime chess. She loves both. But she made the decision to attend chess. Why? "Cause it's more fun and I really like it." She is not really that good at chess but there was no pressure from me on her about making the decision (in fact she made the choice without seeking advice)
She enters comps because she considers it FUN. Enjoys it. Gives it her best her and probably will continue to play.
Now, if adults had that "naive" attitude, ie every time I pay an entry fee and/or pay for accommodation, I get really good entertainment and FUN....
Oh well they are adults.........I think.
Sorry but I inadvertently left off my name from the above post. Apologies.
(Strange policy of mine but never post unless you are prepared to put your name to the comments)
Shaun, knows who I am :)
That's a pretty depressing point of view, Shaun.
I do think you're wrong, though. I think individual tournaments have had individual problems over the last few years, but it's a bit much to extrapolate that to the death and destruction of chess.
Multi-week formats may be on a bit of a downward trend, but many clubs are still doing very well with this format (look at Metro in Perth with 50-60 players in the big multi-weekers).
Multi-day long controls aren't doing too badly at Doeberl or SIO, and the 2006 Aus Champs did pretty well. Tournaments which require people to take time off work to attend need to create an expectation that it will be great, because the commitment to play (in time and money) is so significant.
Not so much depressing as me being cynical. These are reasons that have been given to me, in serious tones, about why tournament A or B or C didn't work. As I feel they aren't so much reasons as excuses, I've just extended them further.
As far as I'm concerned there are some tournaments that work, but a lot that don't. And more importantly, I don't see a correlation between the efforts of organisers (sponsorship, publicity, venue choice, prize fund) and the tournament outcome (size of field, size of field, size of field).
If there were, then we wouldn't just have the Doeberl Cup or the SIO as wildly successful tournaments. We'd also have the MIO, and the BIO, and the AIO, and the PIO. But a lack of players creates a lack of organisers, so we don't.
There is a limit though. You couldn't (successfully) have a SIO and MIO and BIO etc, since they are all competing for the same pool of players nationally.
Most adult players could normally only manage one tournament in a year where they have to take a week off work. Two such tournaments would be a pretty big commitment.
The 2007 Open probably suffered to a certain extent from proximity to the Doeberl/SIO double whammy. It doesn't always have to be that way - Brisbane 06 and Queenstown managed to coexist quite happily. But it's got to be a factor.
shaun, 35 is not a bad turn out for the nsw champs. further, the strength and diversity of the field is good to see (i hear some players are even travelling from as far as bankstown). well done, bill g - his marketing skills have really paid off on this one!
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