I begin this blog after getting back into league chess following many years' absence due to work. My post-job status also means I am able to play more tournament chess. My new club in London is Battersea and my first game for them is on Thursday September 14, 2017. I start with a Fide rating of 1858, an ECF grade of 169 (=1968 elo) and an ICCF correspondence rating of 2267.
My current Fide is 1913, my ECF is 1904 and my ICCF is 2330.
Sunday, 3 August 2025
The British - The Venue
St George's Hall, opposite Liverpool Lime Street station, looks impressive from outside
Unfortunately I cannot report on the playing conditions as I was not allowed inside the tournament room.
Addendum: I returned later, armed with an IM (Chris Baker), and snuck in
I am a keen chess historian and try to take photographs to supplement my reports. Over the years, these have featured local league matches, county matches, congresses, club tournaments, representative matches, etc.. I inform players in advance in case they do not want to be featured. Unfortunately, this task is being made increasingly difficult for a variety of reasons.
Several years ago, I attended the British Chess Championships to assist as a volunteer and take some photographs. I initially sought the room where a junior event was taking place to view a game, possibly featuring a player who I had been coaching. I was not intending to take any photographs in view to the age of those involved. On arrival, I stood at the entrance and noted that only two or three adults were present. A man seated at the end of the room (presumably an arbiter) gave me an extremely dirty look whilst pointing aggressively in my direction. I was rather confused, not having done anything to attract attention, and sensed that someone wanted to enter the room. I took a step to the side and a woman (possibly another arbiter?) explained that parents are not allowed in the room! Thinking it obvious that it was unlikely that someone in their 60s was a parent, I smiled and said that I was not a parent but coached a junior who might be playing in the event. In an officious and aggressive voice, she replied. ESPECIALLY COACHES! Rather than cause a disturbance, I returned to the information desk and intended to report the incident. Having attended several junior events in Yorkshire as a volunteer, coach and reporter, I have never experienced such a rude response. If I had acted in this manner whilst dealing with the public prior to retirement, I would probably have received a warning of some description from my employer.
Before I could speak to any of the local volunteer officials, a man nearby spoke to another volunteer and mentioned issuing him with a photography pass. I asked how I might obtain such a pass and he asked, again rather abruptly, but not in the same tone as the above characters, why I needed it. Rather a stupid question, but I explained that I write reports for various chess websites. This seemed to placate him and he said that photographs could be taken during the first 10 minutes of play – rather longer than I had expected and offering a greater opportunity to take pictures. He then added that photographs must be taken with a camera that does not click or flash! (This apparently upsets some players in the Open Section.) To the best of my knowledge (and I am not an expert on cameras) the only commonly used camera that operated in that fashion at that time was a mobile telephone and although I did not say as much, I thought that the basic premise was to keep such devices away from the room of play or switched off and packed away! In any case, I did not have, and still do not have, such a mobile telephone. He then went on to the subject of players not wishing to be photographed and at that point I decided to leave before telling him what I really thought of the hoops through which volunteers are being expected to jump.
Whenever attending events as a player, captain, reporter or volunteer, I have always done my best not to disturb or inconvenience players. My collection of chess photographs goes back over 50 years and I try to make items available to anyone interested. One would think that the chess authorities would be keen to assist anyone interested in publicising and recording events, but that seems to be increasingly not the case.
This comment is by David Mills, who has emailed me to explain he did not mean it to appear anonymously. A Google search brings up examples of his work, eg https://mannchess.org.uk/YEvents/2022-06-11CountySemisPhotos2.htm
You don't say how long ago this was, but the first digital camera I had, about 20 years ago, definitely had the ability to choose the noise it made when taking a photograph (allegedly making the same sound as the shutter release on various well known camera brands such as Hasselblad, Leica, Nikon, etc.) or to turn the sound off. As a photographer, it's helpful to have the sound because you then know you've taken a photo. As a player, it's disturbing to have a photographer taking pictures while standing close to you and making a noise while doing so.
I try to avoid taking photographs when a game has commenced and at worst, do so when only one or two moves have been made. One problem involves certain players arriving late on a regular basis when I am also involved in the match. The incidents mentioned above took place in 2018 at British Championships at Hull City Hall. I would not have been disturbing the players in question as there were several minutes before play was due to commence. I started using a Canon Digital IXUS8215 around 1½-2 years ago.
There was someone taking pix yesterday in the early minutes of the first round of the seniors'. No noise, but of course there is some disturbance, although very minimal.
