Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

[Championnat de Montréal]

Female Champion of Montreal

The organizing committee of the Montreal Open Championship has decided to add the title of "Montreal Female Champion" which will be provided to the best female performance of the Championship to be held from 11 to 13 September 2009.

The Montreal Open Championship is in discussion with several WGM around the world to get their interests and promote Chess among women here in Canada. The World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk can not participate this year but she did work to promote our cause on Facebook and she reserved a page on her personal website for women for our tournament. We appreciate her contribution to our decision to add the title Female Champion of Montreal through a message she sent to us.

With the world champion website, Facebook and Twitter, among other things we managed to get in contact with several talented women chess players.

WGM et MI Salome Melia (FIDE 2441)
Already we have secured the participation of the WGM Salome Melia. We have created a personal record on our website of this woman who is 44th in the world.


WGM and IM Salome Melia

Thanks to our sponsor www.goddesschess.com who will pay Salome Melia plane ticket.

Here is the certificate that we give to who deserve the title of Montreal Female Champion 2009:



Adopt a Grand Master today
You want to adopt a Grand Master or Woman Grand Master and help financially to their participation? We have a list with photos and career details of 5 Grand Masters and 5 Female Grand Master. We can take pictures at the airport or train station with you. The price of adoption for each Grand Master range from $ 200, $ 500, $ 800 and even $ 1100 Cdn for the most distant as Russia. Contact us today for details of applicants for adoption and the price and details of flight tickets. We are able to offer free hosting for most of them via a furnished apartment that is offered.

Encourage Montreal Open Championship today
Sign up now to participate in the Open Championships in Montreal in 2009 and encourage by this our team of Canadians volunteers and sponsors. Come fight with the WGM Salome Melia personally. Full details are available below in this advertisement.
________________________________________
Date : September 11-13, 2009
Place : Centre de loisirs Sts-Martyrs-Canadiens, 10125 Parthenais St. (Montréal)

Official tournament website

In collaboration with

and the city of Montréal

2009 Montreal Open Chess Championship
Prize Fund = $5,000
Section A (Open) : Prize Fund = $2575
1-$1300, 2-$650, 3-$325 - Class Prizes: $200, $100
________________________________________
Other Sections 1st 2nd 3rd Class(1)Jr.
Section B <2000 $650 $325 $160 $110 $75
Section C <1600 $325 $160 $80 $65 $50
Section D <1200 $170 $85 $50 $45 $40
Unrated Prize: $35(2)

(1) The classes will be defined before the start of the second round; dependent upon the rating distribution.
(2) An unrated player is also eligible to win any other prize in any section, up to a limit of $100.
A player whose rating index is 100 or more points greater than a section's limit may not play in that section. e.g., xxxx.13 may not play in Section D.

Schedule :
Friday September 11 - late entries 17:30-18:15- Round 1 at 19:00
Saturday September 12 - Round 2 at 10:00
Saturday September 12 - Round 3 at 15:00
Sunday September 13 - Round 4 at 10:00
Sunday September 13 - Round 5 at 15:00

Entry Fees:
Section Until Aug. 15 After Aug. 15 At the Trmt.
A Open $50 $60 $70
B -2000 $40 $50 $60
C -1600 $35 $45 $55
D -1200 $30 $40 $50
Free for GMs, IMs and FMs. Free for Quebec Masters who confirm their participation before September 1st. If later, $30 with no additional fees.
FQE membership required.

To register for the tournament online, click here:


(You can pay your entry by credit card or with PayPal and even renew your FQE membership)

________________________________________
All participants must be members of la F&#233;d&#233;ration qu&#233;b&#233;coise des &#233;checs (FQE)
To become a member of the FQE via the internet, Click here:
________________________________________
Information:
Montreal Open Chess Championship
http://www.championnatdemontreal.mine.nu
e-mail : championnatdemontreal@gmail.com

Grandmasters and other titled players who have confirmed their participation:
Visit the tournament website to see colour photos of all the star players; both for 2009 and from previous years!!!



Championnat ouvert de Montr&#233;al

11-09-2009

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

As I have repeated in the past - GET RID OF THE SOUND ON YOUR WEB PAGE! Imagine that you're in a quiet office, and you go to the web page. Suddenly - the sound comes on and before you can figure out how to turn it off, your boss walks in and wonders what you are up to.

Suggestion #2: provide a simple list of the pre-registrants. I (and others) don't want to have to make 41 (or whatever) clicks to see who is registered. Leave the photo list as an option.

[Championnat de Montréal]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

As I have repeated in the past - GET RID OF THE SOUND ON YOUR WEB PAGE! Imagine that you're in a quiet office, and you go to the web page. Suddenly - the sound comes on and before you can figure out how to turn it off, your boss walks in and wonders what you are up to.

Suggestion #2: provide a simple list of the pre-registrants. I (and others) don't want to have to make 41 (or whatever) clicks to see who is registered. Leave the photo list as an option.

