Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

**Gary Hua** · Friday, 6th October, 2017, 06:34 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotel...ail/directions

Location of the venue.

Welcome to Holiday Inn Oakville (Centre)
Welcome to the Holiday Inn Oakville Center - you can't beat our location and top notch service.

We are conveniently located just off the QEW, minutes away from downtown Toronto and Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ). Steps away from the Oakville GO Station, Via Rail & Oakville Place Mall . We are close to everything in the GTA. Featuring an indoor swimming pool, restaurant, bar and lounge, Business Centre, free Wi-Fi, corporate shuttle for offices within a 5 km radius of the hotel and parking . Whether you have a group of 3 or 300, the Holiday Inn Oakville Centre is sure to accommodate all your meeting needs. With more than 7,000 square feet of meeting space all located on the same level, finding the right room is never an issue. Meeting rooms range in size from 408 square feet to over 3,000 square feet. Our rooms are suitable for conferences, board meetings, weddings, engagements and social events. The surrounding area of our Oakville hotel is known for elegant dining, designer boutiques, antique shops, small courtyards and contemporary parks. Travelers enjoy close proximity to the Oakville downtown district, Oakville Place Shopping Mall, world-class golf at Glen Abbey or a show at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. We are also in a very centralized location between Niagara Falls, Downtown Toronto and Pearson Toronto International Airport.

**Bob Gillanders** · Friday, 6th October, 2017, 10:06 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Great stuff Gary. I checked out your website "Elevate my chess".
Ambitious stuff, are you Canada's answer to Millionaire Chess?

Great to see chess organizers taking it to the next step, bringing some new ideas, thinking big.
Good timing as chess activity is definitely on the upswing.
Founders of Elevate my chess (Gary and Ken) are both Accountants! I take that as a most positive sign!!
Good luck guys.

**Gary Hua** · Saturday, 7th October, 2017, 06:56 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by Bob Gillanders View Post

Great stuff Gary. I checked out your website "Elevate my chess".
Ambitious stuff, are you Canada's answer to Millionaire Chess?

Great to see chess organizers taking it to the next step, bringing some new ideas, thinking big.
Good timing as chess activity is definitely on the upswing.
Founders of Elevate my chess (Gary and Ken) are both Accountants! I take that as a most positive sign!!
Good luck guys.

Thanks for your kind words. We just thought we can and should do something positive to Canada Chess. Leaves to be seen if we can achieve our dreams. As for Oakville Winter Open, this score based prize tournament has been organized by Maryland Chess Association for many years now and I think the model should work. It is just a matter of different way of prize distribution ( like what you mentioned in another post ).

We certainly hope the chess players will appreciate what we are doing for Canada Chess and support us in as many ways as possible and the least will be joining our tournaments. The entry fee is not crazy like Millionaire Chess but very affordable for the place ( Holiday Inn ) and the prize money and we have an outstanding arbiter in IA Danny Goldenberg..

We are just doing something back for the Chess Community in Canada.

Cheers to Chess in Canada

**Erik Malmsten** · Saturday, 7th October, 2017, 12:06 PM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by Gary Hua View Post

https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotel...ail/directions
. . .
The surrounding area of our Oakville hotel is known for elegant dining, designer boutiques, antique shops, small courtyards and contemporary parks. Travelers enjoy close proximity to the Oakville downtown district, Oakville Place Shopping Mall, world-class golf at Glen Abbey or a show at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. We are also in a very centralized location between Niagara Falls, Downtown Toronto and Pearson Toronto International Airport.

I don't know about playing golf at Glen Abbey in February, but not very far is the indoor sky diving at Ifly:
https://www.iflytoronto.com/

**John Brown** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 06:00 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Hi Gary;
I noticed you post prizes for 5 placements 5,4.5,4,3.5,3 Yet you only are offering 4 prizes after the Championship section. Is this an error or do the lower groups get the same prize for 3.5 and 3 points.
I have to sit this one out. Good luck with your first attempt at this new style of chess for Canada.

**Gary Hua** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 06:58 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by John Brown View Post

Hi Gary;
I noticed you post prizes for 5 placements 5,4.5,4,3.5,3 Yet you only are offering 4 prizes after the Championship section. Is this an error or do the lower groups get the same prize for 3.5 and 3 points.
I have to sit this one out. Good luck with your first attempt at this new style of chess for Canada.

Hi John,

Thanks for your query. It's not an error. We are rewarding the higher two sections as they are tougher to play in. After the first two higher sections, you only win a prize if you hit 3.5 points. Please take note we have a range of only 300 CFC rating points and I do read that you are asking for 200 range in some other post. We do our best for Canada Chess and our success is depending on the players' participants. Everyone is welcome irrespective of your standard of play.

Gary Hua

**John Brown** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 07:44 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

I don't really think that the sections are a problem .It is letting players move up that is the problem. This is one reason I'm not playing. I think for your maiden tournament your entry fee is a little high. Hopefully you'll get your numbers and you are not too worried if you have a low turn out.

**Erik Malmsten** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 08:45 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by John Brown View Post

I don't really think that the sections are a problem .It is letting players move up that is the problem. This is one reason I'm not playing. I think for your maiden tournament your entry fee is a little high. Hopefully you'll get your numbers and you are not too worried if you have a low turn out.

Perhaps the playing up fee should be $20 or $30, whatever, hungry players will pay for the learning experience.

