I am wondering how in-person chess events and brick-and-mortar stores have bounced back in 2022. I'm watching a documentary about chess in NYC during the pandemic, and I was wondering to what extent has it bounced back around the world. It seems to be normal here in India, though it did force my local chess club to go strictly online and decide not to go back to club gatherings to play OTB anymore. Playing online is just not the same...
Here in India, otherwise, it seems to be back to normal. I'm going to a chess tournament to watch (if allowed), and there's a recent video of ChessBase India having a chess gathering in what looks like a mall court area in Mumbaī, which is several hours south of me. I know in Nepāl, it seems to be back to normal. (American caseloads are about 10 times ours in spite of having 1/5 our population)
It's probably going to be different in India as winter approaches simply because as it gets colder in the UK the powers that be are going to become more cautious about new covid variants.
At the moment,things seem to be almost back to normal in all walks of life but we have had an exceptionally mild Autumn up to this last week but as it has suddenly got a little colder, in some areas they are talking about making mask wearing on public transport mandatory again.Possibly an indication of things to come?
Cost issues are more important than the unstoppable COVID in my opinion.
Some people are fortunate to live in an area that has a club or a major tournament once or twice a year but most of us have to travel just to play OTB.
I'll wait until I am going for my Master title to justify the cost and that title is many years from now.
@venda saidI hear you. I wonder about the power situation there in the UK, which isn't good. How does this affect online chess tournaments? I'm getting ready to join AIWCF, which is All India Web Chess Federation. There is also ICCF, International Correspondence Chess Federation. AIWCF can compete at ICCF. I think that ICCF is located in Michigan in America, so it is likely (for the time being) that power outages would not affect ICCF there.
It's probably going to be different in India as winter approaches simply because as it gets colder in the UK the powers that be are going to become more cautious about new covid variants.
@stephanie108 saidThe power cuts are only a possibility at the moment,
I hear you. I wonder about the power situation there in the UK, which isn't good. How does this affect online chess tournaments? I'm getting ready to join AIWCF, which is All India Web Chess Federation. There is also ICCF, International Correspondence Chess Federation. AIWCF can compete at ICCF. I think that ICCF is located in Michigan in America, so it is likely (for the time being) that power outages would not affect ICCF there.
I expect it will depend on how cold it gets
Obviously, without access to the net games would be restricted
@dork saidGood point. I live in the Seattle area. OTB chess here is about 90% back to post - pandemic levels. The players in these events are almost exclusively children and masters but very few mid-level adult players who are finding it difficult to justify the cost of travel, food, and lodging just for 1 weekend event.
Cost issues are more important than the unstoppable COVID in my opinion.
Some people are fortunate to live in an area that has a club or a major tournament once or twice a year but most of us have to travel just to play OTB.
I'll wait until I am going for my Master title to justify the cost and that title is many years from now.