Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

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  • Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

    Almost 2 weeks from the finish of Canadian Closed. Enough time to get into some conclusions about this tournament.
    1. First of all I want to thank Hal Bond for organizing this event. I believe
    we, chessplayers, had all necessary things to make it successful: very strong field, sets and clocks provided, air-condition, spacy playing hall, good lighting, sharp start of each round and last but not least nice atmosphere in tournament.
    It's always could be better. Some improvements could always be done. But generally it was well-organized tournament.
    2. It's good to have a sponsor. Chess organizers can dream what the can do with 20-30 thousand dollars. But since 2006 we have no sponsor. So what to do? Cancel Canadian Championships till better time? May be current conditions will stay (hopefully not) for pretty long period of time. My opinion is that tournament like this is much better than nothing.
    3. Pretty funny to see the winner (Mr. Hebert) criticizing otganization of this championship so intensively and player who had just poor tournament (me) is thankful to organizer.
    I look at chess as a hobby, like many others. For me chess is a very interesting, pleasant and very cheap hobby. For person like me this tournament is just great.
    But how can this tournament be great for professionals ( I am talking about adults)? Even second prize hardly covers all expenses, probably even doesn't (especially if you are not from Ontario). In any case ratio profit/time is extremally low.
    It's very tough to be a professional chessplayer right now (I mean player, not chess teacher). What rating is high enough for normal life? I think, at least 2650. At least, probably more. From naked financial point of view even 2700 player could earn more in other fields. OK, I know, chess is more interesting than some boring jobs. Right, it's nice to play 40, 50 games per year. But what about 200? And I personally know few GMs who play this amount each year. I don't believe they have fun.
    In Canada we don't have any player above 2650, that means chess tournaments should be amateur-oriented. Everyone likes to win prize. Personally I suggest myself very competitive. But I don't play chess for money. For money you can do a lot of other things.
    What is important for amateurs? Fun, rating, norm, titles, attitude, atmosphere, prizes. For professionals where are no conditions here.
    Every time I play in Guelph I see a lot of players in lower-rated sections without any cash prizes. Actually they provide some profit (or at least balance) to organizers and cash prizes in open section.
    4. It was a usual argue here between Quebec and other provinces (mostly Ontario). In my childhood (in 70-s) I knew nothing about Toronto and lot of information about Montreal - the biggest city in Canada, place of Olympic games 1976, place of one of the strongest chess tournaments in 1979...
    Since 2004 ( year I returned to play slow chess) I played about 20 tornaments here in Canada. Two worst experiences were in Quebec:
    Canadian Open 2008 in Montreal (no clocks, no opponent in 1-st round) and CYCC-2008 in Quebec-City (of course, I didn't play... my son did). May be it's just random distribution.
    And last one to conclude...
    5. For some reason I play very poorly in Guelph. I counted loss of more than 150 rating points altogether. (My current rating is above 2300, but it doesn't mean I am 2500 player without playing in Guelph). But I can blame only myself. Conditions are good, organizers ari friendly, opponents... the same opponents.
    I just wrote my Personal notes.

  • #2
    Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

    I am in complete agreement with Victor. I think Hal organized a very good tournament in a short period of time. Sure it would have been nice to have some sponsors but the tournament was well run. Hal is one of the few organizers who consistently organizes top notch tournaments year in and year out. If you want to make money then chess is the wrong place to look for it. As for organizing pleasant well run tournaments Hal is a class act. Now if only I could win winning positions when I get them ... :)

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

      The CYCC in Montreal was really really bad. We didn't attend CYCC since 2005 but it is shocking to me that they would allow Quebec City to be bad in any way given the current fragility of organized chess in Canada. Memory seems to be they had a lot of controversy about sections and prize eligibility.

      So one has to say the premise Quebec runs better tournaments is highly questionable; certainly on the surface they seem incapable of running a good CYCC.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

        Originally posted by Ron Livshits View Post
        Sure it would have been nice to have some sponsors but the tournament was well run. Hal is one of the few organizers who consistently organizes top notch tournaments year in and year out.
        A bare bone event with tables, sets and clocks... with no media coverage, no demo boards and thus no spectators, no signs or posters anywhere, no money but high entry fees, no internet presence to speak of, no games available after each round, no tables of results, no one taking pictures, no press releases or even a report to famous chess websites such as Chessbase.com, etc., etc., a "top notch" tournament ?? I am scared of what you would call a "bad" tournament! :)

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        • #5
          Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

          Originally posted by Jean Hébert View Post
          A bare bone event with tables, sets and clocks... with no media coverage, no demo boards and thus no spectators, no signs or posters anywhere, no money but high entry fees, no internet presence to speak of, no games available after each round, no tables of results, no one taking pictures, no press releases or even a report to famous chess websites such as Chessbase.com, etc., etc., a "top notch" tournament ?? I am scared of what you would call a "bad" tournament! :)
          So if you have demo boards, you will "thus" have spectators?

