Vancouver cafe chess

[Bob Armstrong]

Hi Jason:

It must be something in the water out there. Your experience is the direct opposite of ours here in Toronto.

Scarborough Chess Club only has CFC-rated tournaments - five of them a year, from 7-9 rounds each. All SCC members must become CFC members, because all members play in the CFC-rated tournaments. We find no resistance whatsoever to paying the annual CFC membership.

We have been growing over the last 5 years from about 20 members to now over 100 members - the membership we had at the start of the millennium.

Our members get the Canadian Chess News, get their SCC tournaments rated, and are active in weekend, etc. tournaments - we had 30 SCC members playing in the Toronto Canadian Open.

So there must be some factor in BC that exists, that isn't the case here in Toronto, to make chess players move in exactly opposite directions.

Bob

[Dale Haukenfrers]

If one had to sacrifice 12 beers a year to join a chess federation we might not have legendary players like Tal and Alekhine.

[Jason Lohner]

Hi Jason:

It must be something in the water out there. Your experience is the direct opposite of ours here in Toronto.

Scarborough Chess Club only has CFC-rated tournaments - five of them a year, from 7-9 rounds each. All SCC members must become CFC members, because all members play in the CFC-rated tournaments. We find no resistance whatsoever to paying the annual CFC membership.

We have been growing over the last 5 years from about 20 members to now over 100 members - the membership we had at the start of the millennium.

Our members get the Canadian Chess News, get their SCC tournaments rated, and are active in weekend, etc. tournaments - we had 30 SCC members playing in the Toronto Canadian Open.

So there must be some factor in BC that exists, that isn't the case here in Toronto, to make chess players move in exactly opposite directions.

Bob

Perhaps it is because People in Toronto think that if it works in Toronto, it must work in the rest of Canada... no matter what kind of damage it does outside of Ontario. Even when TD's outside of Toronto tell you how much damage it will do to the Chess scene... but hey... if it works in the big smoke then it has to be the only solution right???

Thanks but no thanks, I don't need the CFC to play chess... if I want a rating I can go online, and there are plenty of Non CFC events now that the CFC has become irrelevant.

[Valer Eugen Demian]

and this is the #1 reason why I am no longer a CFC member. Although tournaments are fun, there are plenty of non-CFC events to satisfy me... I would enter CFC tournaments if there was a smaller 'tournament' membership but if the CFC wants to treat memberships as donations to 'keep things going' perhaps they should be giving tax receipts. CFC events are now only for the 'elites'... most of the regular club players have quit the CFC. Perhaps this is why there is nobody in my local club who is a CFC member... and all of them in the past were at one time or another.

I am certain you have never attended our chess club; also I am certain the new generation of chessplayers will be wise enough to diferenciate between what we offer and what your club offers. One simple proof: this year BC has gathered 4 national titles at CYCC. They are part of the raising new "regular" members you see playing monthly in BC tournaments...

Possibly the definition of "elites" as you see it has something to do with personal self-esteem. Could you see yourself for a second as a "normal" chess player like everyone else? Maybe then you could understand why for us - the "elites/ regulars" - your continuous challenge of CFC membership reminds of Don Quijote from La Mancha.