Ideas for additional CFC services

[Kevin Pacey]

I haven't thought for awhile about additional services that the CFC might offer its members anytime soon. Perhaps chesstalk viewers may have their own ideas or opinions. Meanwhile, below are four ideas of varying degrees of modesty for additional services that I put in my CFC Discussion Board blog recently:

In trying to come up with fresh ideas to suggest for the CFC (or provincial associations) to help local organizers develop Canadian chess, my attention was eventually drawn to the possibility of the CFC obtaining more members and revenue by providing new services that might be seen as having value. With the CFC's financial resources limited, at least at present, I came up with four services (for now) that might be feasible, even possibly sometime in the near future.

The first idea for a service is unoriginal, but it would help the CFC quite a bit in my view. Namely a CFC chess server, or a deal with an existing one, that would give CFC members some sort of a break to use their server. If the CFC ever invests in obtaining a server of its own to the extent that the server would be of fairly good quality (e.g. reasonably good anti-cheating measures), even though it might even then be little distinguished from other servers on the internet, it might be able to compete with them in a way because use of a server would be only one benefit that a CFC member would get for their membership.

The second idea for a service I have is to have one particular Forum on the CFC Discussion Board that is restricted to CFC members only. While I have not thought out all possible benefits this might bring to members, at least it would make possible taking online polls that would be certain to involve only CFC members. Any members might also thus be able to relatively quickly make any of their issues known to any CFC Executive member that's making themselves available online, without having to make such issues available to non-members' eyes. I don't know if there may be some serious technical difficulties in identifying CFC members as opposed to other CFC Discussion Board viewers, however.

A third idea for a service I have is for the CFC to provide a list of top known senior players in Canada, which would be updated on a regular basis.

The fourth idea for a service is for the CFC to rate bughouse (aka doubles chess) events, and to provide regularly updated list(s) of the top bughouse players (or teams) in Canada, along with providing the most official rules for the game that there are. Bughouse is the most popular chess variant by far afaik, and ultimately may prove to be useful for significantly increasing the CFC's revenue. The CFC could also try to proactively encourage at least some organizers to hold more bughouse events in Canada (online bughouse that's played using a CFC server could also be possible).

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

For what it's worth, the FQE is developing an online chess server. I don't know if it's doing well, haven't tried it.

However, one thing is 100% clear for me: a server limited to CFC members (or any provincial association) is probably doomed. The pool of players is too small and better services are available elsewhere for free. Sorry guys, but you are awfully late to the party. A young guy learning chess and playing online won't be willing to pay a dime in membership to play on a server limited to canadians. He's got better, international options for free.

However, I'm not against the idea of developing a chess server for ALL players in Canada. That is something the CFC could do. And that is something the FQE should do with its own server.

The idea is not to get our members to play online. They already do. It's the other way around. We should strive to reach the online community of chess players and offer them a possible transition towards organized, OTB chess.

One very simple example: you hold a tournament on the server and give CFC/FQE membership or free Canadian Open registration as prizes. Other example: if a CFC member brings in X new members to play on the server, his membership is extended for free.

And the server could be used to hold interclub/team events all across Canada with zero transportation expenses. But I'm just a dreamer. :p

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

One very simple example: you hold a tournament on the server and give CFC/FQE membership or free Canadian Open registration as prizes. Other example: if a CFC member brings in X new members to play on the server, his membership is extended for free.

I used to do that for recruiting members for the CCCA. One of the Quebec members had 4 or 5 free years membership for recruiting new members.

What happens with this idea is you end up with a debate on what constitutes a new member. How many years or months does the new members membership have to lapse. Mostly I took all the memberships which were sent in as long as they didn't amount to renewals.

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

If the log is accurate, the FQE chess server has had one game played on it since June 24.

Bughouse: how often do you hear of a Bughouse tournament? Once or twice a year? It's usually played amongst 4 players who happen to be in the right place at the right time. I would say it's not worth rating.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

I haven't thought for awhile about additional services that the CFC might offer its members anytime soon. Perhaps chesstalk viewers may have their own ideas or opinions. Meanwhile, below are four ideas of varying degrees of modesty for additional services that I put in my CFC Discussion Board blog recently:

In trying to come up with fresh ideas to suggest for the CFC (or provincial associations) to help local organizers develop Canadian chess, my attention was eventually drawn to the possibility of the CFC obtaining more members and revenue by providing new services that might be seen as having value. With the CFC's financial resources limited, at least at present, I came up with four services (for now) that might be feasible, even possibly sometime in the near future.

The first idea for a service is unoriginal, but it would help the CFC quite a bit in my view. Namely a CFC chess server, or a deal with an existing one, that would give CFC members some sort of a break to use their server. If the CFC ever invests in obtaining a server of its own to the extent that the server would be of fairly good quality (e.g. reasonably good anti-cheating measures), even though it might even then be little distinguished from other servers on the internet, it might be able to compete with them in a way because use of a server would be only one benefit that a CFC member would get for their membership.

We are going to have a deal with Premium Chess which is FIDE's chess server provider shortly. Details will be forthcoming at the upcoming AGM. I presented their offer at the last online meeting and to the executive and didn't get any objections from the voting members or the directors. Their online platform is also expected to be a useful platform for delivering chess training and this will hopefully be something people find useful.

The second idea for a service I have is to have one particular Forum on the CFC Discussion Board that is restricted to CFC members only. While I have not thought out all possible benefits this might bring to members, at least it would make possible taking online polls that would be certain to involve only CFC members. Any members might also thus be able to relatively quickly make any of their issues known to any CFC Executive member that's making themselves available online, without having to make such issues available to non-members' eyes. I don't know if there may be some serious technical difficulties in identifying CFC members as opposed to other CFC Discussion Board viewers, however.

