$ 400 in 5 hours work !!

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

Fear is great for on-the-spot mental awareness (as long as you avoid tunnel vision!) but it is not really conducive to the kind of permanent benefits we're looking at here.

As you said you did rock climbing once. I never have, but I can see how scary it could be (I'm totally acrophobic!) - but if you're doing it on a regular basis I would think it would go from adrenaline-fear-rush to cool-what's-today's-challenge.

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

I don't recall seeing it, but I haven't finished the book yet, I was 1/3 through and then other things took precedence.

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

Wrestling might be a good one from my perspective, and I've never really watched it just my experience from Grade 9 Gym class... I think the issue there is the length of the matches, it's just too short to do a whole lot of good.

Chess is not a sport of physical-mental interaction. Yes physical fitness helps - perhaps a lot - but it's mostly mental exercise.

The author had a reason why tennis was better than raquetball or squash. I don't recall off the top of my head exactly what that was, but it's a fairly minor difference.

Let me know if you get the book and read it, then we can have a really big debate about it sometime hehe.

All right, that's probably a good idea at this point: I'll get the book, read it, and then we can continue. Until then, my 2 concerns with tennis as being the BEST choice are these:

1) It can be played for a while, especially by non-competitive people. In other words, players can coast, as opposed to a combat sport where it's problematic to go slow. So, whereas tennis should be quite athletic, I wonder if tennis forces athletic commitment? For example, the length of wrestling matches is not the point, but rather the intense training for the matches. They train very hard for weeks/months for 2-3 matches, and if they coast either during the training or the match, well, the effects can be disasterous!

2) There is relatively little fear element, whose challenge can be very stimulating. For example, there's little fear of injury, or of someone trying to hurt you. In my opinion, especially the latter really jacks up your attention span, lol. In other words, I wonder if relative lack of fear leads to a kind of mental coasting. That is one reason why I believe that rock climbing must be great. I only tried it once, and you cannot coast doing that!

Anyway, let me read that book, and get more informed than my coach-potato intuition!

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

a sport of physical-mental interaction.

Do authors discuss about DDR (dance dance revolution)?

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

Wrestling might be a good one from my perspective, and I've never really watched it just my experience from Grade 9 Gym class... I think the issue there is the length of the matches, it's just too short to do a whole lot of good.

Chess is not a sport of physical-mental interaction. Yes physical fitness helps - perhaps a lot - but it's mostly mental exercise.

The author had a reason why tennis was better than raquetball or squash. I don't recall off the top of my head exactly what that was, but it's a fairly minor difference.

Let me know if you get the book and read it, then we can have a really big debate about it sometime hehe.

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Organizer Support by CFC

A motion has been filed by me, seconded by GM Mark Bluvshtein, to add to the CFC Executive the new position of Tournament Coordinator. One of the jobs of this position will be :

8A. ( a ) The Tournament Coordinator will help to develop and train tournament organizers and directors across the country...

This looks like a great idea on paper but one that is doomed to fail without the proper Who and How. What will this training be about ? Who is going to determine the content of that training program ? If it serves mostly to perpetuate our traditions of poorly organised national championships and unsponsored 'based on x entries" weekenders, it is not going to be a big help. Who will be this "tournament coordinator" with the necessary experience, knowledge and credibility to teach others how to do things ? Having a David Ottosen preaching that looking for sponsors is "a pain in the ass" wouldn't be too useful, or would it ?
How likely is it that the right person can be found AND elected for this volonteer position ? The way it appears to me, it is more likely that this position with a clear goal (to make organizers better) but no clear plan or means to work towards it, will remain a largely dormant and symbolic job.

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

I'm not saying that all team sports are bad, I'm just saying that under the terms of what we're talking about - the most beneficial sports for improving your mental abilities - Rock Climbing and Tennis are tops. Team sports are usually only fully beneficial for one or two people at a time out of all of those on the field of play at the time, and then you also have the people on the bench.

I understand that a sport (Hockey, say) is so incredibly physically demanding that few players even play close to half of a typical game. But the fact remains that while you are sitting on the bench, you are not getting the physical/mental exercise combination.

Goalies might be a very notable exception, depending on how good (or rather BAD) their D is :p

Hi Chris, OK, but aside from baseball-type sports, I am having a hard time thinking of team sports that engage only one or two players at a time. I agree fully with rock climbing, but I just cannot see why tennis would be significantly better than say, wrestling, chess, or any raquet sport for that matter? We can just agree to disagree!

All the best, Aris.

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

I'm not saying that all team sports are bad, I'm just saying that under the terms of what we're talking about - the most beneficial sports for improving your mental abilities - Rock Climbing and Tennis are tops. Team sports are usually only fully beneficial for one or two people at a time out of all of those on the field of play at the time, and then you also have the people on the bench.

I understand that a sport (Hockey, say) is so incredibly physically demanding that few players even play close to half of a typical game. But the fact remains that while you are sitting on the bench, you are not getting the physical/mental exercise combination.

Goalies might be a very notable exception, depending on how good (or rather BAD) their D is :p

[Louis Morin]

Re : Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

I used pounds not kilos. 204 kilos = 450 pounds.

