Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

[Hans Jung]

Outdoor chesstables WITH A CHESS COORDINATOR are the key to promoting tournament chess amongst the players that are attracted to the game via the internet. There is still nothing like the positives in face to face chess. However chess is a two person game and people encountering outdoor chess tables more often than not come without a chessplaying partner. A chess coordinator can rapidly determine their playing strength and match them up with a partner of similar level. This allows people to have a comfortable, enjoyable chess experience. If this occurs you will have high volumes of players enjoying chess thru the warm weather months. However the vast majority of these players are what we tournament types would call beginners. So we would also need to organise starting tournaments (social tournaments) for these vast numbers of players. If this is done well a certain percentage will then move on to becoming immersed in tournament chess. How many? I firmly believe the number is 2% of those exposed to social chess tournaments. Food for thought.

[Tim Bouma]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Thanks for your advice, Hans.

I'd like to get more details on Kithchener's outdoor chess program with a view to replicating something similar in Ottawa. To gauge the city's interest, I will be bending our local councillor's ear next week at an outdoor function (I will be bringing chess boards, of course)

Tim

[Hans Jung]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Kitchener City Hall has two wings lining both sides of Civic Square with the main part of City hall on the east side. Civic Square is about 200 ft wide and a150 ft deep. It fronts on King Street (main street) and has jetting fountains of water along the front. In the front of both wings are 4 chess tables (both sides). The tables are under a roof overhang and speakers play classical music all day long (to help deep thinking). There is a coffee shop just beside the tables on one side and a coffee shop right across the street on the other wing. Public washrooms are 100 ft away on both sides. There is a large Shoppers Drugmart (department store size) on the corner by one set of tables and plenty of food options very close. The tables have been outside since April 1 (they are stored over the winter in City of Kitchener storage facilities) and during that time sets could be signed out from Kitchener Tourism. My season as coordinator started June 1st. I am at the tables from 10 am to 6pm Monday thru Thursday (minus office time of course). The city encourages me to keep a stats book. A typical day at the tables: Monday June 15th. Beautiful day, no breeze, 23 degrees. Setup pieces by 1015am, one token set on Williams Coffee side (because of King Street construction - too much dust), 4 sets on Just Between Us side (Just Between Us is a quality women's clothing store). Grab a coffee and check emails. Sitting at tables by 1045am.
First guy to come by is Bill. Bill is a determined chess player. He started at the tables 4 yrs ago. He was a pure beginner (not sure of some of the moves) Last year he joined the chess club (which only meets Tuesday evenings and Sunday afternoons) I dont think he missed a week in all that time. When I play Bill I usually play pawns to the third and quiet piece development and dont initiate any captures or tactics until move 20 unless he initiates first. That way the game is competitive and he likes that. No one likes to be slaughtered. Here is my game Monday against Bill. Bill's white. Im black. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Be3 Ne7 6.Bd3 00 7.Ne2 b6 8.Nd2 Bb7 9.h4 Nd7 10.h5 c5 11.g4 cxd4 12.Bxd4 e5 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.Be3 Nc5 15.Bc2 Nd3+ 16.Bxd3 Qxd3 17.Bg5 Nc6 18.hxg6 fxg6 19.Rf1 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Rf8+ 21.Ke1 Nd4 22.Nf1 Nf3+ 23.Kf2 Nd2+ 24.Bf4 Qf3+ 25.Ke1 Nxe4 0-1 and no I didnt record moves during the game. I did it at a quiet moment afterwards. By the time we finished Fazul was spectating. Fazul is about 60, from Afghanistan, distinguished looking, always dressed in a well pressed business suit even though I happen to know that for the last 5 years he has been taking English as a second language courses week days at the local adult high school nearby. Fazul and Bill decide to play and I also match up (and have a chat with) a new high school kid and Doug, another regular. By this time it is 1145am so I head inside to the Special Events storage area to load up the giant chess pieces. I play on the giant chess pieces (against any and all comers) right outside the main doors of City Hall from noon to just after 1pm. I distribute promotional literature for chess and play at the same time (as well as have conversations or exchange pleasant words with passersby). My opponent of today is Michael. Michael had a horrific car accident several years ago (and should have died) and has major physical problems. However he pushes himself and even though he barely can lift the pieces and often drops them he never gives up trying. He is a reasonable chessplayer however (about 1400 CFC). Because of his obvious trouble with moves physically the game takes a full hour. Spectators include a regular, Rob, a city police officer (in full uniform) who is the liaison between the police department and the downtown businesses. Rob and I often play but today he is kibitzing (and he is a brutal kibitzer) He calls me an ***hole for the way I finish the game and threatens to arrest me. Things escalate and he threatens to take me up to see the mayor. (now thats kibitzing!) After teardown it is 115pm and by the time Im done putting the pieces away and checking emails its 130. I then take lunch and am back at the tables by 2pm. My next opponent is Mr. Kwalchuk, a retired school teacher and former chess coach at Eastwood Collegiate. Mr. Kwalchuk is a serious player (about 1600 CFC) and wants me to play full out. Here is the game: Mr. Kwalchuk white - Me black. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.dxc5 e5 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.a3 Bxc5 7.b4 Bd6 8.Be2 00 9.Bb2 a6 10.00 e4 11.Nd4 Ne5 12.h3 Bd7 13.f3 exf3 14.Nxf3 Bc6 15.Qd4 Qe7 16.Rad1 Rfe8 17.Rd2 Rad8 18.Nh4 Bb8 19.Nf3 Ng6 20.Nd1 Qc7 21.Bd3 Qg3 22.Bxg6 hxg6 23.Qh4 Qxh4 24.Nxh4 Ne4 0-1 and so the day goes by. The stats for Monday June 15th: 64 Participants (reasonable for early in the season on a nice day) 30 spectators, 15 seniors, 12 teens, 5 women, 1 child (about 5 - just learning the moves) Club members - Bill, Joe Volunteers - Doug 1 hr, Peter teaching his buddy Fred - 1 hr, Mike 2 hrs, Michael 1 hr Giant Pieces at Lunch noon to 1pm - 1 player (Michael), 30 spectators including Rob and Joe.
A day in the life of a chess coordinator.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Several month ago my family spend a nice sunny afternoon in Newmarket, ON. There is a Fairy Lake park, where I found this chess table. Just looking at it, I thought that it would be nice to collect pictures of all outdoor chess tables at least in Canada. May you help me? :)

