tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post1548299573048555162..comments2023-12-28T02:11:22.501+00:00Comments on The Streatham & Brixton Chess Blog: An evening with Ilya MerenzonTom Chivershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09850710685193416732noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-91171455750573681842015-11-27T07:01:10.007+00:002015-11-27T07:01:10.007+00:00This is the same company that by contract with FID...This is the same company that by contract with FIDE must be the "sole and exclusive organiser" of the Championship Cycle events (Annex 11, 2012 General Assembly), yet was pushing "co-organization" possibilities all over its brochures for the Candidates just recently. Maybe one can give Merenzon a bit of leeway after Paulson left (or fled), but the FIDE/Agon interaction is getting more and more murky in my opinion (how did the Blitz and Rapid get under its control?), but I can't expect any FIDE groupies to inquire about this though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-19454374401730760232015-11-16T09:27:39.634+00:002015-11-16T09:27:39.634+00:00We established that the survey in question used a ...We established that the survey in question used a very loose definition of "playing chess". To compare that total to other sports, games and pastimes, you would have to count their participants using a similar very loose definition. For example that you counted as a "footballer" if at least once a year, you kicked a ball a few times. <br /><br />Their numbers might be valid for the countries they sampled. Why though, is it justified to extrapolate to the rest of the world? <br /><br />"Hard" numbers are known, if not published, for those playing chess. You count the numbers playing in chess sufficiently organised to have a rating system. You can include school events where the headcount of participants is logged even if without a formal performance measurement. <br /><br />Agon is an independent commercial organisation. If it bases its business plans on fantasy numbers, that is to an extent its own problem were it not for its associations with the International and National Chess Federations.<br /><br />RdCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37675897.post-35814432005611349532015-11-15T17:04:24.631+00:002015-11-15T17:04:24.631+00:00This is hilarious. It would be great if they were...This is hilarious. It would be great if they were to reply and you could get a whole string of runaround emails. But I have a horrible feeling this is the last you'll hear from them.Andrew Gelmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02715992780769751789noreply@blogger.com