I think email is an easier method to reach the executive. We usually monitor the CFC website and Chesstalk though I do get busy at times.

A third idea for a service I have is for the CFC to provide a list of top known senior players in Canada, which would be updated on a regular basis.

I expect that Seniors events will attain more prominence in the next few years. I think we need to fill in the gaps in our membership database in order to generate a list of this type.

The fourth idea for a service is for the CFC to rate bughouse (aka doubles chess) events, and to provide regularly updated list(s) of the top bughouse players (or teams) in Canada, along with providing the most official rules for the game that there are. Bughouse is the most popular chess variant by far afaik, and ultimately may prove to be useful for significantly increasing the CFC's revenue. The CFC could also try to proactively encourage at least some organizers to hold more bughouse events in Canada (online bughouse that's played using a CFC server could also be possible).

Heresy! :p

I know everyone loves bughouse judging from the number of people that stayed late at CYCC to play on the last day.

[John Brown]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

What age are you looking at for a senior.
Many of the older members are probably 55 plus by now. But how many members are 65 plus? It is to your advantage to pay for a life membership once you reach 61.
But maybe if the CFC was to give 55 -64 year olds a reduced membership as they do for juniors you might and I do say might draw some older players into CFC membership pool.
You'll only know if you try it. You might like it.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

Kevin, did you become a senior? (>50 years at least) Have not seen any birthday's celebrations :)

imho, the CFC is not a professional organization but a volunteer based with very limited resources (and not well managed what it has.)

I like your suggestion regarding the seniors list but more senior tournaments would be much better thing. Then the list would make more sense.

server/forum - there are enough free/paid around of all kind of languages and matters. Even chesstalk is more active than chesscanada, and then there are only ~20 active writers at chesstalks. Better spend time/monies for a proper website - a mobile version is awful.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

I became 50 plus a number of years ago, Egidijus. Regarding bughouse, I had forgotten that I saw a 'world bughouse federation' doing a Google search a while back. Not sure they could put in any claim to rating Canadian bughouse events at this stage. Looking at a wikipedia entry on bughouse, I see that the USCF runs at least one bughouse event a year, for kids if memory serves.

A top seniors list makes sense regardless of whether there are plenty of seniors events. Juniors play people other than themselves in Canada, for instance.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

If the log is accurate, the FQE chess server has had one game played on it since June 24.

Bughouse: how often do you hear of a Bughouse tournament? Once or twice a year? It's usually played amongst 4 players who happen to be in the right place at the right time. I would say it's not worth rating.

Fwiw, I googled 'Canadian Bughouse Chess Tournaments 2014' and saw at least 7 different events show up on the first page of the search results (I didn't look farther).

[edit: Below is a link to wikipedia's entry on bughouse chess. It notes that the US is only one of a few nations with chess federations that do run bughouse tournament(s) each year.]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bughouse_chess

[Scott Richardson]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

Playchess, ICC are willing to serve the CFC for a small charge. Chess.com will host a CFC server at no charge for one year, after which the CFC and chess.com can decide if it is worth pursuing.. At least they were willing a while back.


This is a very easy idea to see and easy to accomplish if it were not for some standing in the way..
It seems elitist to not include the rest of the country.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

imho, the CFC is not a professional organization but a volunteer based with very limited resources (and not well managed what it has.)

How much would it take for the CFC to become a professional organization? 1 million a year?

Then it could do corporate fundraising for national championship and international representation, train FAs to run events, media, provide equipment and teachers to schools and Senior centre's and community fairs.

I look forward to seeing an online national team championship.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

I look forward to seeing an online national team championship.

Probably at chess.com you could do that in two months with 3 days per move (no big prizes involved etc)
At playchess it is possible to organize individual tournaments.
ICC/FICS - have not played for ages.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

Also needed is a master discussion board or email list so organizers can easily float ideas or get any interest. A master database of players willing to travel the country giving lectures and simults. Perhaps a master tour, bringing strong players to smaller communities. Also to pass on international invites. Also maintain list of Master coach's available.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

Playchess, ICC are willing to serve the CFC for a small charge. Chess.com will host a CFC server at no charge for one year, after which the CFC and chess.com can decide if it is worth pursuing.. At least they were willing a while back.


This is a very easy idea to see and easy to accomplish if it were not for some standing in the way..
It seems elitist to not include the rest of the country.

There really isn't anyone standing in the way its just that the time and effort required stretches the volunteers who are already over-extended even further.

We are going to be going with Premium Chess which is the FIDE chess server company. You will be able to play FIDE rated games. There are anti-cheating provisions in place. There is a training platform associated with the server. A premium membership is only 25 euros and they are giving out regular memberships for free to all FIDE registered players. Children up to 14 years of age can use the system for free with their parents' consent. I am still decompressing after CYCC and the Canadian Closed but I expect to begin exploring and testing the system shortly with a roll out in a month or so if all goes well.

[Scott Richardson]

Re: Ideas for additional CFC services

There really isn't anyone standing in the way its just that the time and effort required stretches the volunteers who are already over-extended even further.

We are going to be going with Premium Chess which is the FIDE chess server company. You will be able to play FIDE rated games. There are anti-cheating provisions in place. There is a training platform associated with the server. A premium membership is only 25 euros and they are giving out regular memberships for free to all FIDE registered players. Children up to 14 years of age can use the system for free with their parents' consent. I am still decompressing after CYCC and the Canadian Closed but I expect to begin exploring and testing the system shortly with a roll out in a month or so if all goes well.

Sounds great.