Only Thimphu?

Why chess tournaments are ‘only’ held in Thimphu.

Over the last few years, as the Bhutan Chess Federation (BCF) has become more active, we have frequently heard the question, "Why are chess tournaments only held in Thimphu?" There are several practical reasons why all the tournaments have been concentrated in Thimphu and not in other towns across Bhutan.

 

The main reasons are as follows:

1. Location of the BCF Office: The BCF office, along with our staff and volunteers, is based in Thimphu. This makes organizing events here more convenient and cost-effective.

2. Logistical Costs: Organizing a tournament outside Thimphu, such as in Bumthang, would require additional expenses, including travel and accommodation for our team. These costs significantly increase the overall expense of hosting events.

3. Limited Funding from the Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC): In the past two years, the BCF has received only Nu 30,000 and Nu 60,000, which is barely sufficient to cover our basic expenses.

4. Minimal Support from FIDE: We also receive limited financial support from FIDE, with an annual project-based grant of only €5,000.

As you can see, the primary reason we are unable to organize events outside of Thimphu is due to funding constraints.

We have attempted to address these financial limitations by encouraging chess enthusiasts to volunteer as local organizers. The BCF is willing to provide technical support, including:

5. Implementing the Swiss system for tournament pairings.

6. Making announcements on social media.

7. Providing financial assistance to supplement the funds raised locally by organizers (though please note that the support we can offer is minimal due to our limited resources).

Another challenge we face is determining if there are enough players in other regions of Bhutan. For example, if we were to organize a tournament in Mongar, Samdrupjongkhar, Gelephu, or Phuntsholing, would we be able to attract around 20 participants? While some might suggest that we would only know after trying, our experience in Thimphu suggests that gathering 20 players could be challenging. Moreover, costs would rise substantially unless a local organizer who understands the community and can mobilize players works closely with the BCF.

We hope you can understand that while we are enthusiastic about organizing tournaments in different parts of Bhutan, we need the active participation of local communities. Therefore, we appeal to all chess enthusiasts living outside Thimphu to reach out and collaborate with us to organize tournaments in your area.

Together, we can make it happen. We look forward to hearing from you!

We are waiting for your call.

Lets make it happen.....