9A. Bids - Canadian Open 2014

[Lyle Craver]

Bids may be made here. File attachments are welcome.

[Félix Dumont]

Is there any potential bid? As I understand it, some organizers thought they had until the CO to bid. Same question for the CYCC.

[Michael Barron]

Is there any potential bid? As I understand it, some organizers thought they had until the CO to bid. Same question for the CYCC.

Félix, could you please clarify:
Who do you mean by "some organizers" ?
Same question for the CYCC - especially after your motion...

[Félix Dumont]

I was asked by some people from the FQE. Organizing a CO or a CYCC doesn't represent much risk and does not cause any deficit (yes, even with the new motion, since after all they already lodge 20 players for 10 days for the Quebec Open). Obviously, they don't bid every year, as they don't want to "steal" this opportunity to anyone else. If there is no serious bids, organizing the CO and/or the CYCC in Montreal, with the usual high conditions ( entry fee starting at $45 for the CO) should not be a problem. They simply don't want to have the image of the rich province that likes to get all the tournaments.

[Fred McKim]

Is there any potential bid? As I understand it, some organizers thought they had until the CO to bid. Same question for the CYCC.

I'm not aware of any potential bids.

If there was a bid, and Montreal still showed interest, we could still decide to wait two weeks or whatever and vote then, or not. You never know how it's going to go.

[Michael Barron]

Organizing a CO or a CYCC doesn't represent much risk and does not cause any deficit...

Sorry, Félix, I had different experience by organizing CO 2010 and 2011...

If there is no serious bids, organizing the CO and/or the CYCC in Montreal, with the usual high conditions ( entry fee starting at $45 for the CO) should not be a problem. They simply don't want to have the image of the rich province that likes to get all the tournaments.

The question is not about the image, the question is:
Will we have CO and CYCC in 2014 or not?

[Félix Dumont]

As I understood it, they were not really looking to go against others in a bidding war this year. However, if nobody wants to do it this year, they wouldn't mind organizing one or both.

[Félix Dumont]

The CYCC does not present much risk in a big city. The CO is indeed very hard to organize, but would not involve any extra deficit for the FQE, as it would be merged with the Quebec Open. If I recall well from last year AGM, the Quebec Open has a deficit of about $30k, half of it being paid by sponsors, and the other half by the FQE. A CO would have more prizes, but could possibly reach 350 players, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[Halldor P. Palsson]

Mr. Dumont,

For most of our organizers the CO & CYCC is a very difficult task because getting to break-even point is difficult. Toronto ran into some deficits and TO is Canada's largest city. Sponsorships seem to be a thing of the past for most organizers so big up front funds are rarely available.

Getting a site to work financially for the CYCC & CYCC is a huge challenge. Room night credits have to pay for accommodation for invited players and out of town volunteers. You need to cooperate with adjacent tournaments to pay for GMs. CO and Quebec Open share quite a few players this year. You have to recruit and have volunteers willing to billet some invited players and work at the event because there are no real resources in the budget to pay people or engage professionals.

I know that it is surprising given your views but the CFC does not seem to have a stampede of organizers every year seeing the CYCC & CO as a huge opportunity for some reason.

[Félix Dumont]

Mr. Dumont,

For most of our organizers the CO & CYCC is a very difficult task because getting to break-even point is difficult. Toronto ran into some deficits and TO is Canada's largest city. Sponsorships seem to be a thing of the past for most organizers so big up front funds are rarely available.

Getting a site to work financially for the CYCC & CYCC is a huge challenge. Room night credits have to pay for accommodation for invited players and out of town volunteers. You need to cooperate with adjacent tournaments to pay for GMs. CO and Quebec Open share quite a few players this year. You have to recruit and have volunteers willing to billet some invited players and work at the event because there are no real resources in the budget to pay people or engage professionals.

I know that it is surprising given your views but the CFC does not seem to have a stampede of organizers every year seeing the CYCC & CO as a huge opportunity for some reason.

I perfectly know what it takes to organize such championships. I have been volunteering to help organizing the Quebec Open for many years now and organized the zonals ( which would have cost me a lot of money if I hadn't find $5000 in sponsors after a few months of hard work.)


The CO is extremely hard to organize, but let's be honest, it's not the case of the CYCC, which is a huge money maker. Some organizers feel that the only way to have a decent CO is to take money from the CYCC. As one of the persons in charge of the Quebec youth program, I am extremely shocked. I'd rather prefer to have no CO than having one that is financed by our youth. As I said, it's a matter of priorities.