Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 12

Thread: 5.C Developments and Directions In Canadian Chess

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Tecumseh, ON
    Posts
    3,268
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default 5.C Developments and Directions In Canadian Chess

    This is a thread to discuss some new developments and directions in Canadian Chess.

    Currently we seem to have entered into a period of growth in the size of the chess community. We are beneficiaries of a number of favourable trends including a good economy and an influx of Canadians who are interested in chess for their children and in some cases for themselves. We also have some new organizers who are making a big splash and organizing new and popular tournaments.

    There are some worrisome trends with runaway government spending which will impact us somewhat peripherally but will likely impact us. I worry a bit for the provincial affiliates that depend on government grants which could dry up as budgets need to be squeezed. For the most part we are able to stand on our own without the help of governments but the situation in provinces with generous governments could turn if we don't engage with politicians and tell our story and the good that we are doing for our participants (children and adults).

    We have to not only market what we do to potential players and their parents but also to the governments and opposition politicians who might one day become governments.
    Last edited by Vladimir Drkulec; 05-26-2018 at 09:34 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    108

    Default

    Thanks Vlad, I agree that there are "many" things we can do to encourage chess in Canada and not only by organizing tournaments. I'd like to suggest that our website contain a section of ideas when forming a Chess Club. Especially things that can be done to promote the Club within the community and other chess activities. For example, in Nova Scotia, every week, our Club sends out a request to our local community newspaper and other publishers requesting them to advertise the time and place of our Chess Club meeting. We've also collaborated with the Halifax Regional Library to have a day a month during the Fall, Winter, Spring to teach chess to beginners (well attended and many of our members come out to play and to assist in teaching). Our Chess Club also organizes a Winter Chess Tournament for chess players who aren't able to come out to our weekly meeting. We divide the players into divisions where each player has the contact information for the other players in their division where they can arrange amongst themselves when and where they'll play their tournament game (a copy of the game has to be passed into the tournament organizers). The idea is to play at least one game per month with playoffs between the winner of each division to determine the Tournament winner with prizes allotted to the winner, best game, etc. (we charge $10.00 to play). This allows people who don't get to play, an opportunity to at least play a few games during the year (all our games are non-rated since most of our players are not CFC members at this time).

    As noted above, I see a section developed on the website explaining a number of ideas how to form and promote a Chess Club. I also see a place, such as a Forum, where people can express various ideas on how to create a Chess Club and how to promote it and any other chess activity in the community (best ideas can be used directly on the website regarding how to create and promote a Chess Club). Hopefully these ideas can then be used in other communities to promote chess while also encouraging the players to join the CFC.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    108

    Default

    Me again, after doing a more indebt search, I see that we have a section on how to start a Chess Club. I'm thinking it should be more in the forefront as a key promotional tool with a forum where the ideas can be expanded on by people in the chess community.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    81

    Default

    Getting any financial help for our organisation from the federal Government is Very unlikely. When I was the first CFC business manager, over 40 years ago, Phil Haley and I met with a deputy minister who had previously been the secretary for the CFC but we were unable to get any help because our organisation was not a class A Olympic sport. A few years later Rob Hawkes father, who was an alberta M.P., tried but could not get us any assistance. I believe that Hawkes assisstant was future P.M. Stephen Harper. Chess is regarded as more Cultural in some provinces which is why they can get assistance.
    Les Bunning

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Tecumseh, ON
    Posts
    3,268
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I think we can possibly look forward to some help from local governments to put on events (or at least that is the gist of numerous conversations I have been having with sport tourism people). There are grants available for cultural endeavours (usually one off events) but we won't be seeing any kind of systematic support except if we apply for things like job training grants and such. At the moment we are not in great need of government support though it would nice to have some support for the Olympiad. I have talked to politicians who have seemed favourably disposed to the idea but they are in opposition currently.

  6. #6

    Default

    In Quebec, a Federation recognize as a Leisure is not financed using the same criteria as a Federation recognized as a Sport. It would be probable that chess would get less government money as a Sport then it does as a Leisure even though the money comes from the same minister. Apparently, it is better to be a good Leisure then being among the smallest non-Olympic Provincial sport Federations.

    Furthermore, recognition as a sport would required re-affiliation of the FQE because affiliation is required for funding of a Provincial sport Federation.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Tecumseh, ON
    Posts
    3,268
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I don't think that we are considered a sport, though we are recognized by the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national sporting federation for chess. This recognition led to the invite to the CSTA conference. This led to some twenty six or twenty seven communities and five or six hotel or hospitality groups contacting us with very good prospects of significant incentives. The limiting factor is local organizers. We have passed on contact information to multiple organizers and provincial officials in some cases but at a certain point we need the local people to carry the ball. I am not personally in a position to organize tournaments in all of these communities at this time.

    The biggest takeaway in all this is that we are not limited to these twenty seven communities and half dozen or so hospitality groups. There are many more communities and hospitality groups with similar aims within Canada. We didn't even formally meet with two of our biggest prospects for funding but happened to have a chance meeting at one of the breakout groups on sponsorship. The key factor is to plan far enough ahead so that you can match your event to the time horizon of their funding which is approximately two years and beyond.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Tecumseh, ON
    Posts
    3,268
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Lombard View Post
    Me again, after doing a more indebt search, I see that we have a section on how to start a Chess Club. I'm thinking it should be more in the forefront as a key promotional tool with a forum where the ideas can be expanded on by people in the chess community.
    I think we can use a thread in the English language forum and/or the French language forum to start such a conversation. I am looking to start two such chess clubs in Windsor no later than September to mirror what we did a few years ago. I am scouting locations and already have two or three good prospects and another three or four reasonable ones.
    Last edited by Vladimir Drkulec; 05-28-2018 at 12:42 AM.

  9. #9

    Default

    A good direction in Canadian Chess would be more TD workshops. In Quebec, the FQE organizes such workshops when necessary and I have been a lecturer for beginning LTD during the last Quebec Open. We do have an examination in French that covers both the FIDE and FQE rules. The examination could easily be computerize to be passed remotely. The remote version would be choosing some questions from a large questions bank in order to avoid taking the same examination twice.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Kanata, Ottawa, Ontario
    Posts
    1,227

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pierre Dénommée View Post
    A good direction in Canadian Chess would be more TD workshops. In Quebec, the FQE organizes such workshops when necessary and I have been a lecturer for beginning LTD during the last Quebec Open. We do have an examination in French that covers both the FIDE and FQE rules. The examination could easily be computerize to be passed remotely. The remote version would be choosing some questions from a large questions bank in order to avoid taking the same examination twice.
    For anyone interested in TD/arbiter education, Hal Bond will be leading a FIDE Arbiters Seminar in Guelph on August 10th-12th. The details may already be posted somewhere.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •