A major factor for older players is the tournament schedule they sign up for. Organizers have discovered that playing nine games in five days saves money on the venue, and many players will also appreciate the condensed format because they can save on hotel costs and the number of days off they have to take. Yet for older players, who may have less stamina, such formats can be a kiss of death.
Even in a single game, older players can tire after a few hours. If there are two games in a day this tiredness is going to be amplified, and if this happens for a number of consecutive days you can expect to be exhausted. A faster time limit might help a bit, four hour games are considerably less exhausting then those which can last for seven. Also the strength of opposition can be a factor, playing stronger opposition is going to be considerably harder.
What schedules will I go for? Generally I'm OK with a typical weekend tournament of a game on Friday night and then two on Saturday and Sunday. Nine games in six days is also OK, it means three double round days and three with just one. Yet I'd still say that my favourite format has to be nine games in nine days and maybe having a rest day if it's taking part in an interesting place.
Vimeo Closing Its Video On Demand
Unfortunately Vimeo is closing its Video On Demand service in November, so I'll no longer be offering any titles through them. Those who have purchased one of my videos on this platform will be able get access to the materials at Tiger Chess by sending me their receipt.
Sam's Youtube Chanel
My son Sam runs a Youtube channel in which he streams his live games on chess.com. This shows considerably more bravery than I'm able to muster, so please check it out and subscribe. I think he's doing a nice job.
Upcoming Events
This is how things look right now having withdrawn my availability for the European Senior Team Championships. I might get invited to the English Senior Championships in October, in which case I will probably play:
August 1-9: British Championships, Coventry, UK
I've accepted an invitation to this one (the Championship itself) and look forward to playing.
August 21-23: Manchester Summer Congress, Bolton UK
This is a long standing event which is now run in a nice venue and with good prizes. Details can be found here.
September 25-27: Hull 4NCL
The 4NCL Congresses are always well run, so I'll be playing in this one. Details can be found here.
October 23-25: Scarborough Congress
I'm intending to play in this one if I can. Details are here.
October 26-31: English Senior Championships, Peterborough
This is also up in the air unless and until I get invited. Details can be found here.
Tiger Chess Themed Training Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis at Lichess, featuring selected opening variations. You can check out what's coming up here.
Have a good weekend.
Nigel
