Henry/Dark Knight - Admin. Question - Bob's Blog

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Henry:

In another thread I posted the following a few days ago:

"2018 Quebec Open Chess Championship - BLOG - Over the years, I have blogged many of my tournaments on official chess websites, chess discussion boards, Facebook, etc. I focus almost exclusively on the sections in which I play (I am 1715 FQE) - usually the U 2000 & U 1800 sections. This is because it gets little official coverage generally, yet most Canadian players are in the B, C & D classes.

This year I am in the U 2000 section of the Quebec Open Chess Championship. And I am blogging it!

It is on my personal Facebook account, for those who might be interested (https://www.facebook.com/bob.armstrong.9235)."

You may be aware that in the past, Larry Bevand happily agreed to me doing, or reproducing, my blog (In a number of years) here on Chess Talk. When I did, I averaged 500 views per day for my blogging.

I have been approached by one individual (And I know there are more) who does not, or will not, use Facebook. So he has no access to my blog.

But he wishes to read it. I was asked if I might make the effort to also re-post it elsewhere, where it would be unrestrictedly available.

Since this board is so popular, and since I have done it here numbers of times before, I would be willing to also post it here daily.

But as in the past, I would not do this without the site owner's OK.

Would you be fine with me re-posting my Fb Blog here, after I post it on my Fb Account??

Thanks.

Bob A

[John Coleman]

I've enjoyed your blogs in past years, and it would be good if you could post here as well. I followed your link to Facebook, but found next-to nothing about chess. I hate Facebook anyway.

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi John:

Thanks for your kind support in helping Henry/Dark Knight to make a decision. Over the years I did post my blog here, I had many kind comments for my efforts.

Check the two Quebec tournament threads re your going to my Fb account........and having to search for the blog post.

Bob A

[Dark Knight]

Hi Bob,

We would be delighted to have your blog back!
On enquiry, I have learnt your tournament blogs were pretty popular, registering a large number of hits, particularly vignettes on your off-tournament adventures, fellow competitors, various meals and your intriguing room-mate (at the time:)

Write away!
Henry
P.S. pictures would be great too - if you need help posting them here, email them to me at: chesstalkforum@gmail.com

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Henry:

Thanks for the wonderful invitation!

I will have to do some scrolling down to get my Blog # 1 off my Fb Account, but it shall be done (As you know, can't get at my original word document at the moment - sigh)!

You will get many credits with chess players interested in my blog, who do not, or will not, open Fb accounts. Yesterday, again, at the tournament, I met another player I had not known before, and he knew of my Blog, and said he also would not use Fb. But if I got it onto Chess Talk, he would likely come read it (I do hope it is only his first read, and not both his first and last!)

I am busy all day today (Have to go play with my Montreal granddaughter!), but I will get at it tomorrow, if I can't do anything today.

Bob A

[Sam Sharpe]

Yaaayyy!!! The return of Blog Armstrong!

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Again Henry (Aka Dark Knight):

With your kind permission, I did post all my Blogs # 1 - 9 on Chess Talk (English) for the 2018 Quebec Open Championship. The thread had over 700 views in the 6 consecutive days it was being posted.

But I am aware that you have a French language Canadian Discussion Board as well called Parlons Echecs.

As we agreed previously, tonight I will now start posting my blog for the 2018 Montreal Summer Chess Classic, which will be posted to and including Friday (There will be 6 blogs in total). It will be again in English.

I do not know what assistance you have to maintain these two boards.

But I wondered if you might wish to re-post my English Chess Blog on the Classic here on Chess Talk, onto your French Board, translated into French?

I would quite happily consent to this, but it is beyond my capacity to do the translation into French.

If this is beyond the scope of your site, would you be able to conscript some outside volunteer to do the translation and post it on the French Board on our behalf?

If not, what I also am thinking here is whether the Classic organizers/arbiters may have the capacity to help with this issue, to help market their tournament.

And similarly, if this is beyond the capacity of their team, might they be able to conscript some volunteer translator to do it for both them and us?

Just a thought, since I have found that among chess players, in my Montreal and area tournaments, there are many players from Quebec who are not fluently bi-lingual (Same as in Ontario - an officially bi-lingual province). They might enjoy accessing this Blog in their first language.

Bob A

[Bob Armstrong]

If viewers don't mind, I'm going to "bounce" this thread to the top - --

I'd like Henry to see it as soon as possible, to see if a French Blog translation is possible for the Classic.....

- also hope the Classic organizers will see it and respond as well.

My first Blog # 1 will go up, in English, late tonight here on Chess Talk, after being posted first on my own personal Fb Account.

Bob A

[Dark Knight]

If viewers don't mind, I'm going to "bounce" this thread to the top - --

I'd like Henry to see it as soon as possible, to see if a French Blog translation is possible for the Classic.....

- also hope the Classic organizers will see it and respond as well.

My first Blog # 1 will go up, in English, late tonight here on Chess Talk, after being posted first on my own personal Fb Account.

Bob A

Hi Bob,

We really enjoyed your blog, and look forward to the next.

I would be delighted to have your work on our French Board if any of the members there would be kind enough to translate, failing which any kind volunteer - it will certainly be a labour of love!

Henry

[Bob Armstrong]

Thanks for the consent Henry - perhaps if no Parlons Echecs member volunteers to do and post a French translation for you, maybe the Classic organizers can come up with some plan to accomplish the posting of a French Blog on Parlons Echecs.

Bob A

[Bob Armstrong]

Well, I think it is now obvious who does NOT want to do a French translation of my 2018 Montreal Summer Chess Classic Blog and post it on Parlons Echecs:

1. Bob Armstrong
2. Henry (Aka Dark Knight)
3. The Classic Organizers
4. Any member of Parlons Echecs
5. Any Bi-lingual member of Chess Talk

It clearly was going to have to be an unpaid labour of love......not easy to get volunteers for this.

Was just a thought.

Bob A

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Henry (Aka Dark Knight):

Thank you for the recent invitation to re-post my Facebook chess blogs here on Chess Talk. I feel they drew reasonable interest:

1. Quebec Open Championship - 9 Rounds posted over 5 consecutive days (Started late because the idea surfaced after the start of the tournament) - about 775 views of the thread;

2. 2018 Montreal Summer Chess Classic - 5 rounds posted over 6 consecutive days - about 375 views of the thread.

I do play in some weekend tournaments in late summer, and winter (Usually I play none in the Fall or the Spring). And I do blog these regularly on my own Fb Account.

The next one I am playing in is the Toronto Open Championship on the Labour Day holiday weekend (Sept. 1-3). Since it is at the rate of 2 games per day, I do have to truncate a bit my normal newsy style - but it is similar, and I blog the U 1800 section.

Given the interest in my two recent blogs, I would be quite happy to take the extra step of re-posting my Toronto Open Blog here on Chess Talk, if you will continue your permission for me to do that re my Weekend Tournament Blogs, as you did for COQ & MSCC. I am assuming that there would be some interest in my Blog for the Toronto Open, and my other Weekend Tournaments during the year.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Bob Armstrong

[Dark Knight]

Hi Henry (Aka Dark Knight):

Thank you for the recent invitation to re-post my Facebook chess blogs here on Chess Talk. I feel they drew reasonable interest:

1. Quebec Open Championship - 9 Rounds posted over 5 consecutive days (Started late because the idea surfaced after the start of the tournament) - about 775 views of the thread;

2. 2018 Montreal Summer Chess Classic - 5 rounds posted over 6 consecutive days - about 375 views of the thread.

I do play in some weekend tournaments in late summer, and winter (Usually I play none in the Fall or the Spring). And I do blog these regularly on my own Fb Account.

The next one I am playing in is the Toronto Open Championship on the Labour Day holiday weekend (Sept. 1-3). Since it is at the rate of 2 games per day, I do have to truncate a bit my normal newsy style - but it is similar, and I blog the U 2000 section.

Given the interest in my two recent blogs, I would be quite happy to take the extra step of re-posting my Toronto Open Blog here on Chess Talk, if you will continue your permission for me to do that re my Weekend Tournament Blogs, as you did for COQ & MSCC. I am assuming that there would be some interest in my Blog for the Toronto Open, and my other Weekend Tournaments during the year.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Bob Armstrong

Hi Bob,

Sure, you're most welcome to continue posting your Toronto Open and future blogs here.

Thanks,
Henry

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Henry:

Thanks for the blanket invite to re-post my Chess Blogs here re my upcoming Weekend Tournaments for 2018 & 2019.

My Schedule for the rest of the summer, through to the start of Summer 2019, at least at the present time, is:

Sept. 1 - 3/18 (Long Labour Day Weekend) - Toronto Open (6 Rds.);

Dec. 14-16/18 (Likely - not yet posted on CFC Tournament List) - Hart House Holidays Open (5 Rds.);

Feb. 16 - 18/19 (Likely - not yet posted on CFC Tournament List - usually on Family Day (Ontario) Long Weekend) - Hart House Reading Week Open (6 Rds.).

Maybe someone associated with the HHCC might confirm if these guessed dates are correct, if they are in fact already scheduled into the Hart House 2018/9 calendar.

I am happy to make the effort to re-post here since it appears there are sufficient Chess Talkers who find my Blogs of some interest ........ it is a fun retiree project for me, and as long as some CT'ers find them interesting and informative, and somewhat entertaining, I'll try to keep doing the re-posting.

Thanks again.

Bob A

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Again Henry (Aka Dark Knight):

As we have previously discussed, over the years I had an arrangement from time to time with the former owner of Chess Talk (CT), Chess 'n Math Association, to Blog the tournaments I have been playing in (Usually longer tournaments like the Canadian Open, The Quebec Open, The Toronto International, etc.).

More recently I have been posting my chess blog on my personal Facebook Account for my over 800 Fb friends from around the world: https://www.facebook.com/bob.armstrong.9235. I also have been re-posting it on my Fb chess discussion group, Chess Chat - A Project of Chess Companions of Caissa: https://www.facebook.com/groups/340524269771672/ .

You and I have now continued the CT arrangement and now extended it to also include the weekend tournaments in which I play between Summer 2018 and Summer 2019.

So, under this new agreement, most recently I blogged my participation in:

a. two longer tournaments:

1. 2018 Quebec Open - about 775 views of 5 days of blogging a 9 round tournament (New arrangement reached after tournament had started) - Average of over 150 views per blog;
2. 2018 Montreal Summer Chess Classic - about 375 view of 6 days of blogging a 5 round tournament - Average of 62 views per blog.

b. 2018 Toronto Open - 6 rounds - 4 consecutive days of blogging - Average over the first 3 days (Total of 421 views) of almost 150 views per blog.

My future weekend blogs will be (Given my current schedule through to next summer):

1. The 2018 Hart House Holidays Open (Prior to Christmas - Dec. 14-16);
2. The 2019 Hart House Reading Week Open (Usually on the Family Day Holiday Weekend in February).

Over the years, and in these more recent blogs, I have had generally positive feedback, on both my Fb Accounts, and here on CT, to my blogging. I mainly focus on the section I am playing in (Has been U 2000, U 1900 or U 1800). I feel that these class sections are often not covered by chess media, and yet, the bulk of chess tournament players are in these classes and under. And many of my viewers have actually played players about whom I am blogging (Ones I play and ones with whom I may socialize during the tournament). So this adds a bit more interest. I do also cover (Bare Bones) the top section standings each blog, and in the last blog, the winners of all sections.

I do hope my blogs will continue to provide a window onto class tournament chess, and what THIS chess player does in tournaments between rounds (A bit of my personal life). I know many other chess players approach tournaments quite differently than I do.

I have had feedback that my writing style is easy to read, and often entertaining. It is a find for all us "nosy" chess players!

Now I am wondering if you might be interested in my re-posting the club tournaments I play weekly over the year at both Scarborough CC and Annex CC (I do them anyway for my Fb friends). With respect to the Annex CC games, I also do a re-post on their Fb page. This is assuming you have not had a flood of e-mails saying the "Bob's Blogs" are overwhelming CT! LOL

Thanks for your prior support of my blogging - if for some reason you feel this new addition would not be helpful to CT, then I am fine with that. I just thought I might offer, since I am doing my other chess blogging, and since the club game blogs are already done on Fb anyway. It would again just be a re-posting.

My two new club tournaments starting dates (for me) will be:

Scarborough CC - Thursdays - Sept. 20.
Annex CC - Mondays - Sept. 17.

The tournaments usually are from 5-7 rounds (Club Championships may be a round or two longer).

Thanks for entertaining the offer.

Bob A