          Perhaps, in a ratio of about... oh, 1 to 1.
          Only the rushing is heard...
          Onward flies the bird.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

            Originally posted by Jean Hébert View Post
            ...no demo boards and thus no spectators...
            Originally posted by Paul Bonham View Post
            So if you have demo boards, you will "thus" have spectators?
            Paul,

            That's not what Jean said.

            I'm not sure if you understand what Modus Tollens means. It is used very commonly in classical logic: If A then B; Not B therefore Not A.

            Jean didn't say that if you put up demo boards then there would be spectators. He said there were no demo boards, therefore there could not be any spectators.

            Do you understand the difference?

            Jordan
            Last edited by Jordan S. Berson; Sunday, 30th August, 2009, 02:58 AM. Reason: Added hyperlink
            No matter how big and bad you are, when a two-year-old hands you a toy phone, you answer it.

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            • #7
              Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

              Originally posted by Jordan S. Berson View Post
              Paul,

              That's not what Jean said.

              I'm not sure if you understand what Modus Tollens means. It is used very commonly in classical logic: If A then B; Not B therefore Not A.

              Jean didn't say that if you put up demo boards then there would be spectators. He said there were no demo boards, therefore there could not be any spectators.

              Do you understand the difference?

              Jordan
              You mean Jean said put up demo boards for no reason? That if you did there could easily be no spectators?

              Where were the spectators that came by and said there are no demo boards, I'm going home? Set aside space in the playing hall and chairs, pack the players in closer together, have someone go from board to board updating the moves on the demo boards or ask the players themselves to do this?- all for what one person who might spectate?

              Thanks for the logic lesson professor but some of us can think for ourselves & do it every day.

              Pedantic logic is the last refuge of those that want to get away from the plain meaning of what they say when what they are saying is found to be wanting common sense.
              Last edited by Zeljko Kitich; Sunday, 30th August, 2009, 08:06 AM.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

                Originally posted by Zeljko Kitich View Post
                You mean Jean said put up demo boards for no reason? That if you did there could easily be no spectators?

                Where were the spectators that came by and said there are no demo boards, I'm going home? Set aside space in the playing hall and chairs, pack the players in closer together, have someone go from board to board updating the moves on the demo boards or ask the players themselves to do this?- all for what one person who might spectate?

                Thanks for the logic lesson professor but some of us can think for ourselves & do it every day.

                Pedantic logic is the last refuge of those that want to get away from the plain meaning of what they say when what they are saying is found to be wanting common sense.
                Oh my, Zelko, are you serious??? So you're just like the other overly-emotional posters who picks a side and defends it with whatever garbage they can muster, even though your defence is unwarranted. I thought you were more intelligent than that, but apparently you not only missed the point of my post, you miss the point of the entire discussion. But hey, at least you picked a side and you're playing the game!!!

                I'm not going to spend precious minutes of my life re-explaining everything to you, because my post did not address you. I will simply add you to a list of now two people who are apparently more emotional than intelligent, therefore do not get the benefit of a response from me.

                Congrats Zelko... go sit quietly in the corner with Sheldon until you two can learn to play nice, and then you can join the rest of us.
                No matter how big and bad you are, when a two-year-old hands you a toy phone, you answer it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Demo Boards & Spectators

                  Hi Guys:

                  There should be demo boards - at least for board one. And some spectator chairs for the games with demo boards. Not everyone wants to stand for hours. Some like to take a break and sit for a while rather than walk around to all games all the time. Some are more elderly and wish to sit for a while to watch a game.

                  Putting up demo boards will not draw spectators. Advertising draws spectators. There were only a few spectators the day I was there - and that was the last round. And there was still at that point no clear winner. Exciting stuff. But the spectators weren't there. It was a last minute bid, as we know. Could more advertising to the public have been done ?- definitely. Did the organizer have the time, $$ and volunteers - don't know. Hard to say. Hal has given some indication that it wasn't easy.

                  And demo boards demand volunteers. Players should not be expected to make the demo board moves. And there should be a volunteer per demo board. There is nothinig more frustrating to a spectator than to see moves being made on the board, and the volunteer is over at another board and no moves are being shown then on their demo board.

                  These seem like reasonable bid conditions to impose.

                  Seem reasonable?

