tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post4544993068181963301..comments2024-01-02T04:15:27.862-06:00Comments on Broken Pawn: Dear Hank (An Unsolicited Advice Column)Hank Anzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13480992607757364540noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-5741625725333409122014-06-13T14:15:29.572-05:002014-06-13T14:15:29.572-05:00Mathew Jacob writes:
Before you suggest I should a...Mathew Jacob writes:<br /><i>Before you suggest I should advertise more than posting the tournament on the IASCA website, I never pass the flyers and I almost never or rarely e-mail players about my upcoming tournaments because I prefer to leave them alone. I know that they're not my friends so I prefer not to email them about my upcoming tournaments. The chessplayer saying longer time controls attract stronger players has nothing to do with my question.</i><br /><br />Dear Mathew Jacob,<br /> I gently remind that your question was "How do I attract more players to my tournaments?" If you want to "leave the players alone" by not sending reminder emails don't be surprised if they leave your tournaments alone because they didn't check the one and only one place available to find out about your tournament. The people who are coming to your tournaments are your customers not your friends (although it would be nice if they were) and should be treated as customers and never taken for granted.<br /><br /> I realize the one chess player saying longer time controls attract stronger players has nothing to do with your question but you've brought it up twice now. I believe you weren't really asking a question - you were just venting and not really looking for any suggestions so I will leave you to vent....Hank Anzishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480992607757364540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-34087985967626355732014-06-13T14:00:24.093-05:002014-06-13T14:00:24.093-05:00Before you suggest I should advertise more than po...Before you suggest I should advertise more than posting the tournament on the IASCA website, I never pass the flyers and I almost never or rarely e-mail players about my upcoming tournaments because I prefer to leave them alone. I know that they're not my friends so I prefer not to email them about my upcoming tournaments. The chessplayer saying longer time controls attract stronger players has nothing to do with my question.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15567080423430293662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-48325837007498989542014-06-13T13:58:25.798-05:002014-06-13T13:58:25.798-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15567080423430293662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-53253653105809561692014-06-13T13:15:09.755-05:002014-06-13T13:15:09.755-05:00Mathew Jacob writes:
What do you mean no advertisi...Mathew Jacob writes:<br /><i>What do you mean no advertising? One chessplayer told me that longer time control attracts more strong players. I follow his suggestion.</i><br /><br />Dear Mathew Jacob,<br /> I said "no advertising except for posting the tournament on the state chess association web site". Are you doing more than that?<br /><br /> As to the one chess player saying longer time controls attract stronger players, what does that have to do with your question which was "How do I attract more players to my tournaments?" which mentioned nothing about the players strength?Hank Anzishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480992607757364540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-76280860072731725402014-06-13T13:02:17.914-05:002014-06-13T13:02:17.914-05:00What do you mean no advertising? One chessplayer t...What do you mean no advertising? One chessplayer told me that longer time control attracts more strong players. I follow his suggestion.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15567080423430293662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-28458885296224675242014-06-13T09:41:19.323-05:002014-06-13T09:41:19.323-05:00Mathew Jacobs writes:
Dear Hank,
In four years, I...Mathew Jacobs writes:<br /><i>Dear Hank,<br /><br />In four years, I have been struggling to attract more players to my tournaments. The highest number I had in my tournaments in the past is 15. How do I attract more players to my tournaments?<br /><br /><b>Mathew</b></i><br /><br />Dear Mathew Jacob,<br />I notice all your tournaments are of the long variety – starting at 10am and ending at 7:30 to 8:00pm. The only tournament I’ve played in over the past five years that required 9 or 10 hours of chess in one day is the 2012 and 2013 Jackson Opens and I have yet to make it through a full day without begging out of the last round. <br /><br />Have you considered shorter tournaments like the old CyChess series(start at 1 and end by 6:30) which normally had more than 15 players. Another option to consider is to have some unrated tournaments. Last years’ Time Odds Blitz tournaments attracted a number of casual players who never became USCF members but just wanted to play a few hours of chess and there are always a number of players that don’t want to risk their precious rating points in what they consider to be fast time limits. You are having at least two tournaments a month so you should experiment with the format a bit since what you are currently doing is not bringing you the desired results.<br /><br />A far bigger issue than the tournament format is that you have no advertising except for posting the tournament on the state chess association web site. Do you send emails to let people know about your upcoming tournaments? If not, get started. There is a Facebook page called Des Moines Chess Club that you can advertise your tournaments on and the ‘Team Iowa’ group on chess.com is a rich source of players that would likely attend your tournaments especially if they were unrated. The ‘If you build it he will come’ mentality is only a movie myth – you need to do far more advertising to attract more players.Hank Anzishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480992607757364540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-27819555159699138972014-06-13T06:11:00.401-05:002014-06-13T06:11:00.401-05:00Dear Hank,
In four years, I have been struggling ...Dear Hank,<br /><br />In four years, I have been struggling to attract more players to my tournaments. The highest number I had in my tournaments in the past is 15. How do I attract more players to my tournaments?<br /><br />MathewAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15567080423430293662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-64983807719885017122014-06-11T08:22:38.447-05:002014-06-11T08:22:38.447-05:00Thanks Bethany -- I am only here to help...Thanks Bethany -- I am only here to help...Hank Anzishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13480992607757364540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4648558805502760063.post-53702468632028749322014-06-11T06:48:59.963-05:002014-06-11T06:48:59.963-05:00Enjoyable reading Hank! I think I'd prefer yo...Enjoyable reading Hank! I think I'd prefer your answers to Dear Abby any day.Bethany Carsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com