Posts: 163
Threads: 13
Joined: Sep 2011
Four weeks to go until this year's congress and I can now confirm that this year's Viking Open will be Fide rated!
Full details of the congress is available on the CS website and we hope that this will be our biggest event yet. We are considering putting on transport for the event from Edinburgh and Glasgow, If there is enough interest please let me know by Friday 19th August as we will need a minimum number of passengers to make this viable. We would be offering travel by coach from the city centre to Largs on Friday 9th September with you being ferried by car to you accommodation, and return journey to the city on Sunday 11th September. Prices would be £25 (£17 for 16 and under) from Edinburgh and £15 (£7 for 16 and under) from Glasgow. For those travelling from further afield I would recommend booking advance train tickets which is offering travel to Glasgow from Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness from £8-£12 single journey.
Posts: 462
Threads: 14
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
1
Hi Gary, Is there a minimum/estimated prize fund?
Posts: 163
Threads: 13
Joined: Sep 2011
No minimum Alan, it really is dependent on the numbers. The new prize structure was designed not only to offer the chance of more and bigger prizes but also to be sustainable. The congress has run at a loss since it has started and we are determined for it to be on budget irrespective of the numbers that take part.
We have done a prize structure based on 60 entrants (40 Open and 20 Challengers) which would offer top prizes of £300 and £200 for the Open and £150 and £100 for the Challengers with grading prizes of £150 and £75 respectively. Hope that gives you a better idea of the range the prizes could be.
I should also point out to everyone that the entry form has been updated with the new round times and terms and conditions as we had to make some adjustments in order to Fide rate the Open.
Posts: 163
Threads: 13
Joined: Sep 2011
There has been insufficient interest in our offer of transportation to warrant going ahead with booking a coach. We will try advertising this a good bit earlier next year to see if there is more of an uptake, perhaps taking in Aberdeen and Dundee.
Posts: 1,000
Threads: 94
Joined: Sep 2011
Reputation:
2
Not many titled players entered - no GMs, IMs or FMs. Paul Roberts CM is playing.
Posts: 1,120
Threads: 70
Joined: Aug 2011
Why haven't you entered yet Andy?
Posts: 232
Threads: 14
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
0
amuir Wrote:Not many titled players entered - no GMs, IMs or FMs. Paul Roberts CM is playing.
Most of the active titled players are in Baku!
Unfortunate timing, but the Largs event (like the Marymass) is tied into a local festival.
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
Posts: 383
Threads: 19
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
0
While I sympathize Andy, I can’t understand the argument that seems to be suggested by yourself, Steve and George, that it would probably cost FIDE rating points (on average, presumably).
I understand that preparation is an important aspect of typical Fide rated events like nine-round norm events, but while you are preparing for your opponent, are they not doing the same thing – so where is the advantage, and where is the disadvantage when no-one is able to target anyone? If anything, better-prepared players could be at more of an advantage when there is no time to do opponent-specific preparation.
The same applies to the schedule – it’s not only the Fide-rated players that find the whole thing more of a rush. Why do you think you are more likely to lose points in weekender events than gain them?
Cheers
