23-12-2011, 07:03 PM
Quote:I'd say they are both tied together though. More players playing Chess from a young age = more GMs in the future. We need to play the numbers game.
The devil is in the detail. The hard work that has been put in at primary level in the last 10 years has probably resulted in more primary school kids playing the game competitively but without a structure/system to take them on after primary most disappear.
Can you explain why you think sending more players, irrespective of their strength, to the WORLDS/EUROS will result in more players and stronger players playing?
Its not always a numbers game - for example James Gillespies Primary out performed both South Morningside and Sciennes for a number of years and is generally of a similar strength in team competitions even though it is a significantly smaller club (~20 members against 80 or more at the others). If you can do with the 80 what can be done with the 20 then you probably right but often it is not.
Andy Muir - you're generation also won the UK schools twice (Ayr Acad.)
And Paul was in fact world champion at U16 OR 17.