                  Bob

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

                    Originally posted by Ron Livshits View Post
                    Now if only I could win winning positions when I get them ... :)

                    Ron,

                    No wonder you were the first and only one who withdrew from the tournament. Top notch tournament like this,
                    you should not be allow to withdraw because you knew that it will take 9 straight days and you should have
                    planned ahead of any conflict of schedules. The main and primary reason you have withdrawn from the tournament
                    was that you want to protect your rating for your GM norms and to reach 2500 minimum rating for eligibily and
                    you know for sure that you will be paired with lower rated players that a loss or draw with them will
                    greatly affect your current rating. You have been notorious for doing this strategy of withdrawing early
                    in tournaments if you perform bad in the early round. Check your Canadian tournament history if my allegation
                    prove me wrong!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

                      Hi Precy:

                      Minor tangential correction - Kevin Me withdrew in the last round of the Closed.

                      Bob

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

                        Originally posted by Precy Mckoy View Post

                        Ron,

                        No wonder you were the first and only one who withdrew from the tournament. Top notch tournament like this,
                        you should not be allow to withdraw because you knew that it will take 9 straight days and you should have
                        planned ahead of any conflict of schedules. The main and primary reason you have withdrawn from the tournament
                        was that you want to protect your rating for your GM norms and to reach 2500 minimum rating for eligibily and
                        you know for sure that you will be paired with lower rated players that a loss or draw with them will
                        greatly affect your current rating. You have been notorious for doing this strategy of withdrawing early
                        in tournaments if you perform bad in the early round. Check your Canadian tournament history if my allegation
                        prove me wrong!
                        I'm sorry, I thought I banned your fake name account. If you want to post, do so with your real name. Thanks.
                        Christopher Mallon
                        FIDE Arbiter

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

                          Originally posted by Duncan Smith View Post
                          The CYCC in Montreal was really really bad. We didn't attend CYCC since 2005 but it is shocking to me that they would allow Quebec City to be bad in any way given the current fragility of organized chess in Canada. Memory seems to be they had a lot of controversy about sections and prize eligibility.

                          So one has to say the premise Quebec runs better tournaments is highly questionable; certainly on the surface they seem incapable of running a good CYCC.
                          The CYCC in Quebec was very very bad. It was held by FQE employees mainly and paid by government. The good tournaments I have been in Quebec are normaly the private ones.

                          Carl

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

                            Originally posted by Christopher Mallon View Post
                            I'm sorry, I thought I banned your fake name account. If you want to post, do so with your real name. Thanks.
                            HAHA Nice one Christopher :)

                            Precy's allegation is clearly baseless.

                            With two rounds to go, Ron was two points behind the leaders. Why shouldn't he withdraw if he is having a bad tournament? Should an IM be forced to play a couple of Experts in the last rounds of a tournament where his chances of winning any prize money is zero?
                            No matter how big and bad you are, when a two-year-old hands you a toy phone, you answer it.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Few personal notes about Canadian Closed

                              Originally posted by Jordan S. Berson View Post
                              HAHA Nice one Christopher :)

                              Precy's allegation is clearly baseless.

                              With two rounds to go, Ron was two points behind the leaders. Why shouldn't he withdraw if he is having a bad tournament? Should an IM be forced to play a couple of Experts in the last rounds of a tournament where his chances of winning any prize money is zero?

                              Yes, he most certainly should. THIS is a national championship after all. In fact, I played in a very strong GM/IM norm event in Phoenix in June and I became quite good friends with the sponsor (he was sponsoring the tournament through his company, Abstrax). This guy was just great, he provided the playing hall , Gatorade , fruit platters on demand, various foods, and provided full lunch platters for players. He did many more things actually, he was a very personal and friendly sponsor who was actually there. He drove the players back and forth (10 blocks) before/after their games, took them out to eat, and he even provided little things like lending some of the players tennis racquet's and balls etc. This guy's name is John Lalonde and he will be sponsoring it next year I believe so if you can make it, I highly recommend it for hot weather and nice chess. Anyways, I was sort of interested into why he would sponsor a chess event. I've tried figuring out ways for a sponsor to get a good return (or at least decent) but I haven't found one. So, I asked him one time why is he sponsoring a chess event. I said that he wouldn't get too much out of it financial-wise. And he replied that he knew that, however his son was a chess player and he also wanted to contribute to the community. He also sponsors some sport clubs. This was also the time of the tournament players with withdrawing. He told me that as a sponsor it's the thing that he dislikes most and there will be a penalty next year I believe. Withdrawing in a Canadian Championship is pretty ridiculous I think. Luckily it wasn't done too much,(kudos to Krnan and Noritsyn for sticking in) but it makes a tournament look bad and unprofessional, and also will scare away potential sponsors. And the other minor side problem, is that players may get byes as a result. The only cases should be if they have an emergency, then they can withdraw. I wasn't planning on posting in this thread until someone defended Ron's unprofessional behavior.
                              Last edited by Eric Hansen; Sunday, 30th August, 2009, 01:38 PM.

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