Fundraising in Chess |
| Written by Administrator | ||||
| Thursday, 20 June 2013 | ||||
 by GM Daniel Gormally  I took part in the Scottish blitz championships on June 15 which attracted a strong field, including the legendary Michael Adams, and the German number one Arkady Naditsch. It is the brainchild of Jonathan Edwards, who despite being in his early twenties has managed to attract sponsors to the event, Walkers biscuits and Skyscanners, to name just two, which is why he was able to get two of the best players in the world to play, and also pay out some very decent prize money. The reason I mention this is because it demonstrates how it is possible to attract sponsors to chess. Jonathan as far as I'm aware, rather than contacting every business under the sun, targeted particular companies that he felt might be interested in giving to chess. This got me thinking, if a Uni student can do this, why can't any other organiser in the U.K. do the same? It's a sad fact of life that prizes and conditions in chess tournaments are declining all the time. Organisers need to get off their fat arses and find some sponsorship. Don't be afraid to ask- chess is great, why not sell it as such! I once met a guy who had worked for Smith and Williamson, the insurance firm that used to sponsor the British chess championship. He said that he was surprised that more companies didn't sponsor chess, as it was such a cheap deal for them. You cough up 10 grand or so, which is peanuts for most of these firms, and you get plenty of coverage in the national press, and in the Daily Telegraph chess column, for example. Maybe players such as myself also need to help in this regard. Of course because of the world-wide recession a lot of businesses are reluctant to get involved with any kind of sponsorship full-stop, but there's no harm in trying. GM Daniel Gormally is open for chess lessons. You can contact him using this This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Other posts by GM Danny Gormally: Nurturing a Chess Prodigy The Sad Case of Borislav Ivanov 4NCL Impressions: no country for old men - Part II 4NCL Impressions: no country for old men One move, one line - Part II One move, one line Candidates Final Review & Preview of Upcoming World Championship Match Would Carlsen have beaten Capablanca?
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