Originally Posted by
Bob Armstrong
Hi Victoria:
You digested the post very well - good questions.
I am not directly involved in Youth chess as a governor. But I am trying to follow the debate, and bring it to the members for analysis. So I am going to post your questions for you on the confidential Governors' Discussion Board, and ask if the Youth Coordinator will come here to the members' board to answer them.
However, I will take a shot at answering a few of them, while waiting for Michael Barron, CFC Youth Coordinator.
Q 1 - The major advantage of the system is the drawing of many more juniors into CFC youth chess, by promoting playing in the provinces, not just at the CYCC. A province can hold a provincial YCC and/or regional YCC's, each of which sends qualifiers directly to the CYCC. CFC sees many more than only 150 juniors getting involved in total ( the average attendance at the CYCC in the last 5 years ).
The disadvantage is that some fear the " restricted access through qualifiers " will in fact lower CYCC attendance ( you can see from my post I think the opposite will be the result - CYCC attendance will rise ).
What is neutral is the quality of the tournament - there will be little difference between the " open CYCC " and the " qualifier CYCC ". The reason is that the top three from many provinces are low rated in comparison with the top players in the country. Also, since a province can have as many regional qualifiers as they want, and each can send their top three finishers, these regional qualifiers will likely be weak, relatively speaking.
Q 2 - 3 provinces to my knowlege hold YCC's - Ontario, BC, and I think Alberta.
Q 3 - The CFC Youth Coordinator has, or can get, the contact info for provincial youth coordinators ( in fact, I believe not all provinces have one, and so some provincial executive will likely be the contact person ). The contact with them by the CFC Youth Coordinator will be for the purpose of persuading them to participate, since the CFC now has the new qualifier system in place ( the motion was passed a few years ago ). CFC would hope that the provincial affiliate would then promote the YCC(s ) to the parents of chess youth ( both CFC and non-CFC ). The CFC undertakes to work with the provinces to implement the system, and overcome any difficulties ( hopefully ).
Q 4 - " Who were the top 3 players in each section? Did all 3 of these players go on to play in the CYCC that year? "
I know that you could contact Patrick McDonald ( Ontario/South-Western Ontario Chess League CFC Governor ) - he has been running the OYCC ( e-mail on " Contact Us " list on CFC Website ). Ontario also has regional YCC's, and I think Ontario/Greater Toronto Chess League Governor Chris Field has run one or more of them. I don't know the other provinces organizers - I would think you could find out by contacting the Provincial Affiliate.
Q 5 - Will CYCC attendance drop at the 2011 CYCC in Richmond Hill?
As I said in my post, I think the numbers will go up. The reason is that there are a total of 516 eligibles under the Handbook criteria, if the provinces only hold 1 province-wide YCC. But regionals can be held. So if a youth fails to make the top three, he can try again in a regional. And a regional can be organized by anyone, with any number and level of players ( with some Handbook conditions applying to how to hold the event ). So many more than just the top three in a group could potentially attend, increasing the " eligibiles " beyond the base 516.
Bob