Changes to Georgia Senior

At the meeting of the GCA board last night in the House it was decided to change the format of the previously published Georgia Senior! The round time has been speeded up to G/2, and the round times have been changed. The new round time for the first round is 1 pm, in lieu of the old 11 am. The second round is now at 6 pm, starting one hour later than before. The round times for Sunday are now 10 am and 3 pm, changed from 9:30 am & 3:30 pm. If one goes to the GCA website, http://www.georgiachess.org/ , one will find the new format listed upon clicking on the Senior at the calender, but also the old format upon clicking on "More Info" at the bottom of the page: http://www.georgiachess.org/downloads/2008_Georgia_Senior_Open.pdf One of the strange things concerning this meeting is that one of the board members, after informing me of the changes, was extremely surprised to learn that the changes to the website had ALREADY BEEN MADE BEFORE THE MEETING!

I was told the first round had been moved to the afternoon to allow the "players from SC to drive over Sat morning." When I mentioned it was the "Georgia Senior" I was informed that it was a long drive from Savannah. There's nothing better to prepare yourself for two games of chess than driving for hours! I mentioned that players from out of town could drive in early and stay in a hotel Friday night, but was informed that hotels are expensive and seniors did not have much money. The last round was moved up to allow those very same outta towners to drive home earlier. I have written about my conversations with Seniors all over the country previously. The one thing I have heard most often, is that Seniors do NOT want to play at night! We have more energy early and it begins to fade as the day wears on...I have sent emails concerning this issue, to no avail. As a matter of fact, just a few years ago I expressed my feelings concerning the US Senior to be held in the great state of Tennessee and was told by the Executive Director of the USCF that what I said may be true, but that he intended on running the tournament his way! I told him he would be lucky to get half of the based on 89. There were 43 players...
I cannot understand why these changes have been made at this time. I have been informed that some checks have already been sent in under the impression the format would be what was published. Why the urgency? It is no secret that I have advocated a G/2 format for the Ga Senior. As a matter of fact, I had a talk concerning this issue with the President of the GCA at the ACCC this past weekend and was told that the GCA board was considering instituting a change to a G/2 format for NEXT YEAR! I did overhear Mr Parker asking Mr Vest what he would think of a G/2 format for the Senior, but would never have thought in my wildest dreams that the board, in it's wisdom, would completely revamp the format of a tournament that had already been published!
One thing I kept hearing concerned the response of the Legendary Georgia Ironman, who, as everyone knows, is opposed to a G/2 format. I heard the same thing from several board members regarding Mr Brookshear; that he did not play in the Senior last year. I had to correct them on that, as Tim did, in fact, play in the Ga Senior last year. I have talked with the Ironman and can tell you he is disappointed that the format has been changed and will not attend, although he had made plans to play. He simply cannot understand why the changes have been made if there is no reason, such as a change in venue, like when the Ga State Championship had to be moved to the House. The Ironman did mention that this has not been a particularly good year for the administration of the current President, who, like the captain of a ship, is ultimately responsible for the multiple disasters, including the yet to be published July issue of the award winning GEORGIA CHESS, that have seemed to plague his time at the helm.

CHANGES written by David Bowie

Oh yeah/MmStill dont know what I was waiting for/And my time was running wild/A million dead-end streets and/Every time I thought Id got it made/It seemed the taste was not so sweet/So I turned myself to face me/But Ive never caught a glimpse//Of how the others must see the faker/Im much too fast to take that test/Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes/(turn and face the strain)Ch-ch-changes/Dont want to be a richer man/Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes/(turn and face the strain)Ch-ch-changes/Just gonna have to be a different man/Time may change me/But I cant trace time/I watch the ripples change their size/But never leave the stream/Of warm impermanence/So the days float through my eyes/But stil the days seem the same/And these children that you spit on/As they try to change their worlds/Are immune to your consultations/Theyre quite aware of what theyre going through/Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes/(turn and face the strain)/Ch-ch-changes/Dont tell them to grow up and out of it/Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes(turn and face the strain)/Ch-ch-changes/Wheres your shame/Youve left us up to our necks in it/Time may change me/But you cant trace time/Strange fascination, fascinating me/Ah changes are taking the pace Im going through/Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes/(turn and face the strain)Ch-ch-changes/Oh, look out you rock n rollers/Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes/(turn and face the strain)Ch-ch-changes/Pretty soon now youre gonna get a little older/Time may change me/But I cant trace time/I said that time may change me/But I cant trace time