Galway Congress is back: 22-24 March 2019

Pete Morriss

This is advance notice that the Galway Chess Congress will return next year: the confirmed dates are the weekend of 22nd to 24th March 2019. It will be at the same venue as the last few years (the Menlo Park Hotel), and we expect that the general arrangements will also be much the same as in previous years. Further particulars and information on how to enter will be put on our website in the new year, at this link. So put this date in your diary, and we look forward to seeing many of you in March.

Joedryan

Great news

sodacat11

Yippee!! Galway is an excellent tournament and that Menlo hotel is a very good venue. Subject to my appearance fee being met I shall be there.

Pete Morriss

Joedryan wrote: »

Great news

sodacat11 wrote: »

Yippee!! Galway is an excellent tournament and that Menlo hotel is a very good venue. Subject to my appearance fee being met I shall be there.

Many thanks. We look forward to seeing you both in March. And if one of the organizers wins the Lotto and is feeling generous we might even be able to meet sodacat11's appearance fee; otherwise, alas, he'll have to pay us the usual small entry fee - but it'll be worth it.

Joedryan

Entry fee's??? 
Never heard of them.

Pete Morriss

Entries are now being taken for the Galway Chess Congress, which is being held on the weekend of Friday 22 March (from 8 p.m.) to Sunday 24 March 2019 in the Menlo Park Hotel, Galway. Full information about the tournament, including information on which section you can enter, times of the rounds, tournament rules, and information about local accommodation - including special rates we have negotiated if you should want to stay in the Menlo Park Hotel itself - is available here. You will be able to enter on-line direct from that web page. There is also a downloadable entry form which you can fill in and put in the post with a cheque, if you would prefer to enter that way. There is reduced price entry for all up to 10 March, and a special extra-low rate for entrants rated above 2000 (ICU) who enter before 22 February (and free entry for those rated above 2200 who enter by that date - just send us an email to enter).

We are eagerly looking forward to seeing many of you there.

sodacat11

Why isn't it possible to enter through the ICU website as it is for most tournaments?

Pete Morriss

sodacat11 wrote: »

Why isn't it possible to enter through the ICU website as it is for most tournaments?

Because our set-up is better. For instance on the ICU site somebody who enters for the wrong section is immediately shown as playing in that section, thereby allowing you to complain about it. We don't show people as having entered until we have accepted them, and checked that they are suitably qualified. Most other tournaments don't bother to do this (or even have their own web-site); we do.

sodacat11

Pete Morriss wrote: »

Because our set-up is better. For instance on the ICU site somebody who enters for the wrong section is immediately shown as playing in that section, thereby allowing you to complain about it.

Me complain???:eek: I think you must be delusional.

sodacat11

Is there a list of entrants anywhere?
I note with some amusement the comment of the Galway Congress website about the increment in the Masters being 15 seconds "at the ICU's insistence" (compared to 10 seconds in the other sections) as if this was a bad thing. I think that the vast majority of players would prefer 15 (30) second increments to 10. It is also mentioned that this depends on there being enough clocks available. Are less clocks required for a ten second increment than for fifteen? IF there are to be no increments due to a clock shortage will the time limit be changed from 90 minutes to 100 or 105 ? Galway is always an excellent tournament and I look forward to playing there this year but not if we end up with some sort of elongated rapid time limit such as 90 minutes for all moves with no increment.

BACfiar

having chatted to some in the club i wouldnt want to be seen to support this event or its organiser. the icu does a great job. surprised not more has been made of the situation.cant believe i only heard about this week. disgrace. by the sounds of it noone in the club will be going either. uused to be a great event 10-15 year ago

sodacat11

BACfiar wrote: »

having chatted to some in the club i wouldnt want to be seen to support this event or its organiser. the icu does a great job. surprised not more has been made of the situation.cant believe i only heard about this week. disgrace. by the sounds of it noone in the club will be going either. uused to be a great event 10-15 year ago

What "situation" are you referring to?

Pete Morriss

sodacat11 wrote: »

Is there a list of entrants anywhere?
I note with some amusement the comment of the Galway Congress website about the increment in the Masters being 15 seconds "at the ICU's insistence" (compared to 10 seconds in the other sections) as if this was a bad thing. I think that the vast majority of players would prefer 15 (30) second increments to 10. It is also mentioned that this depends on there being enough clocks available. Are less clocks required for a ten second increment than for fifteen? IF there are to be no increments due to a clock shortage will the time limit be changed from 90 minutes to 100 or 105 ? Galway is always an excellent tournament and I look forward to playing there this year but not if we end up with some sort of elongated rapid time limit such as 90 minutes for all moves with no increment.

