World Junior - no Canadians?

[Hugh Brodie]

No Canadians at the World Junior this year?

http://previews.chessdom.com/world-j...mpionship-2009

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

No Canadians at the World Junior this year?

http://previews.chessdom.com/world-j...mpionship-2009

There was a discussion regarding this tournament and CAN players at chesscanada: http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/showthread.php?t=651
and the most important message http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/sh...0&postcount=15

"Raja decided to use his prize for the World Junior 2010 in August - due to his University schedule.
He's aware that he will be registered as an additional player and have to pay all travel and accommodation expenses.

What about World Junior 2009 in Argentina next month?
I have invited second and third place finishers from the Canadian Junior 2009 (and Canadian Girl Champion too) to participate at the World Junior 2009 as an official Canadian representative, but didn't get positive answer yet."

[Gary Ruben]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

What a joke. Canada has such a lousy national federation they can't pay expenses for a junior to play at the World Junior Championship.

Cheap bunch of organizers.

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

I thought it was the Junior Champ deciding not to go - and too soon before the event to get a replacement.?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

I thought it was the Junior Champ deciding not to go - and too soon before the event to get a replacement.?

Then why is it not too late to ask players to go and pay their own expenses?

This is a lost opportunity for a top juniors to get international experience.

Here's the quote the url post. Looks like it's about the money.

"What about World Junior 2009 in Argentina next month?
I have invited second and third place finishers from the Canadian Junior 2009 (and Canadian Girl Champion too) to participate at the World Junior 2009 as an official Canadian representative, but didn't get positive answer yet.
The official Canadian representative will get accommodation paid by organizers, but should pay all other expenses from his own pocket, and this could be a problem."

[Eric Hansen]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

I thought it was the Junior Champ deciding not to go - and too soon before the event to get a replacement.?

Even if he went he would of had to pay quite a bit out of his own pocket. Just like CYCC, national champions don't receive full funding to go to worlds.

[Eric Hansen]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

Gary, the junior program in Canada has pretty much vanished. No interest in the Canadian Junior anymore. The overall youth program is pretty bad but at least I see some new ambitious players with supportive parents. I'll probably play World Junior next year since it doesn't conflict with school but will probably skip out on the Canadian Junior since it's lost its prestige and you never know when or where it's going to be organized. On the contrary, the USA is having a boom in terms of junior chess. 3 new GM's under 20 in the past 6 months with a few more on the cusp.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

Gary, the junior program in Canada has pretty much vanished. No interest in the Canadian Junior anymore. The overall youth program is pretty bad but at least I see some new ambitious players with supportive parents. I'll probably play World Junior next year since it doesn't conflict with school but will probably skip out on the Canadian Junior since it's lost its prestige and you never know when or where it's going to be organized. On the contrary, the USA is having a boom in terms of junior chess. 3 new GM's under 20 in the past 6 months with a few more on the cusp.

Is there no interest in participating in the World Junior? Do you not think the CFC should be sending a representative and paying the expenses, like plane fare? I understand the organizing nation looks after lodging.

When spots like this go unused, juniors who would have liked to go but can't afford it will likely feel turned off.

I think I know the answer but would you tell it so everyone will understand?

Why is there no interest in the Canadian Junior anymore?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

Even if he went he would of had to pay quite a bit out of his own pocket. Just like CYCC, national champions don't receive full funding to go to worlds.

That's another sore spot with me. Instead of investing money in chess and the players, it appears the money is stuffed into the chess foundation and invested in things other than chess.

I thought the CFC was about investing in chess and the players.

[Kerry Liles]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

That's another sore spot with me. Instead of investing money in chess and the players, it appears the money is stuffed into the chess foundation and invested in things other than chess.

I thought the CFC was about investing in chess and the players.

What have you been smoking? lol

[Jason Lohner]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

That's another sore spot with me. Instead of investing money in chess and the players, it appears the money is stuffed into the chess foundation and invested in things other than chess.

I thought the CFC was about investing in chess and the players.

The problem is that the CFC has decided to ignore most club level players... and these players are the backbone of chess players. For years people have focused on the elite players and ignored the vast majority of regular players. The CFC has cut off their nose in spite of themselves. Club level players are what pays the bills, and now a large percentage have figured out that they don't need the CFC to play chess! Many of these players are happy with playing at the club, or have moved to internet play leaving the elite players with very few people to pay the bills. Not surprisingly there now isn't enough money to support the elite players...

It kind of reminds me of the towns where the mills have taken the local governments to court to reduce their tax bills... you can only milk them so long before they shut down and leave for better pastures.

[Jonathan Berry]

Re: World Junior - no Canadians?

I see the same thing but with the opposite interpretation of what Jason Lohner wrote. It's Karma. For a quarter century or so, the CFC had a proper (closed, round robin, subsidized) Canadian Junior and sent the winner to the World Junior. During that time, the CFC prospered. Then they got the screwball idea that all events, even elite events, should be self-supporting. They abandoned their purpose and the CFC slid into a sea of despond.

I remember Susan Nattrass deliver the keynote speech at a Sports Federation of Canada annual extravaganza. "We sports federations are like blah blah. We blah blah, blah blah, and we eat our young." Yup!

[Bob Armstrong]

Canadian Junior - Nature of the Prize?

Hi Gary:

As I understand it, the $$ prize for the Canadian Junior is not tied to going to the Junior, but can be used for other alternate tournaments of the winner's choice. So consequently, when the winner decides not to go, there is no money to give the second place finisher to go to help pay his travel expenses. I guess the question is whether the money should be defaulted by the winner if s/he is not going to go to the next Junior Championship. I believe this debate was had at the CFC Executive level back when it was decided that the prize did NOT have to be used to go to the Junior World. I am not sure what the arguments were in favour of this, rather than the prize defaulting to the second place finisher, etc., and if no one goes, being held over to be added to the winner's prize the following year - now that would revive the Canadian Junior if there was a double prize fund some years.

Do you think the Canadian Junior winner should be able to keep the prize, even if not going to the World Junior, so long as it is applied to some other tournament of his/her choice?

Bob

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Canadian Junior - Nature of the Prize?

Do you think the Canadian Junior winner should be able to keep the prize, even if not going to the World Junior, so long as it is applied to some other tournament of his/her choice?

Bob

The problem is there are too many variations to consider (although that sounds chess-related...) - for example, 'going to the World Junior' means different things in different years depending on location (cheaper to go to Philadelphia than, say, Beijing or whatever) so it isn't always the same decision to be made.

If the prize is fixed (say $1000 toward the WJ) then that is much more significant a chunk of change for Phila than China... Likewise, the CFC likely would not be wise to offer 'to pay for the airfare' for the same reasons: there would be no predictability for budgeting purposes.

It isn't as easy sometimes as one would like...

[Brian Raymer]

In the interest of transparency.

There were 12 players at the Canadian Junior in Victoria. Entry fee was $150 each 12X150=$1800 A cheque for $1000 was sent to the CFC to contribute toward the winner for travel to the World Junior. Does anyone know.... How the $1000 will be spent if no one goes. If anyone else was offered the chance?