Greater Toronto Chess League

Minutes

Saturday, January 29, 2005
Location: in the Library of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, GOMT, 86 Overlea Blvd.

Executives present:

• Nicholas Varmazis, Treasurer (Willowdale Chess Club)
• Caesar Posylek, and Chess League Co-ordinator (Polonia Chess Club)
• Mark Dutton, Director of Communications
• Erik Malmsten, Secretary
• Barry Thorvardson, President (Brampton Chess Club, OCA President)
• Martin Jaeger, Director at Large (CFC Past President)
• Michael Barron, Vice-president

Chair: Barry Thorvardson, Minutes: Erik Malmsten, Coffee and cookies: Nicholas Varmazis

Agenda

1. Tartu events
2. Toronto Closed
3. Lotto Bonus
4. GTCL AGM scheduling
5. OCA update on Trillium bid
6. Ontario Open bid for 2006
7. Any team tourney concerns
8. Any financial concerns - Financial Statement as of January 31, 2005 click here.
9. Web stats
10. Toronto history project
11. Other business

Discussion

1. Tartu events

For several years there were no GTCL events except for team matches, so last year's series of weekend events successfully increased CFC rated chess activity in Toronto. Every event had more than 60 people and the fall ones higher. The advantage of this site over a club is that it can handle higher turnouts.
Upcoming dates:

• February 18-20 Ontario Women/ Senior, premier/reserves, active organized by Martin Jaeger.
• March 18-19 or 12-13 (March Break) Toronto Class Championship organized by the Brampton CC. BGC has a FIDE tourney over both those weekends. Ontario Closed will be in Ottawa March 4-6.
  Tentative bookings in April and May have been cancelled as too many tournaments weaken attendance. Ontario Open will be in Ottawa, May 21-23.
• July 1- 3 organized by Bryan Lamb, Scarborough Chess Club.
• Oct 8-10, tentative, Thanksgiving Open organized by Chess N Math.

The Tartu rates have tripled, $5 a day per player for 60 players. Martin notes that he could get a condominium recreation room in Scarborough for an event run by him. Mark notes cleaning, security and insurance concerns. The Miles Nadel Jewish Community Centre near Tartu has expressed interest in providing space and there will be a new chess school in the area.

2. Toronto Closed

Last fall, the GTCL failed to contact the Bayview Games Club to negotiate the conditions for running Toronto's most important annual individual event, the Toronto Closed this January. Similar to last year's successful event at the BGC, the GTCL was going to offer a $400 organizing fee plus pay the rating fees (for the top two sections), providing that there are no visitor fees (for the top two sections). The BGC went ahead with a round-robin event but advertised that non-members would have to pay a $40 non-prize fund visitors fee. Times 48 players this is a take of $1,920. CFC Master's Rep Eddie Urquhart wrote us that the new higher entry fee (last few years it was $60) and visitors fee are unacceptable. Michael reports that all 16 players paid the same but he didn't know how many weren't BGC members. Michael himself couldn't play twice a week. Few masters entered the BGC event and as it's not a 12 player section it doesn't conform to the structure of the Toronto Closed.

A. Proposed to accept the BGC event as the Toronto Closed
Proposal A defeated 4-2.

B. Proposed to defer to the next GTCL executive whether to hold a Toronto Closed in the fall.
Proposal B passed 4-2.

The BGC can call their club event the Toronto Closed in their CFC report but it's not the officially sanctioned GTCL Toronto Closed and we will not initiate legal action on the name.

3. Lotto Bonus

A. The Open section hasn't attracted the stronger players despite the increasing bonus prize. Something like $2,500 still in the pot. There was a perceived negative factor in taking away prize money from the lower prizes. Can it be divided into $300 prizes for this year's tourneys? As it was collected with the intent to pay out perfect scores, that purpose can't be changed unless by a vote at the annual meeting.

Proposed to discontinue collecting money for the Lotto Bonus prize pot, but to continue awarding perfect scores. Once won, the Lotto Bonus prize for that section will no longer exist.
Proposal passed 6-0.
Tournaments eligible for the Lotto Bonus:

• March
• July 1
• Labour Day
• Thanksgiving

B. A Grand Prix, one point per win added up over several tournaments, has been successfully used in other parts of Ontario and was used by the GTCL 12 years ago. Today it's easier to keep track of the points by using the CFC's online rating database. At the same four tourneys listed in A, instead of collecting 10% of the entry fees for a Lotto Bonus, 5% will be collected and awarded to the top player in each class after the four events, something like $250 for Open, then $200, $150, $150, $150. Proposal passed 6-0.

4. GTCL Annual General Meeting scheduling

Martin suggests that to not interfere with any tournament games, the AGM will be held on a non-tournament weekend. Saturday April 16, 1 pm, same place as this meeting. Executives will prepare reports and past on to the President by February 28. Barry won't be running again, focusing on the OCA. Erik will prepare a letter to invite all clubs and the CFC Master's Rep to ask how the GTCL can help them meet their goals and bring their ideas to the meeting. It would be valuable to also get input from Chess n Math and school teachers.

5. OCA update on Trillium bid

T his fall the OCA will be getting a 2-year Trillium grant for York-Simcoe. This money will help events north of Steeles and will also attract corporate sponsorship. The OCA would also like to get revenue from a Nevada style lottery ticket.

6. Ontario Open bid for 2006

The annual Ontario Open, May 24 weekend, gets $500 from the OCA. For a bid we need to assign a Tournament Director and site.
Proposal to apply passed 6-0.

7. Any team tourney concerns

It's been a good league, tough competition. Willowdale will play all their home games away.

8. Any financial concerns

Nicholas and Barry exchanged cheques and clarified any mysteries. $308 OCA Rebate received.
Financial Statement as of January 31, 2005 click here.

9. Web stats

Mark has been diligent at updating the website. Erik mentioned the need for stats to monitor results of marketing and give measurable goals. Barry will pass along to all the executives how to link to the info.

10. Toronto history project

Erik has almost finished collecting old Globe and Star chess columns onto CDs and has made notes on the history of chess in Toronto and Ontario since 1846. The first Canadian Chess Association tournament was in Toronto in 1873, the first Ontario Chess Association meeting in Toronto in 1880. The Toronto Chess League was formed in 1899 by three clubs. In 1910 there were eight players in the Toronto Ladies Championship. There is too much information for a history page on the GTCL website, but one interesting table is of the total points of all the players who've played in the last 40 years. This might encourage current players to increase their totals to rise up the all-time list. The top players are IMs Day, Fuster, Nickoloff and Vranesic. Mark suggests that some missing totals from the 1990s may be obtained from Vujosevic and that making a Toronto database from the columns may qualify as community service for teenagers.

11. Other Business

• The GTCL will be asked to support a bid for the 2006 Canadian Closed, same as this past one but with 11 rounds. The 2006 Canadian Open will be in Kitchener.
• There is a boardroom downtown available for a small closed event. Also High Park Chess Club.
• Brampton has played an Internet match with Ottawa and is planning to play B.C..
• With regards to conflicts, a desired approach is to criticize privately, praise publicly.
• The new executive will need to solicit bids for the Toronto Speed Chess Championship.
• People haven't seen the CityPulse chess report, so Mark will copy