FIDE urges the Canadian gov to speed up

[Neil Frarey]

I don't consider it amateurish. Maybe the difficulty in dealing with immigration Canada was underestimated, that's all. The lesson to be learned is start the process earlier, but would still need to be expedited, and the Cdn gov't wouldn't do it until the clock started really ticking down and the event was at risk. Maybe the real lesson is - don't hold these events in Canada if you want a stress free life.

1. Start the process a lot earlier.
2. Strong and active working Immigration Canada liaison.
3. Solid planning.

Canada is the prefect venue for high profile chess events and we're more than ready to host these events. Actually, hungry.

But in reality there's no such thing as stress ... that's something that is merely self-induced. Stress comes from amateurish planning, naive planning.

Understanding and vision are all that matters, really.

I don't see those qualities with this event.

I hope that the graphics for this event aren't as lame / watered-down as their efforts thus far, ha!

I need another James Ready Ice ... cheers David!



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[Vlad Drkulec]

1. Start the process a lot earlier.

Agreed. To be fair in this instance many of the players did apply as soon as possible or soon after they qualified as they were travelling. The visa process is different for different countries and if a player is travelling he may not have access to the embassies or consulates that they need to access to apply for visas. There are several stages to getting a visa for most countries that can't use the eTA process.

2. Strong and active working Immigration Canada liaison.
3. Solid planning.

I think for the most part the planning was solid. FIDE has a team of people that it relies on to organize such high profile events. They were occupied with other high profile events until just before this event went live.

Canada is the prefect venue for high profile chess events and we're more than ready to host these events. Actually, hungry.

You need sponsors to host these events. We have had some help from Sport Tourism Canada contacts made but these usually interface with local organizers. We are not participating in this year's Sport Tourism Canada conference because it is happening in the next week or two in Winnepeg and we were just too busy with this Candidates tournament. Things have changed as there is a new group running this. Previously as a event rights holder the CFC would get free flights and hotels and many meals paid for and membership was free. When the conference was in Ottawa we wouldn't get these subsidies but the expense of going to Ottawa for two or three days was not that expensive relative to the benefit of participating in the conference. The major benefit was meeting all the people hired by cities to run their sports tourism department, the hotels, the universities and colleges that do sport hosting and so on. The Laval CYCC/Canadian Open was first talked about over pizza in the Halifax 2018 sport tourism conference. We had repeated contacts about the same idea over the many conferences attended. We did attend an event in Ottawa put on by the same people who did the first few of these conferences. There were fewer frills and the format was a bit different but we got to talk to the same people as before.

But in reality there's no such thing as stress ... that's something that is merely self-induced. Stress comes from amateurish planning, naive planning.

You can't plan what is not yours in the first place.

Understanding and vision are all that matters, really.

I totally agree with you on that.

I don't see those qualities with this event.

Some mistakes were made but I wouldn't go that far.

I hope that the graphics for this event aren't as lame / watered-down as their efforts thus far, ha!

I need another James Ready Ice ... cheers David!

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I am sure if they had involved you, the graphics would have been more to your liking and they would have been quite good to my uneducated eye.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Quite a team effort......thanks Vlad, and congratulations.

Bob A

Thanks, Bob.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Here's a summary of the key points regarding my role in the local organizing committee:

1. Representation: CFC President Vlad Drkulec will represent the Chess Federation of Canada at official functions and serve as the "face of Canadian chess."
2. Volunteer Position: Vlad understands that his role is voluntary.
3. Non-Organizer Status: The CFC is not officially considered an organizer of the event.
4. Communication: Aris will ensure that any relevant information from FIDE leadership reaches Vlad, and they will debrief each other after FIDE-related communications.
5. Invitations: The Annex Chess Club will issue invitations to traveling players, following Canadian tradition. However, the CFC will provide supporting letters highlighting the event's importance if needed.
6. Visa Rejection: In case of visa issues, Vlad has political contacts in Ontario and Canada to assist.
7. Financial Support: The CFC will not provide financial support for the event.
8. Location of Side Events: All side events will take place within the Greater Toronto Area.