‘Struth, you do make life difficult for us poor organizers.

The list of entrants will be put up on the Galway Chess Club website. At present there are too few entrants for it to be meaningful information, so we haven’t done it yet. Unfortunately, few people seem to want to enter at the first opportunity; most leave it until much later.

On the size of the increment. When we first introduced increments some ten years ago we chose ten seconds. We have never had any negative feedback and so we have stuck with it. We heard a few years ago, from another tournament organizer, that the ICU had informed him that it wouldn’t rate his top section unless the increment was 15 seconds, and so we changed to comply with that. Having a longer increment means that players will have a shorter time between rounds and a later finish in the evening, which some might not like. Like most organizational decisions, some people would prefer one and some another, and yet it has to be the same for all. To get het up about the difference between 10 seconds and 15 seconds seems to be complaining for the sake of it; I expect that most players don't notice the difference. And remember, just a few years ago both you and I were quite happily playing ICU-rated games at weekend tournaments at 90 minutes plus no increment at all.

The sentence about what would happen if not enough clocks were available applies to the time limit in general, not the Masters specifically. Like all tournaments, we have to source clocks well in advance, based on a guess of how many entrants we will have. If we end up with more entries than we have digital clocks for (which is unlikely), the boards at the bottom of the Minor section will have to play with our old analogue clocks. Unless you lose more than 1000 rating points this month (which is unlikely, I would think) that won’t affect you.

Any more questions?

Pete Morriss

BACfiar wrote: »

having chatted to some in the club i wouldnt want to be seen to support this event or its organiser. the icu does a great job. surprised not more has been made of the situation.cant believe i only heard about this week. disgrace. by the sounds of it noone in the club will be going either. uused to be a great event 10-15 year ago

Whilst you can attend the Galway Congress or not as you see fit, you shouldn’t pay attention to such tittle-tattle or publicize it. <snip>

Mod edit - discussion of ongoing legal cases is not permitted on boards.ie

BACfiar

Pete Morriss wrote: »

Whilst you can attend the Galway Congress or not as you see fit, you shouldn’t pay attention to such tittle-tattle or publicize it.
Mod edit - discussion of ongoing legal cases is not permitted on boards.ie

*Mod snip*

reunion

Mod note: Let's not discuss an ongoing legal case and let's not attack individuals.

I think we can all agree that a tournament in Galway was quite enjoyable when it was run previously.

reunion

Pete Morriss wrote: »

Because our set-up is better. For instance on the ICU site somebody who enters for the wrong section is immediately shown as playing in that section, thereby allowing you to complain about it. We don't show people as having entered until we have accepted them, and checked that they are suitably qualified. Most other tournaments don't bother to do this (or even have their own web-site); we do.

Couldn't you achieve the same thing by making the list of players on a hidden page and make the list manually as you are doing now?

Not paying via the ICU site (or even have the option) puts me off paying. Paypal is also a method of payment I haven't really seen since the 90's and has been used for scams on ebay so I don't have a high opinion of it. I also like seeing my name appear on the list after I enter.

Personally I would like to see a list of entries on the website even if it is small, most other tournaments do this or even the icu page about it with a link to the payment page?

sodacat11

reunion wrote: »

Couldn't you achieve the same thing by making the list of players on a hidden page and make the list manually as you are doing now?

Not paying via the ICU site (or even have the option) puts me off paying. Paypal is also a method of payment I haven't really seen since the 90's and has been used for scams on ebay so I don't have a high opinion of it. I also like seeing my name appear on the list after I enter.

Personally I would like to see a list of entries on the website even if it is small, most other tournaments do this or even the icu page about it with a link to the payment page?

I agree. I think that having a published list of strong entrants attracts other players. Galway is an expensive tournament to attend and difficult to get to from where I live so I'd like to be sure of decent opposition before committing myself.

Pete Morriss

reunion wrote: »

Paypal is also a method of payment I haven't really seen since the 90's

A strange and ignorant comment: PayPal didn’t start until 1999; it reported its 2017 revenue as $13 billion, an increase of 20% on the previous year. So rather a large number of people around the world seem to be willing to use it.

If anybody is not happy using PayPal (and you may be wise for all I know), you can enter by post, as explained on our website, using any method of payment that suits you and is legally valid. Or you can pay me in cash in Bunratty if you don’t trust the post either.

reunion wrote: »

I also like seeing my name appear on the list after I enter.

