20-12-2011, 10:36 PM
Hugh Brechin Wrote:It's not all about money all the time Andrew. It's about the fact that if we want our top players - who are sufficiently good that they can expect to make at least some money out of the game from time to time - to give up a large proportion of their annual holiday to participate in a tournament where they're almost certainly not going to win any prize money (I've got no idea what prize money is available at an Olympiad - I'd guess for the likes of us the occasional board prize and little else?) it helps to be able to offer them some remuneration. People have other things in their lives, and expenses, and families to provide for, and significant others who have no particular desire to spend a fortnight in Siberia watching people playing a board game. (Some of these latter concerns are less pertinent for the Seniors, though some aren't.)
This backs up many of my points though Hugh:
1) Isn't it sad that these players need an incentive other than their love for the game to play for their country? Most other players who play in week-long tournaments in Scotland actually look forward to the week off work to do so. The guys who go abroad should get expenses covered; but should we really be paying them appearance fees? What are the benefits of that for everyone? I can totally understand if the GMs have other commitments that they cannot just drop; but even when the tournaments are in Scotland (relatively on their doorstep) they still don't play without a substantial appearance fee.
2) It isn't the fault of anyone that being good at Chess in Scotland just doesn't pay. Is the incentive that these GMs create, when they represent us abroad, more valuable for the game in Scotland (as a whole) than investing the money elsewhere?
3) Is it not more likely to put off those who are considering investing the time in Chess to become a GM, if those GMs appear to have lost interest in actually playing and doing what - presumably - they started playing for in the first place. Not to mention the obvious shortfall of money available which isn't likely to get much better in the next decade.