Anyone have any idea what is going on with Chess in Canada?

I happened to find these articles on the Chess Federation of Canada:
http://members5.boardhost.com/ChessT...208372663.html
http://www.chess.ca/Gls/07-08GL7.pdf

Talk of restructuring, and potentially going under, borrowing money
from FIDE in order to stay afloat and make their payments to continue
to be a member?

People are speculating the Chess Federation of Canada may be going
under. I am seeing other stories regarding FIDE and the U.S Chess
Federation also (although it isn't as bad).

If anyone wonders why I am concerned about chess, and believe that
even small issues (aka, excessive drawishness on the highest level)
are important, it is because of things like this. If a game can't
support an organized association for it, it is going to have a hard
time being sustainable.

Anyone have any info and insights into this?

- Rich

On Apr 17, 6:40 pm, wrote:
On Apr 17, 5:17 pm, Rich Hutnik wrote:



Anyone have any idea what is going on with Chess in Canada?

I happened to find these articles on the Chess Federation of Canada:http://members5.boardhost.com/ChessT...htmlhttp://www...

Talk of restructuring, and potentially going under, borrowing money
from FIDE in order to stay afloat and make their payments to continue
to be a member?

People are speculating the Chess Federation of Canada may be going
under. I am seeing other stories regarding FIDE and the U.S Chess
Federation also (although it isn't as bad).

If anyone wonders why I am concerned about chess, and believe that
even small issues (aka, excessive drawishness on the highest level)
are important, it is because of things like this. If a game can't
support an organized association for it, it is going to have a hard
time being sustainable.

Anyone have any info and insights into this?

- Rich

1,000 members isn't enough.

Other associations have less and they function. Just curious what
might of happened up there that led to this state.

- Rich

On Apr 17, 6:20 pm, Rich Hutnik wrote:

Other associations have less and they function. Just curious what
might of happened up there that led to this state.

I don't know, but I know that the publication they issue (En Passant)
- which our public library gets, along with Chess Life - is,
necessarily, with one-tenth the people subscribing or thereabouts -
not as interesting as Chess Life. (Although it seems to have improved
greatly in recent years.) Since that is one of the main perquesites
for joining, it probably means they don't have as many members who
join just for the magazine but are not interested in playing chess
actively in rated events.

John Savard

Rich Hutnik wrote:
Talk of restructuring, and potentially going under, borrowing money
from FIDE in order to stay afloat and make their payments to continue
to be a member?

People are speculating the Chess Federation of Canada may be going
under. I am seeing other stories regarding FIDE and the U.S Chess
Federation also (although it isn't as bad). [...] If a game can't
support an organized association for it, it is going to have a hard
time being sustainable.

What advantage does membership of an organization like the CFC confer?
I can play chess for free and get a rating on the internet. I can
read chess websites for articles and information. I can play against
people face-to-face by joining a local club and/or being lucky enough
to have friends who are interested in the game. Here in the UK, I can
play in OTB tournaments and get a rating from the ECF for a small fee
per game that's included in the tournament entry fee. (ECF members
typically get a discount on tournament entry that I believe slightly
more than covers the rating fee.)

Do any other sports require amateurs to join some kind of national or
regional association as a condition for taking part in competitions?

The falling membership of national associations doesn't particularly
concern me. The associations just don't seem to be relevant to even
the regular tournament player, let alone the average guy who likes to
play the occasional game of chess against his friends or online.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Flammable Tree (TM): it's like a tree
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ but it burns really easily!

Refer to http://www.chesstalk.com for a heated discussion on this topic.


"Rich Hutnik" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any idea what is going on with Chess in Canada?

I happened to find these articles on the Chess Federation of Canada:
http://members5.boardhost.com/ChessT...208372663.html
http://www.chess.ca/Gls/07-08GL7.pdf

Talk of restructuring, and potentially going under, borrowing money
from FIDE in order to stay afloat and make their payments to continue
to be a member?

People are speculating the Chess Federation of Canada may be going
under. I am seeing other stories regarding FIDE and the U.S Chess
Federation also (although it isn't as bad).

