Search found 153 matches

by Sebastian Stone
Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:12 pm
Forum: Not Chess!
Topic: How many chess players does it take to change a light bulb?
Replies: 34
Views: 6025

Re: How many chess players does it take to change a light bu

Roger dC If the ECF hadn't introduced universal membership the light bulb wouldn't need to be changed at all. Paul Dupré We need to have monthly changing of light bulbs as a minimum. Anybody who uses an iterative process to change light bulbs is an idiot. Matthew Turner What do 4NCL players feel a...
by Sebastian Stone
Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:09 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: OMOV or an elected Council?
Replies: 78
Views: 15402

Re: OMOV or an elected Council?

The membership of this board might give some clues. Someone (Ian Kingston I think) gave some useful analysis. That was David Robertson, I think, in the '100,000 posts' thread. Despite the inaccurate post of pip-squeak Giddins which he seems unable to correct it does appear 613 members have posted a...
by Sebastian Stone
Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:16 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: County websites
Replies: 10
Views: 1825

Re: County websites

by Sebastian Stone
Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:57 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.
Replies: 87
Views: 9639

Re: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.

Do Sidmouth even play in the Devon league? No, just the Exeter and District league. Surely they aren't running a 23 round internal championship? 24 players in a Swiss maybe, but how would 23 rounds get played? Most clubs I've been a member of have struggled with 6. It is an all play all division an...
by Sebastian Stone
Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:48 am
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.
Replies: 87
Views: 9639

Re: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.

I'm unsure how having to pay £9 extra (more if they wish to play in congresses) can be considered a 'bargain'.

Good news though, I'm pleased to announce the vast majority of those who are playing this year (at my club) will be bronze members or higher.

So, MO wins, I guess. :|
by Sebastian Stone
Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:39 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.
Replies: 87
Views: 9639

Re: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.

Yes, a bargain. For example, my club has gone from paying £3 in grading fees per player to absolutely nothing! These savings were duly passed on to the membership in the form of a £3 discount in membership fees. That sounds like a club where the players are much less active than on average. Do yo...
by Sebastian Stone
Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:28 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.
Replies: 87
Views: 9639

Re: ECF membership & clubs' internal games.

Fair enough. But inflation increments are not the only form of increase the ECF is capable of introducing. Last year's increase, described as "a fundamental change to the ECF funding model", clocked in at 244.8%. As I said, the increase in game fee was £1.42 per result. That increase must be viewe...
by Sebastian Stone
Sat Jul 28, 2012 4:35 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: British Championships 2012 - Games
Replies: 746
Views: 54832

Re: British Championships 2012 - Games

Is there a site where you can go and play over games from previous rounds? I could download the pgns, but before I do that, I wanted to check I'm not missing something on the official site. I know some events and sites do provide online playback facilities so that casual browsers can play through g...
by Sebastian Stone
Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:12 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACKPOOL MINOR
Replies: 63
Views: 8752

Re: THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACKPOOL MINOR

Considering the availability of internet chess is it really sensible to assume that someone will decline just because they are not playing OTB chess?
by Sebastian Stone
Mon Feb 20, 2012 11:13 am
Forum: Not Chess!
Topic: World economy
Replies: 28
Views: 4236

Re: World economy

[ There's no "recovery" in the USA. It's political rhetoric backed by statistical sleight-of-hand... I've said more than enough about the political why and wherefore on this subject in this forum and other places, and there is a growing sense that one needs to be careful what one says on the record...
by Sebastian Stone
Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:48 pm
Forum: Chess Development
Topic: Why do we have draw offers?
Replies: 15
Views: 12222

Re: Why do we have draw offers?

If one were to ask 100 people who don't play chess why they don't I wonder how many would reply "because in chess you can draw at any stage".
by Sebastian Stone
Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:20 am
Forum: Junior Chess
Topic: BEWARE – Chess Coaching Scams
Replies: 92
Views: 18024

Re: BEWARE – Chess Coaching Scams

Is this forum incapable of conducting debates without someone closing their account?
by Sebastian Stone
Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:11 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Who to invite to a chess tournament?
Replies: 14
Views: 2373

Re: Who to invite to a chess tornament?

Vishy Anand
Hikaru Nakamura
Hou Yifan
Fabiano Caruana
Veselin Topalov
by Sebastian Stone
Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:26 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: My Resignation
Replies: 305
Views: 36847

Re: My Resignation

Question.

How much longer is this insane farce going to continue?
by Sebastian Stone
Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:10 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: New grades are out
Replies: 68
Views: 8564

Re: New grades are out

The problem as I see it is this. My performance last year was inconsistent, I did well in my club and badly outside. Using the current dating system my club games have been virtually ignored. So this means that despite me performing at an average of 147 through 30 games I have had 15 games at an av...