In the opinion of a number of people, including the webmaster, the Northumberland Congress scheduled for 25th-27th September would have been illegal under the legislation introduced throughout England on 14th September. Now, the congress has been dealt the proverbial “double whammy” with local tightened restrictions being imposed from today over major areas of the North East.

An e-mail from the main organiser, Mike Riding, sent to entrants on the afternoon of 17th September (and kindly forwarded for info by entrant Owen Robson), opened with,

“I am sorry to have to tell you North Tyneside Council have advised we cannot go ahead with the congress against the background of the latest North East lock down measures.”

This is of course sad for the organisers and the players alike, but “there is a pandemic on” (to paraphrase the war-time saying “there is a war on” – similarly with casualties), which ranks higher in importance that “wood-shifting”.

In view of the uncertainties involved, the event has been cancelled, not postponed. Entry fees paid are to be reimbursed forthwith, which the organisers had from the very start said would be the case in such an eventuality.

It has to be said that most congress organisers cancelled their scheduled events months ago, and are putting on hold plans for any future events, in the next few months at least.

Despite that, Castle Chess seems to be pressing ahead with a congress at Fareham, near Portsmouth, on that same weekend. The website currently shows to date only 19 entrants in total across all three sections.

The Harrogate Congress currently scheduled for 23rd-25th October (moved from 25th-27th September to avoid the clash with Northumberland!) is the next congress scheduled within Yorkshire, and it has not yet been cancelled. Quite apart from the legality since 14th September of such social gatherings, the fact that Harrogate is becoming something of a Covid hot spot at present suggests that local tightened restrictions could also be in place there by then.

Organisational zeal and enthusiasm are well and good in their place, but they need to give way to reality at times.