2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

[Duncan Smith]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

Discussion of Amateur entries going nowhere fast.

[Marcus Wilker]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

Marcus, The Open section description says the lowest rating is 2000. Is it not Open then?

Anyone can enter the open section; however, if your rating is less than 1900, you have to pay $10 to play in the section.

[Marcus Wilker]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

How can you be late for a later start time. I would think you'd be early as the time before would be earlier.

Why do I feel like Alice in Wonderland? If we start later (than Monday) on Sunday, we're simultaneously starting earlier (than Sunday) on Monday, no?

Since the estimated travel time from Kennedy to Bathurst stations is 25 minutes, I don't see any compelling reason not to keep round times as simple as possible: 10 am and 4 pm on each day.

[Marcus Wilker]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

Often tournament formats are a really bad fit for kids, but its the only place they get suitable competition.

Lots of kids, girls and boys as young as 9 or 10, play regular CFC-rated games at Annex Chess Club on Monday nights. Younger kids participate in our children's programme. Lots of juniors (and some of the same ones) play at Scarborough CC, too, on Thursday nights. They get "suitable competition" every week. And I expect lots of them will be at the Labour Day Open, too. Perhaps more would attend, given a junior discount, perhaps not. But either way, I don't think it is the job of annual tournaments to give juniors regular, suitable competition. This is what good chess clubs should do - and are doing!

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

In reality, the current system depends heavily on juniors whose families are willing to pay outrageous sums of money for chess events and services.

I heard that chess is still one of the cheapest youth activities.

[Alex Ferreira]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

Why do I feel like Alice in Wonderland? If we start later (than Monday) on Sunday, we're simultaneously starting earlier (than Sunday) on Monday, no?

Since the estimated travel time from Kennedy to Bathurst stations is 25 minutes, I don't see any compelling reason not to keep round times as simple as possible: 10 am and 4 pm on each day.

Hi Alice,

I also don't really understand why there's a complaint in regards to the start times on Sunday. And for all we know Monday being a holiday, subway might just start at 9am too. The important thing is that on Saturday, it (the subway) starts at 6am, the one day that people may need to get there quite earlier to register, for example. Hart House tournaments were always starting at 10am, and I believe many others in Toronto have too. I don't really recall complaints. If anything, there were a couple of people from out of town who would have liked rounds on the last day to start earlier so that they could drive back and arrive home the same day. 10 am makes perfect sense, and so does consistency between days.

White Rabbit

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

10 am makes perfect sense

It just should be mention what is a default time. (FIDE rules 6.6 requires to announce it if it is not 0. "Any player who arrives at the chessboard after the start of the session shall lose the game. Thus the default time is 0 minutes. The rules of a competition may specify otherwise." )

Not everybody lives on a subway line, and buses are unpredictable on Sundays

[Hugh Siddeley]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

It just should be mention what is a default time. (FIDE rules 6.6 requires to announce it if it is not 0. "Any player who arrives at the chessboard after the start of the session shall lose the game. Thus the default time is 0 minutes. The rules of a competition may specify otherwise.")

1 hour has been the standard default time at Toronto tournaments for decades. I don't think we have to mention that . I'm not sure any tournament in North America has ever used the 0 default time.

[Hugh Siddeley]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

My personal opinion is that Organizers should secure a site with either their own or sponsorship.

Ahem. Apparently you don't realize we're getting the Westin Harbour Castle at roughly a tenth the cost of the usual rent (due to hosting the Canadian Open there), not to mention the very generous non-market rate we get for the 918 site.

Your quote in translation =

I don't really want to pay for anything.

Fixed.

I think this Labour Day Open does not want out of town players to show up anyway. Sounds to me that they just want local players who live in Toronto and ride the TTC. They are giving the Annex Chess Club Players a $10 discount.

Why are you talking such tripe?

I think this year's event will go down in history as a pricy flop.

Good for you. Why don't you just keep your opinions to yourself. We're working really hard to bring a classy event and all you can do is spend hours whining and complaining about it on ChessTalk. It's sad chess has so many cheapskates like you. Maybe if you got a full-time job you wouldn't think twice about the entry fee. You've been playing chess for centuries and you're still at the wrong end of the Class C section. Maybe if you spent as much energy at trying to improve your game as criticizing us you'd actually climb a section. No remarks on the abundance of free food and coffee we're supplying and the ipod giveaways among the many nice incentives we're offering etc.. Believe me when I say we're making zero profit on this tourney. It's a pity you're so blind to the facts.

[Duncan Smith]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

Discussion of Amateur entries going nowhere fast.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

I'll make your decision easy for you. You're not welcome to come. Get lost!

Let me guess: it is your first big tournament as an organizer. You should be more calm reading comments at chesstalk.

[Hugh Siddeley]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

They did this way back in the 60-70's and the numbers were greater per section.

In the early 70's there was a huge chess boom because of some Fischer-Spassky match. Not sure if you've heard of them.

Charge us two legs and an arm and we will find a new hobby.

I heard the bingo hall is looking for new players. Cheaper too! 5x5 board might be easier for your brain to handle as well.

[Hugh Siddeley]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

Let me guess: it is your first big tournament as an organizer. You should be more calm reading comments at chesstalk.

Whatever Eggman.

[Kerry Liles]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

In the early 70's there was a huge chess boom because of some Fischer-Spassky match. Not sure if you've heard of them.



I heard the bingo hall is looking for new players. Cheaper too! 5x5 board might be easier for your brain to handle as well.

You need to chill a bit on the personal attacks. Not everyone is going to like the arrangements - get over it.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: 2011 Toronto Labour Day Tournament - Register Now

John, possibly what's needed is more than one tournament on long weekends. Probably pricing would have to be more competitive.