Hi,

We will not make all thoses changes but we thank you for your comments.

Here are some explanations:

We must adapt to the new world and to the new younger generations coming soon in our tournaments. Our Championship is targeting women, youth and professionnals to help solve a participation problem in Quebec. This category of users are used to a Facebook-like presentation with pictures and details.

Trees and flowers are not necessary neither on a residential street, we must agree, but they should not be removed for reasons we could debate for hours and among those reasons women and children are an important factor. As long as the road is still there everybody can make it way throught it even if they don't like flowers.

P.S.: If as a Statistic Supplier of Services you need the link to the list of players, such a link exist. Simply write to championnatdemontreal@gmail.com and you will receive a html page automaticaly updated, upon agreement to keep the link for you.

There is a virtual button "SON" on the left upper side of the screen to shut the sound off. There should be a physical one too on the keyboard on the top right.

Does this answer your questions?

Thanks.
Montreal Open Chess Championship

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

We must adapt to the new world and to the new younger generations coming soon in our tournaments. Our Championship is targeting women, youth and professionnals to help solve a participation problem in Quebec. This category of users are used to a Facebook-like presentation with pictures and details.

It's the parents who are paying for their kids; it's the parents who will be visiting the site to look info on the event. The participation problem is solved by contacing the players in person (e.g. the Wednesday night tournaments at the Montreal CC which always have a waiting list) - not everyone has Internet access.

Keep it simple, like the Langley Chess Club's tournament info at http://www.langleychess.com/2009-Open.htm
All the info is there with one click. No need to try to find a way to turn off the sound. You are losing more viewers than you think by keeping the sound on.

There is a virtual button "SON" on the left upper side of the screen to shut the sound off. There should be a physical one too on the keyboard on the top right.

Before most annoyed users have found this button, they will be long gone. Have the default as "no sound" with an option to turn it on.

[Jonathan Berry]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

I vote "oui" for Hugh.

[Championnat de Montréal]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

It's the parents who are paying for their kids; it's the parents who will be visiting the site to look info on the event. The participation problem is solved by contacing the players in person (e.g. the Wednesday night tournaments at the Montreal CC which always have a waiting list) - not everyone has Internet access.

Keep it simple, like the Langley Chess Club's tournament info at http://www.langleychess.com/2009-Open.htm
All the info is there with one click. No need to try to find a way to turn off the sound. You are losing more viewers than you think by keeping the sound on.



Before most annoyed users have found this button, they will be long gone. Have the default as "no sound" with an option to turn it on.

It's the parents who are paying for their kids; it's the parents who will be visiting the site to look info on the event. The participation problem is solved by contacing the players in person (e.g. the Wednesday night tournaments at the Montreal CC which always have a waiting list) - not everyone has Internet access.

Keep it simple, like the Langley Chess Club's tournament info at http://www.langleychess.com/2009-Open.htm
All the info is there with one click. No need to try to find a way to turn off the sound. You are losing more viewers than you think by keeping the sound on.



Before most annoyed users have found this button, they will be long gone. Have the default as "no sound" with an option to turn it on.

Thank you for this input from someone of your generation. We are sorry for the little problems it may cause to you. The reason for the music is that we want to reproduce the mood the kids are used too when they play video games. On our desktop board they can play a chess game and qualify for the Championship!

We have established who is our main target customers: women, families and children that have an internet connection. It is a financial, commercial and strategic decision.

If any under 12 kid or woman or professionnal send us a complain we will for sure react since they are part of the main target customers. So far it is not the case. We have 8 WGM interested in our Championship that contacted us. Many women chess players on Facebook and Twitter put nice comments that can be seen by those connected on these great social tools.

Here are some examples and there are many others:

1 - The female World Champion send us nice comments and put a publicity on her personnal website. She also gave nice comments on Twitter.
2 - Susan Polgar send us very nice comments and put a publicity on her personnal website.
3- Marie Sebag european female champion and GM has sent us nice comments and will probably praticipate in our Championship in september.
4 - The France female Champion Milliet sent us nice comments and plan to come next year in our tournament.
5 - WGM and IM Salome Melia sent us nice comments and will participate this year.
6 - The president of MonRoi as a woman send us nice comments about our website and also did put nice comments on our Facebook page.
7 - Goddesschess contacted us on their own will after seeing our website and will pay a plane ticket and offer prizes for girls participation in our Championship. Like us they want to promote chess among women and girls.

Please do like the new generations, get on Twitter and come share with us your good and bad news.

With such a success on the target customers and among the top world female players we feel we are taking the right decisions. None of them complained about the sound.

P.S.: So far the two persons that complained in Montreal have a known personal conflict with an organizer on our team. Everybody else in Montreal that contacted us sent us very good comments.

Do you think we are right?

Thank you.
Montreal Open Chess Championship

[Neil Sullivan]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

Thank you for this input from someone of your generation. We are sorry for the little problems it may cause to you.

