9. Bids for 2020/2021 and National events

[Lyle Craver]

Bids for National events in 2020-21 (or beyond) can be made here.

Please note that vBulletin supports file attachments which you are strongly encouraged to include with your bid. Anybody wishing to make a bid is welcome to contact me if technical advice on posting a bid is needed.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

We received a bid for the 2022 Canadian Senior from Nova Scotia. There is some clarification needed but we will be offering more information soon.

There is a possible bid brewing from BC for the CYCC and Canadian Open in 2022. There is also interest from Durham Region which includes Oshawa and surrounding communities. Next year (2021) will be in Hamilton from whom we received a strong bid. The executive will tend to become more involved in these bids as there is a great deal of money on the table for organizers if you know how to ask and negotiate for it. Maximum leverage occurs before the bid is awarded. The Sport Tourism Canada (newly renamed) conferences are a new weapon which we are starting to learn how to wield for the benefit of the CFC and its organizers and players.

[Fred McKim]

We received a bid for the 2022 Canadian Senior from Nova Scotia. There is some clarification needed but we will be offering more information soon.

As you may recall the 2020 Canadian Senior was a key part of the 2020 Pawnwise All-Age Chess Festival that was to take place over the long weekend in August. When the event was cancelled this spring, the CFC Executive approved Halifax holding the identical event in 2021. Part of the event involved bringing players and speakers from Asia, Europe, USA, etc. It is now obvious that there is no guarantee that the event can take place as it was intended (as part of a Festival). With that in mind, the NS organizers have now asked to hold the 2022 event as part of the full festival, while retaining the 2021 Canadian Senior as probably a stand-alone event (probably with an Open of some sort to accompany it). The Executive are still looking for a bit of elaboration from the organizers. I expect more information will be forthcoming over the course of the meeting. There could be other groups interested in hosting in 2022 or possibly hosting in 2021, if the CFC were to only give Halifax one of the two years.

[Aris Marghetis]

As you may recall the 2020 Canadian Senior was a key part of the 2020 Pawnwise All-Age Chess Festival that was to take place over the long weekend in August. When the event was cancelled this spring, the CFC Executive approved Halifax holding the identical event in 2021. Part of the event involved bringing players and speakers from Asia, Europe, USA, etc. It is now obvious that there is no guarantee that the event can take place as it was intended (as part of a Festival). With that in mind, the NS organizers have now asked to hold the 2022 event as part of the full festival, while retaining the 2021 Canadian Senior as probably a stand-alone event (probably with an Open of some sort to accompany it). The Executive are still looking for a bit of elaboration from the organizers. I expect more information will be forthcoming over the course of the meeting. There could be other groups interested in hosting in 2022 or possibly hosting in 2021, if the CFC were to only give Halifax one of the two years.

I agree with your judgement of 2022 vs. 2021.

[Roger Langen]

If the Executive have questions about Chess Nova Scotia's offer to hold the 2022 CSCC in Halifax, please ask and I will respond. In general, the uncertainty of a "Festival" prospect for 2021 due to ongoing COVID concerns means that we could hold the 2021 CSCC as a standalone event under controlled conditions, with perhaps an accompanying Mayflower Open event. But other Festival events, dependent on celebrity participation from other countries and large numbers of people in confined spaces, as the chess panel, for example, or harder-to-control youth events, would be off the table. While all celebrities are re-committed for 2021, including Hou Yifan, Evgeny Bareev, Dommaraju Gukesh, Tanitoluwa Adewoye, and Eduardis Rozentalis, it may not be until early spring 2021 before we could be sure of going ahead. This makes sponsorship more difficult, as this is often secured in the previous fall. We retain all current sponsorships, while two government applications had to be shelved. Just to put this in context, the Government of Nova Scotia is currently refraining from committing to hosting any large events before 2023.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

I hope everything is back to normal by the summer of 2021. I would hate to see the organizers in Halifax lose money because they are committed to something that cannot work financially. We only received your letter on the eve of this AGM. Once the outcome of the election is known we will be able to work with you on the best course of action.

[Aris Marghetis]

Just to put this in context, the Government of Nova Scotia is currently refraining from committing to hosting any large events before 2023.

Thank you Roger, that's a very powerful point.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

That is a powerful point. I have some hope that things in Canada can get back to some kind of new normal as quickly as possible. I do wonder about world chess events given that the pandemic is raging full throttle in many parts of the world. An Olympiad style event bringing everyone together from so many different countries seems a stretch even for 2021.

[Christopher Field]

Roger's note about the Government of NS - no major public events sponsorship until 2023 - is extremely important.
Much as one would like to see OTB chess resume ASAP,
planning for 2023 sounds like the way to go at this time.