If anyone wonders why I am concerned about chess, and believe that
even small issues (aka, excessive drawishness on the highest level)
are important, it is because of things like this. If a game can't
support an organized association for it, it is going to have a hard
time being sustainable.

Anyone have any info and insights into this?

- Rich

On Apr 18, 5:48 am, David Richerby
wrote:

What advantage does membership of an organization like the CFC confer?
I can play chess for free and get a rating on the internet. I can
read chess websites for articles and information. I can play against
people face-to-face by joining a local club and/or being lucky enough
to have friends who are interested in the game. Here in the UK, I can
play in OTB tournaments and get a rating from the ECF for a small fee
per game that's included in the tournament entry fee. (ECF members
typically get a discount on tournament entry that I believe slightly
more than covers the rating fee.)

Ok, so what it looks like then is Chess in North America needs to
change things a bit, and have it so that you can play in an
association chess tournament, but if you become an association member,
you need a discount.

Do any other sports require amateurs to join some kind of national or
regional association as a condition for taking part in competitions?

Sports that operate on a professional level normally have a governing
body for them. There is an exception of poker, but that is an
exception. Poker has owners of main events that work in that manner.
What happens with the CFC if it folds, is that Canada would have a
governing body for chess. This means it will have no voice in Canada
to attempt to market it. To have a champion in a country over a given
game, don't you need some sort of governing body to make the champion
valid?

The falling membership of national associations doesn't particularly
concern me. The associations just don't seem to be relevant to even
the regular tournament player, let alone the average guy who likes to
play the occasional game of chess against his friends or online.

So, you are saying that Chess is fine in Canada? Perhaps Canada will
be the first of multiple nations that will happen to cause FIDE to no
longer be relevant as more and more get themselves delisted?

- Rich

"David Richerby" wrote in message
...
Rich Hutnik wrote:
Talk of restructuring, and potentially going under, borrowing money
from FIDE in order to stay afloat and make their payments to continue
to be a member?

People are speculating the Chess Federation of Canada may be going
under. I am seeing other stories regarding FIDE and the U.S Chess
Federation also (although it isn't as bad). [...] If a game can't
support an organized association for it, it is going to have a hard
time being sustainable.

What advantage does membership of an organization like the CFC confer?
I can play chess for free and get a rating on the internet. I can
read chess websites for articles and information. I can play against
people face-to-face by joining a local club and/or being lucky enough
to have friends who are interested in the game. Here in the UK, I can
play in OTB tournaments and get a rating from the ECF for a small fee
per game that's included in the tournament entry fee. (ECF members
typically get a discount on tournament entry that I believe slightly
more than covers the rating fee.)

Do any other sports require amateurs to join some kind of national or
regional association as a condition for taking part in competitions?

In the States, most sports have one or more national organizations
that sanction competition, and many require individual membership.
Of course, there are often opportunities to participate in those sports
outside of these umbrellas as well. These organizations operate under
many different models.

Few seem as unsuccessful as the US chess federation, though.



The falling membership of national associations doesn't particularly
concern me. The associations just don't seem to be relevant to even
the regular tournament player, let alone the average guy who likes to
play the occasional game of chess against his friends or online.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Flammable Tree (TM): it's like a tree
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ but it burns really easily!

On Apr 18, 10:23 am, Rich Hutnik wrote:
On Apr 18, 5:48 am, David Richerby
wrote:

The falling membership of national associations doesn't particularly
concern me. The associations just don't seem to be relevant to even
the regular tournament player, let alone the average guy who likes to
play the occasional game of chess against his friends or online.

So, you are saying that Chess is fine in Canada? Perhaps Canada will
be the first of multiple nations that will happen to cause FIDE to no
longer be relevant as more and more get themselves delisted?

He seems to be saying that if Chess in Canada were in the position of,
say, Nine Men's Morris in Canada, or Parcheesi in Canada, or Chinese
Checkers in Canada, Chess would still be fine.

