Ashley's Million-dollar chess tourney - but bring your own clocks

It's only a matter of time before someone sneaks a chess engine into their clock and tournaments will end up supplying them all.

It's obvious that American chess players have been underserved for so long, that it has been accepted as normal.

Most Northern Europeans would consider that they were the subject of an elaborate hoax, if asked to pay and supply the equipment.

I've been playing tournament chess for thirty-five years and have never been asked to bring equipment. In fact, I own neither a tournament chess set (family dog nibbled the Rooks) nor a chess clock.

It is quite easy for any organiser to supply all the equipment, he simply makes it part of the deal that the chess stall owner (books, sets, clocks etc.) supplies all equipment, in return for the concession.

I'm sure a slow player could design one that runs at half speed.

Oh yes. Let me bring my own digital clock. If there is someone like me who knows how to use a logic analyzer and a Weller, I'm sure that a clock has allready been adapted to say, give them a minute more. The board and pieces I could understand, but letting the players bring their own digital clock? No thank you. Not on my event.

Adding an extra minute when you've already been through 2.5 hours of play + 5-10s delay isn't going to help in very many cases.

If someone made some of these cheating clocks and sold them to the tournament participants they could easily raise enough money for the $1000 entry fee!

I don't see the problem for standard tournaments. European tournament fees include clock renting for the tournament while US don't, that's it.

Now it might be that taking that into consideration, US tournaments are expensive but that's another matter.

i wish they would allow our clocks - they are free!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chess.clock

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chess-clock-free/id858039162?mt=8

Hey ! No advertising in forums !

Staff, delete this !

I prefer this app:  https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdfilter=chess&fdid=com.chessclock.android

It's free as in freedom.

I've competed in tournaments in Northern France, ten euros for nine rounds (rapidplay), where we played in near GM conditions (indeed, I played three masters in three rounds at one event) and all the fees (and more, it seemed) were returned in prizes. At prize giving, age appropriate drinks and a buffet were supplied, free of charge.

Prizes were awarded for all sorts of spurious but laudable reasons, extra to those that were advertised.

The difference? motivation. Those tournaments are put on by chess players, for chess players. Not put on by leeches, trying to wring every last drop of blood from their clientele.

Okay, I haven't played competitive chess in America, but from everything I've read and seen, the players are not well served by their leaders.

I can't imagine going to a restaurant and taking my own knife and fork.

Out of curiosity.  Do European tournaments have sponsors or are they funded entirely by the entry fees?

The ones I went to were of middling size (75-100 players), played in the local "Social Centre" and, I'm guessing, sponsored by local businesses and the town council.

They were an eye-opener for me, tournaments in the UK are pretty good, but what I can only describe as "socialism in action", meant that masters rubbed shoulders with novices and a good time was had by all. The drinks were priced at one euro for a small bottle of premium beer, and no more than two euros for a large, double-filling (cheese and ham) french bread sandwich.

Wait wait wait, you have beer at your tournaments?!  You don't have to bring a clock, all the boards are wooden, and beer.  I suppose next you're going to tell us you have beautiful umbrella girls to shade the players.

Plenty of chess tournaments in the US where you pay a small $10-$30 fee and get to play rated games.  Of course, you aren't going to get a $5K section prize either.  

It seems like this tournament has become an excuse for trolls to bash Americans.

One time, I had a small beer at 06.30 (waiting for the channel tunnel train), a small beer with every round, two small beers during the lunch interval, wine at prize giving, and wine at dinner, before returning home.

Paced it nicely, scoring 6.5/9. Incidentally, that was the highest score not to be awarded a prize, though many lesser scores recieved one.

p.s. No umbrella girls, but I haven't given up hope.

I think we need to start a charity. "Clocks For American Tournaments"...

Perhaps the copy could go something like this....

"When you are playing at the weekend in comfortable conditions with a roof over your head and close to drinking water, using the standard uniform digital clocks, remember your cousins across the Atlantic are not so fortunate.

(Picture of depressed player with rain leaking through the roof and no clock)

For a small amount a month, (£5), you can make American chess players feel loved by the International chess community. A tournment organiser will write to you every six months and you will get a signed picture of smiling players.

Remember , it could be you....So please sign up to day for "Clocks For American Tournaments", because we really care."

Perhaps we could get the woman with the sugary irritating voice to read it out....I dunno ....

That's some quality mickey taking, original too!

Great idea!  If you act quickly, you may even be able to supply the MC Open in October.