It's difficult to know what people think is fair and affordable. $100 for 5 games to win $1,000 or $500. Seniors on a fixed pension have to pick and choose their events.

The junior sections U1200 $64, and U900 $44 are reasonably cheaper. Should the U1500 also have been scaled to say $79? Would it make a difference? It's going to be the late fees that will discourage those sitting on the fence. Or being snowed in.

It is risky bringing on a new (annual?) event, but there has been good turnouts lately at sites like Aurora and the success of the organizer's Canadian Junior. And it's going to be the turnout of juniors that will make it a big event.

**Gary Hua** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 08:46 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by John Brown View Post

I don't really think that the sections are a problem .It is letting players move up that is the problem. This is one reason I'm not playing. I think for your maiden tournament your entry fee is a little high. Hopefully you'll get your numbers and you are not too worried if you have a low turn out.

I agree the entry fee is a little high ( but not too high ) but we are hosting in a hotel and Holiday Inn provides the comfort and luxury of playing chess in and the location is also very convenient. The prize money is also very good as well. If the players opted out just because the entry fees is a little too high and the tournament is a failure, then that will be too bad for the players as well for the organizer. We are just trying to elevate the standard of playing chess in Canada and I certainly knows that there is a risk of not having enough players. We certainly hope for the support from all the chess players otherwise what's the point in hosting tournament ?

For a little bit more of entry fees, you will have more comfort, convenience, great IA in Danny G and great prize $$$. I hope it is not a deterrent to chess players here. $ 99 entry fee is a norm in US. Please also bear in mind the entry fee for lower section is only $ 64 and $ 44 and they still enjoy the above benefits. You can't have best of both world ( aka lower entry fee and all the great benefits that comes with it unless you have great sponsorship )

**Gary Hua** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 08:56 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by Erik Malmsten View Post

Perhaps the playing up fee should be $20 or $30, whatever, hungry players will pay for the learning experience.

It's difficult to know what people think is fair and affordable. $100 for 5 games to win $1,000 or $500. Seniors on a fixed pension have to pick and choose their events.

The junior sections U1200 $64, and U900 $44 are reasonably cheaper. Should the U1500 also have been scaled to say $79? Would it make a difference? It's going to be the late fees that will discourage those sitting on the fence. Or being snowed in.

It is risky bringing on a new (annual?) event, but there has been good turnouts lately at sites like Aurora and the success of the organizer's Canadian Junior. And it's going to be the turnout of juniors that will make it a big event.

Thanks Erik for your input. It's very hard to balance up all the factors and there is always a risk in organizing chess tournaments even though I have organized successfully a couple ones. I have sleepless nights not knowing how many will turn out and this one is a new venture/format which makes it more riskier. Having said that, I certainly hope players will appreciate our initiatives in this tournament and will come out to support this tournament. I look at it as more of a win - win situation for both players and organizer. If organizer failed just because of a little high in entry fee, that will be a shame, would it not ? We spent a lot of effort and time on this tournament.

**Hugh Brodie** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 08:58 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

In the US, re-entries are not allowed in the top sections of FIDE-rated events (e.g. World Open). Supposedly - FIDE regulations do not allow for norm possibilities (and possibly other factors) if this is permitted. Also - a cunning player can manipulate his re-entry to his advantage as discussed here: http://boylston-chess-club.blogspot....ntroversy.html

The prizes in the non-Championship sections are too high. Have a maximum of $500 for first, and move more cash into the Championship section. Why encourage mediocrity? If a player wants "real" money, he has to compete for it among strong players.

**Gary Hua** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 09:03 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post

In the US, re-entries are not allowed in the top sections of FIDE-rated events (e.g. World Open). Supposedly - FIDE regulations do not allow for norm possibilities (and possibly other factors) if this is permitted. Also - a cunning player can manipulate his re-entry to his advantage as discussed here: http://boylston-chess-club.blogspot....ntroversy.html

>> We are checking on this. If it is not allowed, then there will no re-entry for the top 2 sections.

The prizes in the non-Championship sections are too high. Have a maximum of $500 for first, and move more cash into the Championship section. Why encourage mediocrity? If a player wants "real" money, he has to compete for it among strong players.

>> Lets see how this tournament goes first. We are still learning so as to speak.

As mentioned earlier, we would like players of all levels to come out and support this tournament. Make it a memorable one and we will make it an even better the next time around.

**Bob Gillanders** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 11:18 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Originally posted by Hugh Brodie View Post

The prizes in the non-Championship sections are too high. Have a maximum of $500 for first, and move more cash into the Championship section. Why encourage mediocrity?

Or,
The prizes in the Championship section are too high. Have a maximum of $1,000 for first, and move more cash into non-Championship sections. Why discourage the participation of players rated below 2100?

Hugh, my comments are tongue in cheek, but I must push back against the question: Why encourage mediocrity? It should be obvious to everyone that organizers NEVER design the prize fund to encourage mediocrity. The prize fund is always designed with two key factors in mind. What is fair, and what will motivate the greatest participation. Answers to both questions are a matter of opinion.

Please stop asking the question: Why encourage mediocrity? As an organizer myself, I find this question rhetorical at best.

**Hugh Brodie** · Sunday, 8th October, 2017, 11:51 AM

Re: Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Are there any other sports, games, or activities which reward the non-elite with almost as much as the elite? There's no incentive to increase your rating in chess as long as there is lots of money (or any money at all) in non-elite clasees.

Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

Oakville Winter Open - Feb 2-4, 2018

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