Chess Players Requests

[Carl Hibbard]

I have removed the email address from the original post, publishing the email is perhaps acceptable but including the address is not

[Joey Stewart]

I can see his point about it being a bit unusual to be paired against girls - I always find them difficult opponents to play against, simply because it is such a rarity and that in itself can play on the mind and allow mistakes to creep in.

The thing about surnames, however, is preposterous - if somebody turns up with a wacky surname that they have written on paper (often badly, in my experience) then they should be honoured that I even had a punt at trying to pronounce it - it makes me so cross to see all these russian names creeping into western society. I dont mind the nice short ones, but anything with strange accents or upwards of five syllables then forget it - I just give them a nickname!

[Roger de Coverly]

I've never published an email before in my life, but these comments are so outrageous that, in my opinion, it is in the wider chess interest to publish this persons views.

Actually the second set of views is common in a number of sports. Wasn't there a "Mind Sports" event in China just after the 2008 Olympics which had separate Mens and Womens events "because it was a sport and IOC rules demanded it"?

Here's the web page for the 2012 edition
http://www.imsaworld.com/wp/events-cale ... ames-2012/

The entry form for the 2008 chess is here
http://www.fide.com/images/stories/wmsg ... rm_ind.xls

Personally I think it a backward step for FIDE to be involved with an organisation which doesn't run competitions open to both men and women. In fact the segregation issue must be ticking away underneath sports in general, particularly mind sports as presumably you need to seek an exemption from various equality laws. Only where physical exertion is required can segregation be justified.

[Alex Holowczak]

I've never published an email before in my life, but these comments are so outrageous that, in my opinion, it is in the wider chess interest to publish this persons views.

Actually the second set of views is common in a number of sports. Wasn't there a "Mind Sports" event in China just after the 2008 Olympics which had separate Mens and Womens events "because it was a sport and IOC rules demanded it"?

Well, they don't demand it in Three-Day Eventing, or Equestrianism. Or in the Mixed Doubles in things like Tennis/Badminton.

Michele Mouton nearly won the World Rally Championship one year.

[Roger de Coverly]

Well, they don't demand it in Three-Day Eventing, or Equestrianism. Or in the Mixed Doubles in things like Tennis/Badminton.

Equestrian events are exemptions, even in the Olympics. Notwithstanding Mixed Doubles, the male events are exclusive, not "open" in Tennis and Badminton as far as I'm aware. Even the Mind Sports event had a mixed doubles, a two player team.

You get the periodic report about football along the lines of "female star banned from team". I gather the FA has mixed football but only below a relatively young age.

http://www.womensviewsonnews.org/2011/0 ... ball-team/

If there was a parliamentary chess team, it wouldn't ban Rachel Reeves.

[David Sedgwick]

.... presumably you need to seek an exemption from various equality laws.

For an example, albeit on a different aspect, please see my Report at http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... e-2012.pdf

[Roger de Coverly]

For an example, albeit on a different aspect, please see my Report

What is the legal position on segregating events between men and women in intellectual games? Physical sports allow it, in many cases, IOC for example, insist on it. How does that get through the equality laws?

[Joey Stewart]

By the way, I forgot to mention earlier that I fully support sean in his decision to name and shame dubious members of the chess community.

Frequently I see posts where people try to keep an enemy anonymous by saying "what would happen if there was 'a player' involved in a dispute?". It is always is obvious in these cases that there is a single individual involved who has caused the trouble and needs to be publically shamed and hopefully brought back in line with the rest of us, rather then everybody needing to go to lenghty debate and trying to come up with yet another rule to prevent that incident from happening again.

So yes, put their names down and show their true colours to the world - it is the only way to change backwards opinions - rather then being ever so british and grumbling in private and achieving absolutely nothing. Perhaps including an email was going a bit far, in this ocasion, but I do think that it was the right thing to do, assuming of course that it was a serious email and not just a bit of a prank.

[Geoff Chandler]

Agree the email address etc. should have been left out but as
the lad mentioned his name then that has to stay.

It's a wind up.

I use to send such covering letters with entries.
I want my game roped off, my own private door in and out of the building.
If I'm refused entry into the Open then I want to play in the girls u-8 etc...