Some of my articles and photographs are on the St. Andrews Chess Club, Hull website and the Hull & East Riding Chess Association website. For over 20 years from 1985, I published a Civil Service Chess magazine, 'Time Trouble'.
I am a keen chess historian and try to take photographs to supplement my reports. Over the years, these have featured local league matches, county matches, congresses, club tournaments, representative matches, etc.. I inform players in advance in case they do not want to be featured. Unfortunately, this task is being made increasingly difficult for a variety of reasons.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, I attended the British Chess Championships to assist as a volunteer and take some photographs. I initially sought the room where a junior event was taking place to view a game, possibly featuring a player who I had been coaching. I was not intending to take any photographs in view to the age of those involved. On arrival, I stood at the entrance and noted that only two or three adults were present. A man seated at the end of the room (presumably an arbiter) gave me an extremely dirty look whilst pointing aggressively in my direction. I was rather confused, not having done anything to attract attention, and sensed that someone wanted to enter the room. I took a step to the side and a woman (possibly another arbiter?) explained that parents are not allowed in the room! Thinking it obvious that it was unlikely that someone in their 60s was a parent, I smiled and said that I was not a parent but coached a junior who might be playing in the event. In an officious and aggressive voice, she replied. ESPECIALLY COACHES! Rather than cause a disturbance, I returned to the information desk and intended to report the incident. Having attended several junior events in Yorkshire as a volunteer, coach and reporter, I have never experienced such a rude response. If I had acted in this manner whilst dealing with the public prior to retirement, I would probably have received a warning of some description from my employer.
Before I could speak to any of the local volunteer officials, a man nearby spoke to another volunteer and mentioned issuing him with a photography pass. I asked how I might obtain such a pass and he asked, again rather abruptly, but not in the same tone as the above characters, why I needed it. Rather a stupid question, but I explained that I write reports for various chess websites. This seemed to placate him and he said that photographs could be taken during the first 10 minutes of play – rather longer than I had expected and offering a greater opportunity to take pictures. He then added that photographs must be taken with a camera that does not click or flash! (This apparently upsets some players in the Open Section.) To the best of my knowledge (and I am not an expert on cameras) the only commonly used camera that operated in that fashion at that time was a mobile telephone and although I did not say as much, I thought that the basic premise was to keep such devices away from the room of play or switched off and packed away! In any case, I did not have, and still do not have, such a mobile telephone. He then went on to the subject of players not wishing to be photographed and at that point I decided to leave before telling him what I really thought of the hoops through which volunteers are being expected to jump.
Whenever attending events as a player, captain, reporter or volunteer, I have always done my best not to disturb or inconvenience players. My collection of chess photographs goes back over 50 years and I try to make items available to anyone interested. One would think that the chess authorities would be keen to assist anyone interested in publicising and recording events, but that seems to be increasingly not the case.
This comment is by David Mills, who has emailed me to explain he did not mean it to appear anonymously. A Google search brings up examples of his work, eg https://mannchess.org.uk/YEvents/2022-06-11CountySemisPhotos2.htm
DeleteYou don't say how long ago this was, but the first digital camera I had, about 20 years ago, definitely had the ability to choose the noise it made when taking a photograph (allegedly making the same sound as the shutter release on various well known camera brands such as Hasselblad, Leica, Nikon, etc.) or to turn the sound off. As a photographer, it's helpful to have the sound because you then know you've taken a photo. As a player, it's disturbing to have a photographer taking pictures while standing close to you and making a noise while doing so.
DeleteI try to avoid taking photographs when a game has commenced and at worst, do so when only one or two moves have been made. One problem involves certain players arriving late on a regular basis when I am also involved in the match. The incidents mentioned above took place in 2018 at British Championships at Hull City Hall. I would not have been disturbing the players in question as there were several minutes before play was due to commence. I started using a Canon Digital IXUS8215 around 1½-2 years ago.
DeleteThere was someone taking pix yesterday in the early minutes of the first round of the seniors'. No noise, but of course there is some disturbance, although very minimal.
DeleteSome of my articles and photographs are on the St. Andrews Chess Club, Hull website and the Hull & East Riding Chess Association website. For over 20 years from 1985, I published a Civil Service Chess magazine, 'Time Trouble'.
ReplyDeleteThanks David.
ReplyDeleteHere are web addresses for sites mentioned by David: https://www.standrewschess.com/
Deletehttps://hullandeastridingchess.org/