OUCH! As the kids say Hugh, I think you just got pwned. :D

No worries though. If need be, we'll organize the Montreal Fossils' Championship so we'll both have a place to play. ;)

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

1 - The female World Champion send us nice comments and put a publicity on her personnal website. She also gave nice comments on Twitter.
2 - Susan Polgar send us very nice comments and put a publicity on her personnal website.
3- Marie Sebag european female champion and GM has sent us nice comments and will probably praticipate in our Championship in september.
4 - The France female Champion Milliet sent us nice comments and plan to come next year in our tournament.
5 - WGM and IM Salome Melia sent us nice comments and will participate this year.
6 - The president of MonRoi as a woman send us nice comments about our website and also did put nice comments on our Facebook page.
7 - Goddesschess contacted us on their own will after seeing our website and will pay a plane ticket and offer prizes for girls participation in our Championship. Like us they want to promote chess among women and girls.

Foreign titled players do not come cheaply. Wouldn't it be better to take money allocated for these players, and use it for local players? You can't make GM or IM norms in a weekend Swiss (and this tournament is not FIDE-rated). Also - the foreign players will take away potential prize money from local players - causing some strong local players to decide not to play. Unless you have strong players which are "household names", they won't have any effect on attendance.

[Felix Dumont]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

P.S.: So far the two persons that complained in Montreal have a known personal conflict with an organizer on our team. Everybody else in Montreal that contacted us sent us very good comments.

You shouldn't be surprise if people write you good comments. People who don't like your website just close it and don't come again...

I just showed this website to a kid and asked him if he likes the music... He found funny that adults thought it was their kind of music. Anyway...

I completely agree with Hugh.

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

P.S.: So far the two persons that complained in Montreal have a known personal conflict with an organizer on our team.

Are you saying that I have a "known personal conflict with an organizer on our team"? Can you name that organizer?

[Championnat de Montréal]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

Foreign titled players do not come cheaply. Wouldn't it be better to take money allocated for these players, and use it for local players? You can't make GM or IM norms in a weekend Swiss (and this tournament is not FIDE-rated). Also - the foreign players will take away potential prize money from local players - causing some strong local players to decide not to play. Unless you have strong players which are "household names", they won't have any effect on attendance.

No effect on you. But for the girls yes. We will use their participation in our Championship for next year promotion among women on our website. The more they will see women faces the better it is. With a WGM in the top section every year it will also have effects on a girl interest, her self confidence compared to men and will show her the path to success.

Girls and women, we have a message for you:
The Montreal Open Chess Championship has a door wide open for you. We offer you the title "Montreal Female Champion 2009" with a nice certificate signed by the mayor of the city. We will put great work in the 3 following years to have an environment where you will be happy to compete and where you will not be the only girl in your section. We will also reserve a special attention to all of you, with your best pictures and details for your promotion on our website like we did this year. We will pay for WGM and GM guests for a proportion of 50&#37; women and 50% men so that you don't feel you are an exception.

Help us change the face of Chess in Montreal Open Chess Championship, come and participate.

Girls are as good as men at chess! Montreal will prove it.

Thank you.

[Championnat de Montréal]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

If the only fact of being a friend of an organizer means that we have a personal conflict, I think that the majority of Quebec's players have one... You shouldn't be surprise if people write you good comments. People who don't like your website just close it and don't come again...

I just showed this website to a kid and asked him if he likes the music... He found funny that adults thought it was their kind of music. Anyway...

I completely agree with Hugh.

The well known personnal conflict you have with a volunteer on the team should not make you forget that we are many people behind the Championship. Felix, as a teenager please write to this person today, it should be solved and stay personnal. We know that any kid you will show the website will have your opinion before the visit! (Lot of laught) LOL

This tournament is one of the rare or the only one you did not register this year in Montreal. Is this music so important in your decision? LOL

The comments we have from various kids are very good and they even ask to come back later! The music has been bought from a profesionnal company that make web contents for kids and this is the reason for its huge success. It is a profesionnal content. It has been picked because it is dynamic and creates a good impression of our Championship.

There is no musician on our team.

[Felix Dumont]

Re : Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

It's true, I played in almost every tournaments in Montreal this year. In fact, I played more than 200 rated games. And I will play in this tournament, even if I don't like the music. I didn't register yet but I will, because what is the most important for me is to play and have fun. Spending that much money for the website won't bring you that many new players.

I think I'm going to play in the Montreal Fossils' Championship, even if I'm 16.

[Neil Sullivan]

Re: Re : Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

I think I'm going to play in the Montreal Fossils' Championship, even if I'm 16.

We'll see about that ... :)

I think we'll have a one-page website; nothing but text. If you succeed in finding it, you're not allowed to play!

And another thing: no digital clocks allowed. ;)

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Montreal Female Champion 2009 and WGM announcement

How do kids find that page?

Anyway, the board with pieces does not fit into a 19" screen. Does it mean that the young generation uses >24" screens? :D