Sometimes I fired off letters to teams we were to meet in the league.
Our board 5 is a German ex-pow please no mention of the war
and remove any pictures of Winston Churchill you may have on display.

Our board 2 has a highly contagious disease can he play in a different room,
advise your team member to wear gloves. etc...etc...

The bit about not playing women is good, however when I worked for Scottish Gas
there were cases of men refusing on religious grounds to discuss their account
with a woman. It had to be a man they spoke to. The company always complied.

Never used the religious angle before in one of my letters.
Think next time I'll say I have two members of the Harrik Religion in my team
and their boards must be facing South West. I will of course bring a compass to
ensure accuracy in this matter.

[Joey Stewart]

He he, those are quite good.

When I was at university I wanted to enter a team into the league who would be allowed to all wear masks, to protect their identity - it would have given a good opportunity to be able to play higher rated guys in low teams (I think at the time there had been some cheating going on and I wanted a way to get revenge on the team responsible)
I never really thought up a story I felt was convincing enough to be able to push that idea though.

[Peter D Williams]

By the way, I forgot to mention earlier that I fully support sean in his decision to name and shame dubious members of the chess community.

Frequently I see posts where people try to keep an enemy anonymous by saying "what would happen if there was 'a player' involved in a dispute?". It is always is obvious in these cases that there is a single individual involved who has caused the trouble and needs to be publically shamed and hopefully brought back in line with the rest of us, rather then everybody needing to go to lenghty debate and trying to come up with yet another rule to prevent that incident from happening again.

So yes, put their names down and show their true colours to the world - it is the only way to change backwards opinions - rather then being ever so british and grumbling in private and achieving absolutely nothing. Perhaps including an email was going a bit far, in this ocasion, but I do think that it was the right thing to do, assuming of course that it was a serious email and not just a bit of a prank.

So long as there is clear evidence to name and shame any individual who has caused problems.Otherwise you may get people named via hear say or just because a chess organizer did not like them!It was correct to show the email and the out dated views this person appears to have unless it was a joke email or not written by him.
You would also not be able to name and shame a junior who had caused trouble or had backward opinions such as the junior caught over alleged cheating at an E2 E4 event.This junior can still play in chess events and his opponent would have no idea that this junior had been accused of cheating.

One bit of good news is that carol going to make anther cake this weekend shame you can not taste it

[Joey Stewart]

So long as there is clear evidence to name and shame any individual who has caused problems.Otherwise you may get people named via hear say or just because a chess organizer did not like them!It was correct to show the email and the out dated views this person appears to have unless it was a joke email or not written by him.
You would also not be able to name and shame a junior who had caused trouble or had backward opinions such as the junior caught over alleged cheating at an E2 E4 event.This junior can still play in chess events and his opponent would have no idea that this junior had been accused of cheating.

One bit of good news is that carol going to make anther cake this weekend shame you can not taste it

If I had someone cheat against me, junior or otherwise, and it was proven then their name would be going right up on this forum.

P.S. Since I am missing out on this cake, and you sound like you would very much like for me to try some, can you bring me a piece next time peter is playing in the 4ncl. I will track you down.... dont you worry about that.

[Sean Hewitt]

I don't quite understand how both of the following quotes could be true!!

Oh well, you'll get over it.

[Sean Hewitt]

Now that you've made a joke, perhaps you might like to respond (??)

I have responded. You made a statement. I commented on that statement. Did you mean to ask a question?

[Peter D Williams]

Joey Stewart says-If I had someone cheat against me, junior or otherwise, and it was proven then their name would be going right up on this forum.

P.S. Since I am missing out on this cake, and you sound like you would very much like for me to try some, can you bring me a piece next time peter is playing in the 4ncl. I will track you down.... dont you worry about that.[/quote]

You would not know that you where playing a junior who had been accused of cheating as i believe the E2 E4 chess organizers would not say who it was.As far as i am aware this junior can still enter chess events with his/her opponents unaware that this person had been accused of cheating.

You will not find Peter at any 4ncl chess as he does not play in it or many other chess events so i doubt you will find us.Carol does bake a rather good cake shame you wont get to taste it