The CFC, a few years ago, decided to end the CYCC being open to all entrants, regardless of rating, so long as they paid an entry fee ( this new system was deferred for a year, and didn't apply to the 2010 CYCC in Windsor, Ontario ). Instead, the CFC wanted to put in place a " qualifier system " for the CYCC - you could only play in a CYCC if you qualified in a province-wide Youth Chess Championship [ YCC ] ( or regional Youth Chess Championship in a province ), Thus entry to the CYCC was being " restricted ".

The issue: would CYCC get as many players under this new qualification system as they had under the " open " system - 150 players on average over the last 5 years?

The governors are currently debating this on the confidential CFC Governors' Discussion Board, but I would like to get member opinion and thoughts on this. Some governors want to modify the system to have qualifiers, to generate interest in the provinces ( the top finishers would get some type of bursary toward the expense of going to the CYCC ), but to keep the CYCC " open " as it was. Also there is concern that the CFC has done little to develop the YCC system in the provinces, so far, and the qualifiers, if they come about, are for the 2011 CYCC in Richmond Hill ( the bid just recently accepted by the CFC ).

I agree that the current project is for Michael Barron, as Youth Coordinator, to personally contact each Provincial Affiliate, and start trying to develop with them some way for them to hold at least one Province - wide YCC. I propose this as a starting model, because it seems there are substantially fewer CFC juniors in the smaller provinces - it clearly will be necessary to try to attract new juniors through this YCC tournament; in some ways though, a couple of regional YCC's are easier on parents' pocket-books, since it may allow more not to have the accomodation expense associated with a tournament out of town; but that requires more organizers.

If we could get just one YCC per province, the potential CYCC qualifiers is actually very high, combined with the other provincial qualifier criteria:

Item 1 : Top 3 qualifiers from that year’s YCC’s = 12 ( 6 groups, open & female ) X 3 winners x 10 provinces = 360 players.
Item 2 : Top 3 qualifiers to WYCC from CYCC previous year = 12 ( 6 groups, open & female ) X 3 winners = 36
Item 3 : No. of Highest Rating from Provinces = 12 ( 6 groups, open & female ) X 10 provinces = 120.

( I assume that if a qualified player wins a place by a second route, then their spot in the 2nd time goes to the next place finisher, so all qualifier spaces get taken )

Maximum Total ( If all eligible attend ): 360 + 36 + 120 = 516 !

Of course, this must be adjusted down because not all provinces will have
48 juniors who could attend ( YCC - 36; Top-rated - 12; additional ones if the province had a prior year WYCC'er ). But if the system generates more junior interest, and draws out new junior players, who knows how many from a small province might end up being entitled to come. Then of course, the issue is those entitled, who then decline - are there juniors further down the finishing ranks, who would be willing to replace them?

What I am saying is that even with 1 YCC per province, the potential for CYCC attendance to go up is good, even with the " restrictive " aspect to the CYCC ( that players must somehow " qualify " ). And for the unique case of Ontario, with so many strong juniors in each group, there are already some regional YCC's , in addition to the provincial OYCC, so more than 3 per group could qualify in Ontario.

The issue is will the smaller provinces undertake the effort for this one year, and promote the tournament to non-CFC juniors as well, to give the new system a " trial run " for the 2011 CYCC.

Richmond Hill has said it is willing to try the new system, and revised its bid accordingly. They are taking on the risk. CFC needs now to make the effort to put the YCC system in place.

What do you think of this new system the CFC has put in place, and is in the process of developing for the 2011 CYCC?

Bob