[Roger Langen]

The NS Government's position on not planning for major events before 2023 is "for the moment" and not fixed. I strongly suspect that 2022 will be in play if a vaccine appears likely in 2021. So it is all about rational speculation, in keeping with the nature of our game.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

The Nova Scotia organizers had asked to push the Canadian Seniors to next year because of the cancellation of this year. They have now asked to organize 2022 which we are inclined to agree to. The only hesitation is that the original bid was a festival type arrangement with some celebrity guests. The 2021 tournament is going to be a stand-alone event with no associated festival. Seniors chess will likely be the last type of tournament that will resume because of the documented vulnerabilities of seniors. I worry that they might be setting themselves up to fail and lose money by going ahead with the 2021 event in the current uncertainty. It may also turn out that we don't want to resume seniors chess for safety reasons. All of these issues need to be resolved. It is likely that the situation will be clearer in six months.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

Due to the forced cancellation of the Canadian Closed in 2020, the organizer Aris Marghetis asked for us to extend his right to hold the Canadian Closed for one more year at Kingston substituting 2023 for 2020. The Executive agreed to his request unanimously

[Pierre Dénommée]

Due to the forced cancellation of the Canadian Closed in 2020, the organizer Aris Marghetis asked for us to extend his right to hold the Canadian Closed for one more year at Kingston substituting 2023 for 2020. The Executive agreed to his request unanimously

Excellent decision!

[ian findlay]

Due to the forced cancellation of the Canadian Closed in 2020, the organizer Aris Marghetis asked for us to extend his right to hold the Canadian Closed for one more year at Kingston substituting 2023 for 2020. The Executive agreed to his request unanimously

Having played in the 2019 Canadian Closed in Kingston, I can attest this was a very well organized event and fun event. Thank you Aris for your continued work and dedication. As a fellow organizer, I know how much work is really involved and what a thankless job it is! Good luck and I hope to see you at one of these events.

[Aris Marghetis]

Having played in the 2019 Canadian Closed in Kingston, I can attest this was a very well organized event and fun event. Thank you Aris for your continued work and dedication. As a fellow organizer, I know how much work is really involved and what a thankless job it is! Good luck and I hope to see you at one of these events.

Ian, thank you for the kind words. It really was a wonderful (but exhausting lol) effort that I look forward to doing again as soon as we possibly can safely.

And classy nice players like yourself make it all extra-worth-it! Take care Ian.

[Roger Langen]

Hi Vlad -- Holding the 2021 CSCC as a standalone event (along with the Mayflower Open but without the Chess Considered panel or other Festival-style frills) is a fallback position only. We would make a firm decision by about the end of February. Cancelling everything outright would also be a possibility at that time depending on the Covid state of affairs. Interest in holding the 2022 CSCC is contingent on the first scenario above, making sure the 2021 CSCC is held in Halifax if it is going to be held at all, but deferring the Pawn Wise All-Ages Chess Festival to the following year. I hope this is all clear. In any case, Chess Nova Scotia will be happy to accept whatever the CFC decides.

[Aris Marghetis]

Hi Vlad -- Holding the 2021 CSCC as a standalone event (along with the Mayflower Open but without the Chess Considered panel or other Festival-style frills) is a fallback position only. We would make a firm decision by about the end of February. Cancelling everything outright would also be a possibility at that time depending on the Covid state of affairs. Interest in holding the 2022 CSCC is contingent on the first scenario above, making sure the 2021 CSCC is held in Halifax if it is going to be held at all, but deferring the Pawn Wise All-Ages Chess Festival to the following year. I hope this is all clear. In any case, Chess Nova Scotia will be happy to accept whatever the CFC decides.

I support these attractive events getting their turn in the Atlantic time zone!

[Vladimir Drkulec]

Hi Vlad -- Holding the 2021 CSCC as a standalone event (along with the Mayflower Open but without the Chess Considered panel or other Festival-style frills) is a fallback position only. We would make a firm decision by about the end of February. Cancelling everything outright would also be a possibility at that time depending on the Covid state of affairs. Interest in holding the 2022 CSCC is contingent on the first scenario above, making sure the 2021 CSCC is held in Halifax if it is going to be held at all, but deferring the Pawn Wise All-Ages Chess Festival to the following year. I hope this is all clear. In any case, Chess Nova Scotia will be happy to accept whatever the CFC decides.

We are open to you doing one or both of these events subject to the covid situation prevailing at the time. If you are not able to hold it in 2021 we are definitely open to you doing it in 2022. We probably will not entertain any other bids until the covid situation clarifies. My only concern is that because of covid concerns we might have to cancel the 2021 event and I don't want to leave you holding the bag because money is going to be scarce in the next year.