Checkers and Reversi have their associations, but many who play those
games are hardly aware of their existence. There is, I'm sure, some
sort of Go association in Canada too, although I wouldn't know what it
is or where to find it. There probably is one for Chinese Chess, but
I'm doubtful about Shogi.

As for FIDE, I thought that since it was carted off to one of the
former Soviet Republics, the USCF and other national chess bodies had
made arrangements to leave it and, say, join the PGA or something. I'm
surprised that this isn't the case.

John Savard

On Apr 18, 9:33 pm, Quadibloc wrote:
He seems to be saying that if Chess in Canada were in the position of,
say, Nine Men's Morris in Canada, or Parcheesi in Canada, or Chinese
Checkers in Canada, Chess would still be fine.

And how many of these games have recognized champions at them?

Checkers and Reversi have their associations, but many who play those
games are hardly aware of their existence. There is, I'm sure, some
sort of Go association in Canada too, although I wouldn't know what it
is or where to find it. There probably is one for Chinese Chess, but
I'm doubtful about Shogi.

I believe XiangQi is part of the WXF in North America. As far as
Checkers go (I am actually working with the American Checker
Federation now), they will be looking to do more marketing and
promoting now. As far as Reversi goes, Becker Associates (they own
the game) makes sure there is a viable and functioning association
over it. Considering Othello has sold over 30 million copies, that
says something.

As for FIDE, I thought that since it was carted off to one of the
former Soviet Republics, the USCF and other national chess bodies had
made arrangements to leave it and, say, join the PGA or something. I'm
surprised that this isn't the case.

You mean they are looking to start one of their own governing
organizations to replace FIDE? I heard that there was something with
issues regarding some recognized world champ in chess. Maybe this has
something to do with it. Anyhow, I will still stand by that just
about any game with professionals in it, will end up having an
association related. This even goes with boxing, which probably has
too many such organizations.

- Rich

Rich Hutnik wrote:
David Richerby wrote:
What advantage does membership of an organization like the CFC
confer? [...] Here in the UK, I can play in OTB tournaments and
get a rating from the ECF for a small fee per game that's included
in the tournament entry fee. (ECF members typically get a discount
on tournament entry that I believe slightly more than covers the
rating fee.)

Ok, so what it looks like then is Chess in North America needs to
change things a bit, and have it so that you can play in an
association chess tournament, but if you become an association
member, you need a discount.

A discount seems like a good idea. Whatever form it takes, there has
to be some relevant incentive to join the association if people are
going to join it. I am not a member of the ECF because I feel no
incentive to join; this doesn't seem to be a problem for me or the
ECF. The USCF, on the other hand, seems to believe that everybody who
wants to play chess in the USA with any degree of seriousness should
be a member; this position seems untenable to me.

Do any other sports require amateurs to join some kind of national or
regional association as a condition for taking part in competitions?

Sports that operate on a professional level normally have a governing
body for them. There is an exception of poker, but that is an
exception.

And boxing which, at the last count, had 1,487 governing bodies.

What happens with the CFC if it folds, is that Canada would
^ not! :-)
have
a governing body for chess. This means it will have no voice in
Canada to attempt to market it.

Not necessarily. Art, for example, doesn't have a governing body but
it still has a voice.

To have a champion in a country over a given game, don't you need
some sort of governing body to make the champion valid?

Not at all -- you just need people to accept the champion. Remember
that the chess world championship was not organized by any governing
body until 1948 but nobody disputes the status of Steinitz, Lasker,
Capablanca, Alekhine and Euwe as world champions of their time.

The falling membership of national associations doesn't
particularly concern me. The associations just don't seem to be
relevant to even the regular tournament player, let alone the
average guy who likes to play the occasional game of chess against
his friends or online.

So, you are saying that Chess is fine in Canada?

No -- I know nothing of the state of chess in Canada. All I'm saying
is that your reports of the bad state of the Canadian federation don't
necessarily mean that *chess* has a problem in Canada.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Accelerated Newspaper (TM): it's like
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ a daily broadsheet but it's twice
as fast!