Ghent and now the British! |
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Thursday, 01 August 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
by GM Danny Gormally I just finished playing a tournament in the lovely Belgian city of Ghent, which is part of the famous festival there which takes place over ten days, and attracts around two million people. Sitting outside in a café sipping a beer, flirting with the sexy waitress, watching beautiful European girls go by in tiny denim shorts, it's a hard life. However my views of the actual tournament were mixed. For a start I didn't understand why it wasn't FIDE-rated. I put in an enormous amount of effort, got 7/9 and under normal circumstances would have gained about eight ratings points, but as it was gained none, and came away with a paltry 105. The tournament was surprisingly strong, there were 7/8 grandmasters playing when there was very little in the way of conditions, and because of the high amount of players, 250 plus (although in the past there's been as many as 450) you really knew deep down you'd have to get more than 7 to win a decent prize. Two players tied for first with 7.5/9, Sedlak and Sanchez, and no doubt came away happy, but the other GMs won virtually nothing. You can't help but think that matters must be pretty desperate for so many Grandmasters to turn up to an event that isn't even fide rated. Are we chasing after an increasingly dwindling pot? I noticed that of the other Grandmasters playing, no one else really bothered to go out and partake in the festival, I certainly did not see them around, which can only mean they were there for the money. Recently I spoke to a 2650 Grandmaster who shocked me, when he said he only made £18,000 last year. That's less than you get for working in McDonalds! He said it's only worth keeping going as a chess pro, because of the possibility of reaching 2700 and breaking into the big time. For players like myself, the financial outlook is even more bleak. Still looking on the bright side, I have now left Ghent and am encamped in the equally glorious setting of Torquay, preparing to play the British Chess championship, which has attracted a very strong field. Fingers crossed for a better outcome than Belgium. 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: I'll never be fat again! Lessons learnt! The sad case of Borislav Ivanov: Part II Does Anyone Have a Cure for Anger Problems? The Depth of Chess Fundraising in chess 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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