Why? We respond personally to confirm acceptance of entry within 24 hours (usually a lot less) after I have had a chance to check the entrant's details and confirm they have entered for the correct section (not all people do). We have always believed in the personal touch in Galway, and not automated replies: it's more effort for us, but we think you're worth it. (Though I think you will get an automated reply from PayPal anyway). I guarantee that when you enter, reunion, you will see your name on our website within 24 hours if that would make you happy: we aim to make people happy.

reunion wrote: »

Personally I would like to see a list of entries on the website even if it is small

You will see a list of entries soon.

pawntof4

reunion wrote: »

Not paying via the ICU site (or even have the option) puts me off paying.

This is totally understandable as the majority of Irish tournaments take advantage of the ICU offering this service for free to tournament organizers. Nobody likes change or things to be different... human nature I'm afraid

reunion wrote: »

Paypal is also a method of payment I haven't really seen since the 90's and has been used for scams on ebay so I don't have a high opinion of it.

This is an absolutely ridiculous statement! What payment system hasn't been used in scams? Do you use a credit card?

Pete Morriss

pawntof4 wrote: »

This is totally understandable as the majority of Irish tournaments take advantage of the ICU offering this service for free to tournament organizers. Nobody likes change or things to be different... human nature I'm afraid

People seem to have short memories: the ICU payment system has only been in operation for three years. Galway has never used it, and neither has Bunratty. Strangely, nobody seems to be complaining here about Bunratty not using it. The ICU system is less than ideal for a number of reasons which is why we and Bunratty have chosen not to use it even at some inconvenience to ourselves. Our system has been shown to work well and we are loathe to abandon it. If people are really averse to change they are very welcome to enter by putting a cheque in the post, as everybody did in the 1990s and well into the 2010s. Details of the address to send it to are here.

pawntof4

Pete Morriss wrote: »

People seem to have short memories: the ICU payment system has only been in operation for three years. Galway has never used it, and neither has Bunratty. Strangely, nobody seems to be complaining here about Bunratty not using it. The ICU system is less than ideal for a number of reasons which is why we and Bunratty have chosen not to use it even at some inconvenience to ourselves. Our system has been shown to work well and we are loathe to abandon it. If people are really averse to change they are very welcome to enter by putting a cheque in the post, as everybody did in the 1990s and well into the 2010s. Details of the address to send it to are here.

Regarding whether or not you choose to use the system is entirely up to you as the organizer. I did say "the majority of Irish tournaments" when referring to who uses the system. My point was people like familiarity that was all.


In any case, there aren't too many tournament organizers in Ireland and you should be thanked for being one of them. Best of luck with the Galway Congress.

sodacat11

In the past I often ended up playing Baburin in Galway. Looking at the entry for this year's Masters (Only Baburin) I guess that there is a good chance that I will be playing him again.
How many players do you need for the 250 Euro grading prizes to be realistic? Last time I won a "200 euro" grading prize and got a cheque for 50 quid

Pete Morriss

sodacat11 wrote: »

I agree. I think that having a published list of strong entrants attracts other players. Galway is an expensive tournament to attend and difficult to get to from where I live so I'd like to be sure of decent opposition before committing myself.

There is a bit of a logical problem with this approach: namely, that if everybody waited before entering to see whether the field appealed to them, nobody would enter and there would be no tournament. Somebody has to be the first to take the plunge.

As a (generous) concession, if anybody enters and then changes their mind, we will refund their entrance fee (less transaction charges) if we get the notice of withdrawal at least 24 hours before the start of the tournament.

Pete Morriss

sodacat11 wrote: »

In the past I often ended up playing Baburin in Galway. Looking at the entry for this year's Masters (Only Baburin) I guess that there is a good chance that I will be playing him again.

Well, you wanted a strong opponent! We are also currently negotiating with two more players rated over 2300, but they have asked for time to make up their minds.

sodacat11 wrote: »

How many players do you need for the 250 Euro grading prizes to be realistic? Last time I won a "200 euro" grading prize and got a cheque for 50 quid

It depends how many entries there are in each section, how many entries there are overall, and how much income those entries bring in (given that there are five different levels of entry fee). If there are only half a dozen people playing for a prize, they can hardly expect the prize to come to more than their total entry fee, given that entry fees are our only source of income and that we have to pay a considerable amount to hire the venue. Last time the Masters section produced entry fees of €300, and the prizes paid for that section came to €950, so there can't be much complaint there. Like most tournaments, we say explicitly that the prizes are subject to the number of entrants; in 2011 and 2013 we had more entries than we had expected, and so paid out more in prizes than we had advertized; that's the way it goes. So if you want high prizes, encourage as many people as possible to enter!

Pete Morriss

Joedryan wrote: »

Entry fee's??? 
Never heard of them.

Players rated over 2200 (ICU - or equivalent for anybody who has no ICU rating) can enter FREE by emailing us at galwaychess [at] gmail [dot] com up to 22nd February - so you have just a week to get your entry in Joe, without bothering about this fee stuff you've never heard of. Just to be even more generous, we'll extend this offer to anybody over 2200 who enters during Bunratty: you can enter by seeing me - but not when I am playing, please. But it's safer to use the email, in case you miss me in the Bunratty crowds. So get your entries in now.

There are also ridiculously reduced entry rates for players in the 2000-2199 range; this offer also expires the weekend after next. You can enter here, which also contains further info about the offer.

Pete Morriss

If anybody is intending to stay in the Galway Chess Congress' venue hotel (the Menlo Park) and hasn't yet booked a room, they should do so NOW: there are only five rooms left of those reserved for chess players, which the hotel will only hold until Sunday (10th March), and the hotel seems to be otherwise fully booked. You can find information about the rates we have negotiated, and how to book at them, here (scroll down to the bottom and look under "Accommodation").

sodacat11

Good list of entries for Galway!! I've played very few of them before so am very much looking forward to it.

Pete Morriss

This is just a final reminder that on-line entries for the Galway Congress will close on Thursday (21st March). If you haven't yet entered, you can do so here. If you miss the Thursday deadline but decide when you wake up on Friday that you really have to play in the Congress, you can still enter by arriving early at the venue - the Menlo Park Hotel, Galway - and entering and paying in person, but there will be an additional charge for doing that as if too many people do so it can delay the start of the first round, which would inconvenience everybody, so we don't want to encourage it. Otherwise, if you have entered in advance, all you need to do is arrive before 8 p.m. on Friday, which is when the first round will start; first round pairings will be posted at 7.30. The tournament entry is looking good (you can see the entries so far on our website), but it will be even better with you playing in it!

An additional attraction, hitherto not yet announced, is that International Master Vladimir Sveshnikov invites you to sample the delights of Dice Chess, starting at about 10.30 p.m., after round 4 has finished, on the Saturday evening. Vladimir will give a presentation on this interesting chess variant, and thereafter you will be able to play some sample games, over some traditional Latvian sweets and beverages which Vladimir is kindly providing. For those interested in preparing for this event, Vladimir has submitted a brief outline of dice chess, which you can read by clicking on the link here.

We're looking forward to seeing you on Friday.

Pete Morriss

Just a note to say that the Menlo Park Hotel (venue of the Galway Congress) told me this afternoon that they have had a few cancellations in the last 24 hours, and there is also apparently a possibility that a sizeable group booking might cancel. So if you would like to play in the Galway Congress but were put off when you heard that the hotel was fully booked, it might still be worth giving them a ring to see if they have a room available. (Please note, though, that the reduced rate for chess players would not apply - these are not rooms reserved for chess players.)

L1m1tless

Is there any live game or somewhere to see the strandings

sodacat11

Henry Li cantered to victory with 5.5/6 . He was 1.5 ahead after five rounds.
Galway was very enjoyable as always. The hotel in particular was great. The managers of some of the other hotels that hold tournaments would do well to go and stay in the Menlo Park for a few days to see how a hotel should be run. Everything spotlessly clean, fantastic breakfasts, lovely rooms, great showers, very good food, very friendly and efficient hotel and bar staff etc etc.

Pete Morriss

L1m1tless wrote: »

Is there any live game or somewhere to see the strandings

Sorry for not replying earlier, but I don't have time to read boards.ie whilst running the tournament. I'm afraid that we didn't have the facilities for live boards, but the results and crosstables will be up on our website shortly, when we have recovered from the weekend, but sodacat11 has revealed the winner of the Masters: Henry Li won with a round to spare, easing up in the last round to draw with Alex Baburin, having beaten IM Vladimir Sveshnikov in round 2.

Pete Morriss

A report on the Galway Congress, containing a full list of prize-winners, is available on the Galway Club website. There are also links there to the full standings and cross-tables.