In actual fact, while the above was the initial agreement, I wound up writing the invitations combining the letter highlighting the event's importance and invitations into one letter for each of the people that needed visas. This was what FIDE asked of me and it was a reasonable request so that was what happened.

[Pargat Perrer]

1. Start the process a lot earlier.
2. Strong and active working Immigration Canada liaison.
3. Solid planning.

Canada is the prefect venue for high profile chess events and we're more than ready to host these events. Actually, hungry.

But in reality there's no such thing as stress ... that's something that is merely self-induced. Stress comes from amateurish planning, naive planning.

Understanding and vision are all that matters, really.

I don't see those qualities with this event.

I hope that the graphics for this event aren't as lame / watered-down as their efforts thus far, ha!

I need another James Ready Ice ... cheers David!
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Let me take a guess .... the graphics will somehow show a set of chess pieces with the CN Tower as the King ?????

LOL lame is right .....

[Neil Frarey]

Let me take a guess .... the graphics will somehow show a set of chess pieces with the CN Tower as the King ?????

LOL lame is right .....

This amazing event isn't about Kings nor Queens ... nor whichever pronoun you wish to associate with, ha!

This event is ALL about top Women chess players competing together in Toronto for a very brief exciting moment.

That's where the energy emanates ... that's the true force and nature of this event.

So to merely relegate anthropomorphic qualities upon a city's architecture is yes ... lame ... but understandable on a banal yet sophomore level.

For me ... graphically speaking ... this Women's chess event should powerfully radiate and celebrate its own energy within our Canadian city of Toronto as it's setting. Much like an opera.

We have this one shot to get it right ... never will this first chance come again.
It should be done with energy and grace.

And some branding too ... 'natch!

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But, to be fair Pargat, when I first heard of this event coming to Toronto wayyy back when ... I did explore some graphic variations using the CN Tower turned upside down attached as the heal of stilettos. CN Tower stilettos worn on the feet with long legs wearing chess themed nylons. Legs which straddled the city and shoreline of Toronto ... Billboard size graphic ... which would be seen while driving on the Don Valley.

Tattoos and stiletto sneakers would have worked as well, ha!!

Energy and grace ... somewhat provocative as the game of chess is. No?

That graphic would have captured world wide attention ... in a female chess healthy sort of way.

Please, shoot me now ... but we have this one shot to get it right ... never will this first chance ever come again.


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[Egidijus Zeromskis]

I hope that the graphics for this event aren't as lame / watered-down as their efforts thus far, ha!.

You can look at their website for graphics
https://candidates2024.fide.com/

To me it looks that they took the maple leaf as an accent for Toronto/Canada.

[Hans Jung]

I had one Rickard's Red in 2024 so far. In my wild days I never thought I would buy my beer one can at a time and still it lasts for months.

A man of obvious good taste.

[Salim Belcadi]

[*]Invitations: The Annex Chess Club will issue invitations to traveling players, following Canadian tradition. However, the CFC will provide supporting letters highlighting the event's importance if needed.

ACC had no role in the visa matter. FIDE declined the LOC's proposal quoted above and decided that they had to go through CFC.

[Vlad Drkulec]

A man of obvious good taste.

I do like my Rickard's Red. I had it in celebration when the last player visa was granted.

Now I have to go out and buy another one.

[Neil Frarey]

You can look at their website for graphics
https://candidates2024.fide.com/

To me it looks that they took the maple leaf as an accent for Toronto/Canada.

Thanks, Egi.

Halloween themed ... seriously, can it get worse?
This event will happen in the fresh bloom Springtime right? Fall color scheme and Halloween inferences ... who the f'k signed off on this one???

At the very least there should be Player Profile info cards for each participant ... think chesstastic modern hockey cards.

Halloween inferences with Fall colors ... f'k.

Is there a pumpkin, or two?

Here they are ...



Such a wasted opportunity.

Crazy that Toronto has it's very own color theme too ... and vibe! Canada, too!!!

And BTW, as another minor irritant just try clicking on the CFC logo ... ha!

Halloween and lame ... just what we need right now.



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