As for "Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess", I do not know. However, they really attract public. (the picture does not confirm that, as it was early March and it is even possible to see some ice on the lake)

[Hans Jung]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Nice picture. Sure I'll help you. Contact Erik Malmsten who has a nice collection of photos (including the famous Kitchener tables;) ;)

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Here are some of Montreal's outdoor chesstables :):)

[David Lyall]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Outdoor tables is a great idea. I also believe your logic is correct - you would have to reach out to as much as the public as possible and find ways to include them in your events - out of the people who respond a fraction of those will continue to move on to "higher" chess. With increased participation, increased membership, increased revenues - you would still have the various sections of the event to ensure people are getting what they play for.

[Tim Bouma]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

I agree with this outreach model. Grassroots support and public exposure will naturally feed into a more competitive system, but if done right, not at the expense of a more casual system.

I compare this with hockey (I have 3 boys in the the system) - massive grassroots support and commmunity participation for the house league level. You could argue that this is simply due to hockey as part of our culture (I was never a big hockey fan nor played it as a kid). However entering into this system, I could not help but compare it to the chess organizations.

At the beginning we were reminded how remote the chance would be that our kids would make it to the NHL (I think 1 in 50,000), so we were advised at the outset to focus on the love of the game and making it the best experience for our kids as possible. Of course, the more talented kids were immediately streamed off into the competitive leagues, but this benefited the house leagues which were more evenly-matched and fun.

