Here are some more winners this weekend at the Susan Polgar National Open Championship for Girls in Corpus Christi, Texas.
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I just see one footage after the other of “the winners” of some tourney for kids. Wht not show the pictures of all of the participants instead, or are you just so fixated on the winners that the ordinary kid is uninteresting? Typical US way of thinking?
Why not ask politely? Susan and the organizers took more than 6,000 pictures from the event. They announced that hundreds of pictures of all participants will be posted in a special picture site for all the players for free. No other organizers would even provide this. So why get obnoxious to Susan and her staff instead of thanking them for doing such a fantastic job? It is jerks like you who ruin chess for all our children.
I would ask politely if I did care about viewing pictures of children. I don´t. I am grateful for the work of Susan and her staff. Without them chess would have been a lot more boring (on the internet at least). Apologize if any of them were insulted. But mya humble question is still uanswered. Are you only interested in the winners? why focus on them all the time- we are talking about kids after all. Where I live (Norway)- we are concerned about treating all kids as winners in such tornaments. Do you? Of course the winners are mentioned somehow, but today i just saw winners all over… and got curious. How do You do it?
And by the way, I hope you are not one of the parental jerks that ruin chess for the children by being obsessed by the winners.
This picture was probably taken at the end of the tournament at the time when prizes are given out. (notice that some of the girls are holding trophies), so it was probably a very convenient time to take a group picture. For the national high school tournament (see earlier in 2006 on this blog) Susan usually does show a picture of all of the participants as there are usually only about 50 (one from state in the US and occasionally other strong players) and because they are older (teenagers) it is easier to get everyone together for a group meeting and photo.
Let’s not make this more than what it is. The girls are obviously happy and it is a nice moment for them. It is not a “typical US way of thinking.” A quick peek around the world at any school’s competition day or any other sort of sport/game day will find pictures of day and usually there will be one of the various winners of prizes. It is nearly a universal act.
It is understandable that some people feel that the winning and losing aspect should not be over emphasized; so I don’t think the comment of anonymous (from Norway) is “being a jerk”, but let’s try not to be perjorative either way.
Winning and losing and in the case of chess, drawing are part of the game. From what I’ve seen and read, this tournament does a lot to promote the idea of participation and the positive aspects of the game for these kids; and really doesn’t worry if the players become future GMs.
Another anonymous from another part of the US
To the person from Norway,
Many junior U.S. tournaments offer
medals as a participation prize.
At least one national elementary
tournament gives trophies to all
Kindergarten and 1st grade participants.
However, I don’t think it is
wrong to pay more attention to
kids who win tournaments or who
are high achievers. If my kid and
I perform poorly at a tournament, we both expect to walk away with no money, trophy, nor publicity.
American chess player
And what kind of country is Norway anyway? Is it rich? Have good schools and education? Car companies, mobile phone companies? Low crime rate, good environment? No wars? Hmm, thought so.
Thanks for your answers. Yes, its true picturing the winners is an universal act. I just wonder if the problem of recruiting kids, and especially girls, to adult-chess, has something to do with our way of organizing chess events. Perhaps dropping out of sports is universal as well. Perhaps more team-events is appropriate if its true that girls are more concerned about the collective elements of chess, (which i think Susan (?)mentioned the other day). Of course chess for kids has ist value in itself, for everybody involved. Dont get me wrong. And nationality (in mind as a typical way of being)probably has nothing to do with it, all though some nations put more value into chess.
Norway is by the way for the 5th time in a row appointed by the UN as the number 1 country in the world what regards economy, health-care, womens rights etc. But we are not a chess nation (togehter with the US) , even after Carlsen popped up. Around here soccer and skiing is the national sports which gets the media attention.
Perhaps trying to recruit those who already know the rules is one way of getting more people to play competitive chess- the grown ups. In addition to chess for kids of course.