Dear Friends in the Chess Community,

I have been providing brief online news coverage of international chess events for almost 10 years now. And it seems that every single time there is a major chess event, we are missing some of the information that fans are most interested in!

My goal is simple: I would like to help you promote your event. The audience for Duif's Place is mostly amateurs, and because of that, I think we have a good understanding of what general fans and general interest media would like to know.

Of course we know you'll provide player bios and basic event information. Serious chess fans want more details, though. It would help tremendously in the promotion of our sport if every major chess event would provide a one page press release on their official Website with the following information.

In each case you may want to link to a detailed explanation elsewhere on your site. But it would help so much if you would provide a single organizational page for journalists that tells us exactly where to find this information on your site, because these are the questions that we always get from fans once the event has started. The easier you make it for journalists to find this information, the more coverage you will get.

Think of this page as part of the "press packet" for chess journalists who come to your Website. It's fine if it provides links to information that you've already provided elsewhere, but by organising it in one place around the questions that journalists get most often from their own audiences, you help improve the quality of the coverage to everyone's advantage.

1. Playing schedule with date and time of each round. This can be a link to a detailed playing schedule elsewhere on the site, but at least give the date and time for the first round on the summary page.

2. Names and country federations of the players. Again, this can be a link to a player list on the site. If there were qualifying conditions or events, an indication of how each player qualified is also helpful. Otherwise just "The field was selected by invitation of the organizers" will do.

3. Prize Fund, both in total and breakdown by places

4. Time control

5. Tiebreak to be used if needed. If this will be a playoff, either the format of the playoff (including number of games, time control, impact on the prize fund, etc), or a date when the format will be decided, with details posted at that time.

6. Qualifier opportunities. If this event is a qualifier for another later event, please list the details if known. For example, "The top 3 players from this event will qualify for..." If a tiebreak will be required for qualifying, please indicate the format, or the date on which the format will be decided.

7. Names of official sponsors for the event. Names of the rating organisations (FIDE, etc). If the event is not rated, please say so.

8. Equipment being used. We get asked every single time about the type of chess timers, sets, and if sensory boards are being used. While these details may not seem important to most people, there are definitely some fans at every event who want to know. It's a small thing, but it helps bring the event alive for those following remotely.

9. Rules for any special prizes awarded, such as brilliancy prizes. This should include the rules for judging, who the judges are, the type of award (money amount, trophy, etc), when the judging takes place, and how it is announced.

10. Names, Titles, and Qualifications for official analysts/commentators provided at your site. "Chess Journalist" will do as a qualification for a general commentator. Fans also want to know if there is a way they can send a question to your analysts, even after the round is over.

11. Internet coverage. Internet locations, if any, for: official site; live games; photo gallery; webcam; GM analysis.

12. The Category of the Event & Norm Opportunities. If title norms are likely to be a matter of audience interest, please indicate what the required performances would be in your event. (For a Swiss, you may want to say "Some FIDE norms may be available in this event, but it will depend on the specific opponents faced." or "No norm opportunities are available in this event." as appropriate. Note that even the negative statement of "no norm opportunitities" is helpful to journalists covering the event.) This is a question that comes up every time there is a young IM playing in a primarily GM event--if you can help us provide these details, you can help increase interest in the event.

13. What players do in between rounds. This question also comes up at every event. This can be very general, but fans always ask, so if you know, tell us. This can be something as simple as "On rest days, many players take advantage of local recreational activities like swimming, tennis, and the many fine restaurants in the area." It can be more specific: this is a good opportunity for cross-promotion, if players will be attending a children's event, doing radio interviews, holding press conference, etc. (Again, this can be a link to other pages on your site or the venue's site--just don't assume journalists will automatically find this on their own.)

14. Appearance fees, if this is public information. I realize this is often confidential, but fans are interested in knowing. All I'm asking here is that if you would answer the question for a journalist at the event itself, please make the information available on your official Website as well.

15. Procedures for drug testing, if these apply to your event. Again, I don't mean confidential information--but if you would provide the information to a journalist on location, please also provide it to journalists using your Internet site.

16. Player entourages. For major qualifier events, or for events involving the top 50 world players, we are often asked if there are seconds, coaches, trainers, etc. attending. This is good information to provide if you have it.

17. Past Winners. It is helpful if we know at least the winner in each previous year that your event has been held. (Again, this would normally be a link to "history of the event.") This helps give some historical depth to coverage. At the very least, please list the defending champion (the prior year's winner).

18. Ticket information. We are usually asked: a) how much do tickets cost? b) How do people get tickets? c) how big has the audience been in the past? d) how big is the audience for this event? Sometimes this is a request from people who do want to attend, sometimes it's a request from people who might want to attend next year, and sometimes it's just part of getting a fuller picture of the event. It's good information to provide if you have it.

19. Contact information. Phone and FAX numbers for press contacts. If available, an email address where press inquiries can be sent is especially helpful.

20. Photo & Logo use policy. Many chess sites would like permission to use one photo per round that links to the official site. Also, many chess sites would like to use the official logo of the event as a link to the official site. If you can state your policy on this, it would be very helpful. Events that provide a photo gallery for use by other sites under these conditions (the other site may select one photo per round, and the photo must link back to the official site) generally find their coverage much increased.

I know that many of you are concerned about overburdening the general interest media with too many details, for example on time controls and tiebreaks. But I can assure you that chess fans do want to know! Perhaps this could be published under the title: "Detailed Event Information for Chess Journalists."

So that's what serious chess fans will need. For more ideas on promoting to mainstream audiences, see my article at Chessbase, "The Dark Secret to Promoting Chess."

I know chess organizing is a difficult, time-consuming, and often thankless job. Please know that your efforts ARE very much appreciated by the chess community at large. We love following these events, both for the quality of the games and the sporting interest of the competitions. Getting these details helps fans follow the event more easily, and builds interest in the sport that helps all of us in the chess community.

Sincerely,
Duif

p.s. My thanks to Mark Crowther of The Week in Chess for helping to review this checklist.