We support elite players, but there should be equal focus on supporting the development of more casual players. This is probably already being done at the local club level, but I don't have a sense there is any national strategy to do the same.

Anyway, I think there are some good lessons and models we can apply from other sports organizations and federations.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Hi Tim:

I think one of the goals for CFC is to convince the clubs that it is their mission in life, and in their own self interest, to promote chess in the public, as you are doing. That way they will increase casual chess, and make contact with casual players. And they can also at that time sell their club, and will get some new members. The clubs could also spend more time and energy on how to get casual players into the club in such a way that they will not be overwhelmed by the hard-core members - perhaps simultaneous to a CFC-rated tournament, a casual beginners swiss at rapid time control? Just an attempt to develop a strategy for CFC to try to carry out its mandate in supporting local club initiatives - and in that, the CFC must find concrete ways they can assist the clubs in doing this - provide hand-out materials for public presentations; help with developing media materials, etc.

Bob

[David Lyall]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Just thought I would put this out as an outreach idea. What if an event had a special section where every registration would include two people? These people would play as a team perhaps alternating games etc - to play for prizes in that section. Only one person of the team would play per round.

The main benefit would be getting twice as many people to the event. Higher numbers would attrack more media attention. People playing in the team section could migrate to other event sections over time. Beginner players could split the cost of the event fees and accomodations.

Catching up at the end of the day to see how the team member did would be much more interesting than taking a bye when you cannot play every game. More sharing of ideas, more strategy, more fun...

[Alan Baljeu]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Windsor used to have an actively used chess table. It was downtown in front of a convenience store which kept the pieces.

Then city tore down an entire block to build the Chrysler building.

Then the city built a bunch of chess tables in a new location, which almost never gets used, because:

• the tables are small with barely any space outside the board area for captured pieces, a clock, a sandwich...
• the squares are small too
• no spectator seating
• the tables are sort of randomly arranged with no sense of style or continuity
• the tables are in a cold dark alley
• the alley is ugly too
• there's no obvious place to obtain pieces
• a drinking bar opens to the tables. So every 5 minutes somebody comes out to ramble at chessplayers about how life sucks
• or they do when anybody plays there
• which is why nobody does.

[Hans Jung]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Thats what you get with poor planning. Revitalising a back alley should have city architects involved. That is what happened in Brampton and they did a beautiful job. Only one thing they forgot - appropriate shade or roof cover - so their players have to deal with the blazing summer sun and wind conditions. Alot of thought needs to be involved in setting up and even then you should have a chess coordinator to run the program so the tables dont get over run by other activities or even worse sit empty and gather graffiti or bird droppings. Outdoor chess tables by themselves are not enough! Another example of poor planning are several parkettes along various stops of the Bloor subway line in Toronto. Those parkettes have outdoor chess tables that never get used for chess.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: Photos of Outdoor Tables

Nice picture. Sure I'll help you. Contact Erik Malmsten who has a nice collection of photos (including the famous Kitchener tables;) ;)

When on flickr I select my favourite chess photos, especially of outdoor chess tables/sculptures:
Calgary: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccabanks/2566245960/
on some coast: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kooshoo/578684731/
Quebec City? http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceinwyn13/2923671573/

There are many across Canada you can see in my favourite list of 200 photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82698797@N00/favorites/

[John Brown]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

Fantastic set of Shots Erik.

Good to see someone captured Joe Smojli.
He was an icon for downtown visitors.

[Lawrence Day]

Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess

There is a good chess table in Weston at the top of the stairs leading down to Cruickshank Park but I've never seen it used. Perhaps the well needs priming by picking a particular date and time like a Sunday afternoon 2 PM and having a coordinator and 3 experienced players to demonstrate how winner-sits speed chess is played. Let the local schools know the time/date/place. Post it in the library etc. It is an opportunity for all those who have only played computers or online to meet each other and taste real chess. I'd play happily in good weather.