Markham Open Oct 5-7

[Pierre St-Onge]

Sadly there's no open section Markham...Varennes yes...

Varennes not really open...semi-open!...

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Jeffrey (Post # 15):

I have played a bit in Quebec in the last few years, and their thinking about "Playing Up" is quite different than that of the organizers in Ontario.

In Quebec, all sections are most usually "Open". That means that even the lowest rated player is eligible to play in any section of their choice (So a 500 player can play with the 2400's). The only restriction is that your rating cannot put you above the cap rating of the section....so, as expected and is always the case, a player rated 1800 cannot play in the U 1800 Section - only in any of the sections above that.

So the issue is that in Quebec they see no detriment to allowing total playing up for free.

In Ontario, our organizers see it quite differently.

Here the approach is that higher rated players should not generally have to play players rated lower than the floor rating of their section. The issue is that some players in a round end up getting an "easy" point. Also some higher-rated players feel they waste a game beating up on some low-rated player who got into the section. Lastly, the feeling is that these low-rated players dilute the quality of chess in the higher groups.

The Ontario organizer answer is to "charge a playing up fee". This is hoped to discourage low-rated players from jumping up into higher rated sections. As well, Ontario organizers "limit" the playing up - you must be rated within 100 points of the floor of the section above. So only some players can play up, and they can only play up one section - just to the section right above them.

I guess there are pluses and minuses to both systems. I myself prefer the Ontario system. Though it is nice, when I play in Quebec, to be able to play up a section without: 1. having to meet the 100 point eligibility criteria; 2. paying a "playing up" fee.

Perhaps some CT member from Quebec can advise if I've got the Quebec thinking right (And same for some Ontario organizer re Ontario thinking).

Bob A

[Hugh Brodie]

In my opinion - "Open" means "unrestricted". Everyone can play in an "Open" chess tournament, but if certain players are not permitted to play in the top section - that section should no longer be classified as an "Open" section (title it something else). Whether it's still :Open" or not, when paying an extra fee will get the normally unqualified in - that's another question - but it's no longer an "Open" section if (for example) players more than 100 points below the floor are not eligible.

Big tennis tournaments are "Opens" since anyone can try to qualify, You can be an unranked player in the finals as long as you keep winning - there are no restrictions..

[Pierre St-Onge]

In Quebec, all sections are most usually "Open". That means that even the lowest rated player is eligible to play in any section of their choice (So a 500 player can play with the 2400's). The only restriction is that your rating cannot put you above the cap rating of the section....so, as expected and is always the case, a player rated 1800 cannot play in the U 1800 Section - only in any of the sections above that.

So the issue is that in Quebec they see no detriment to allowing total playing up for free.

In Varennes it's not quite open ... because it costs a lot to play in section A if you are a player of 1499 and under! ... Example a player between 1200 and 1499 will have to pay a extra $ 75.00 to be eligible to play in the A total of $ 155.00 ... it's far from free!

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Please be informed a short GTCL Cup awards presentation will take place on Saturday, October 6, at 3 pm - just before round 3 at Markham Open.

We're planning to award trophies to the Winners of 2018 GTCL Cup:

Hart House Team:

Mike Ivanov
Jim Zhao
Joseph Bellissimo
Zehn Nasir


Under 1800 Winners - Hart House C Team:

Yun Hong (Kevin) Li
Atakan Bakiskan
Jonathan Moore
Vikram Venkataramanan

Hope to see you at the Markham Open!

[William Li]

Sadly there's no open section Markham...Varennes yes...

We shall change the name of every "open" section to be named after this legend's name from now on (Denis section); what do y'all think?

[Henri Hughes]

did we get to 200 registrations?? along with that will the final ranking list include ratings??

[Grey Guo]

Finally we got the finance report, delayed due to the WCCC trip.

1. The prize distribution

Section	Name	Prize
Open	Song Michael IM	3000
Open	Ivanov Mike FM	700
Open	Yang Kaiqi IM	75
Open	Noritsyn Sergey NM	75
Open	Hua Eugene FM	75
Open	Plotkin Mark FM	75
U2200	Zeromskis Egidijus NM	575
U2200	Li Eric M	575
U2200	Zhao Jeffrey Renfei	100
U2200	Zhao Jeffrey R.	100
U1800	Uthayakumar Ronan	600
U1800	Hughes Henry AFM	250
U1800	Li Adam	40
U1800	Liu Harry	40
U1800	Tang Sheng	40
U1800	Cloete Jack	40
U1800	Hua Michelle	40
U1400	Zhu Ricky	400
U1400	Men Jacky	150
U1400	Xu William	25
U1400	Yang Larry	25
U1400	Qiu James	25
U1400	Huang Richard	25
Total		7050

2. Overall Finance report

2018 Markhamopen Income Statement
2018.10.05-.10.07
Income
1. Entry Fee	$ 11,593
Expense
2. Prize	7050
3. Venue Fee	1800
4. Food - Pizza	1367
5. Food - Snack/Drink	363
6. Trophy/Medal	400
7. Rating Fee	475
8. Arbiter - Accomodation	300
9. Arbiter - Allowance	Paid by Sponsor
Subtal	$ 11,755
Net Income	$ (162.50)

3. Results link

Open Section
http://chess-results.com/tnr382058.aspx?lan=1
U2200
http://chess-results.com/tnr382059.aspx?lan=1
U1800
http://chess-results.com/tnr382291.aspx?lan=1
U1400
http://chess-results.com/tnr382294.aspx?lan=1
Junior U1000
http://chess-results.com/tnr382298.aspx?lan=1

[Hugh Brodie]

Thanks for posting those numbers! Now if we can get others to do it as well..even if it's well after the event...