The main concern was that if we didn't stagger the dates for the CIS+VT and SOD Championship, there would be fewer participants in the SOD tournament. However, as the Moscow tournament showed, there was no overlap in players between VT and SOD: Matrosov (+1) – but he wasn't in Odessa (-1), Stinger (played in both versions of the tournament) – but couldn't play (unfortunately), the REST – Kingisepp...
1) The main question probably boils down to the number of SOD players willing to travel to the CIS for the May tournament...
2) What other advantages/disadvantages/difficulties are there in organizing two combined tournaments?
P.S.: May (warm weather/sea...) and January/New Year's... which is more appealing?!