I used pounds too... but I really don't understand why you do this.

[Peter McKillop]

Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

... So, let's see, for standing up for organizers, I'm an ordinary whacko. Have something against organizers, do we? Did we have a bad experience? Oh, and now we're very gun-shy! Oh, my....

Paul, I apologize for my ill-considered remarks earlier. It wasn't the first time that my temper has got the best of me at ChessTalk and, regrettably, it probably won't be the last.

I'm not being critical of you for standing up for organizers. I'm being critical of you for stalking Jean Hebert. He is entitled to his opinions even if you disagree with them.

In some 42 years of playing in chess tournaments, I have never had a problem with an organizer or tournament director.

[Carl Bilodeau]

Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: Re : Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

Probably because the first digit of my weight is a 2? Of course I am way too big, but why give me more than I deserve?

I used pounds not kilos. 204 kilos = 450 pounds.

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: Organizer Support by CFC

Since we're talking about support to organizers, it is good to note that the CFC is aware of this issue, and hopes to give more support to organizers in future. A motion has been filed by me, seconded by GM Mark Bluvshtein, to add to the CFC Executive the new position of Tournament Coordinator. One of the jobs of this position will be :

8A. ( a ) The Tournament Coordinator will help to develop and train tournament organizers and directors across the country.

As well, I have filed, seconded by Michael von Keitz, a motion to add another new position to the Executive, Public Relations Coordinator. One of his/her roles will be:

8C. The Public Relations Coordinator will be responsible for promoting the image of the CFC and for promoting chess generally to the public. As such the Public Relations Coordinator will, among other things:

- work with chess clubs and organizers across Canada to raise the profile of the CFC and chess generally;

The original idea for these two positions came from past CFC President, David Lavin. We think they will help organizers in the field in various ways, and give them support.

Bob

Hi Bob, thanks for the info, and let's hope that these can indeed help Organizers/TDs!

Some initial thoughts:

1) Adding red tape to Organizers/TDs would NOT be helpful, LOL! It would not matter if red tape is DISGUISED as being helpful, LOL! Red tape must be resisted at all costs! ;)

2) Listening to the opinion of Organizers/TDs (the guys on the front line) regarding things like membership fees and rating fees would be a good idea. IMHO, that did not happen enough with the recent changes to temporary memberships and rating fees. I am not bringing it up to rehash it, as what's done is done. However, I do distinctly remember several active Organizers/TDs expressing opinions that seemed ignored?!

3) Almost every time I prepare for one of my weekend events (normally 5 a year), I will get requests from Quebec players regarding what it would cost to play. I have lost up to a dozen potential players per event, when I explain the $36 annual fee and the $16 per tournament fee (all numbers for Quebec only). So, if I had to pick one thing to help me as an Organizer/TD, it would be for the CFC to get a working agreement with the FQE! This is especially frustrating in Ottawa, where we have so many eager players across the river in Gatineau, and relatively close in Montreal, who understandably balk at the costs as they now are. Note I'm not defending the FQE, but the average Quebec player!

Thanks and regards,

Aris Marghetis, FIDE Arbiter
Organizer/TD, EOCA President

[Bob Armstrong]

Organizer Support by CFC

Since we're talking about support to organizers, it is good to note that the CFC is aware of this issue, and hopes to give more support to organizers in future. A motion has been filed by me, seconded by GM Mark Bluvshtein, to add to the CFC Executive the new position of Tournament Coordinator. One of the jobs of this position will be :

8A. ( a ) The Tournament Coordinator will help to develop and train tournament organizers and directors across the country.

As well, I have filed, seconded by Michael von Keitz, a motion to add another new position to the Executive, Public Relations Coordinator. One of his/her roles will be:

8C. The Public Relations Coordinator will be responsible for promoting the image of the CFC and for promoting chess generally to the public. As such the Public Relations Coordinator will, among other things:

- work with chess clubs and organizers across Canada to raise the profile of the CFC and chess generally;

The original idea for these two positions came from past CFC President, David Lavin. We think they will help organizers in the field in various ways, and give them support.

Bob

[Jean Hébert]

Re: $ 400 in 5 hours work !!

While I can appreciate PB's support for chess organizers ...

Ah. This is a very interesting topic. Praise and "support". I believe that most people will agree that it is much easier to ignore and reject criticism (even if constructive) than it is to ignore and reject praise and support, even if it comes from uninformed and sometimes "interested" sources. For example, if I say that Bob Gillanders is one of the nicest person I have ever met, people might think that Mr Gillanders must indeed be a very nice person. But Mr Gillanders and I know that we have NEVER met. This kind of praise is worth nothing, it says nothing about the person Mr Gillanders is, but it says a lot about the guy making such baseless statements.

The same goes for people praising chess tournament organizers who never play in their events, have no intention to do so and don't even show up at tournaments to watch, such as is the case with PeeBee. People should not get too much comfort from such "support".

[Benoit St-Pierre]

Talk Talk

Being just a little over the top might not be detrimental to the dealing of any issue. If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. What goes around comes around. Those who lives by the sword... Et cetera.