New (and first) Welsh Grandmaster

[Michael Flatt]

There's now a statement by the ECF.
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/nigel-davies/

I suppose it's the first public announcement on behalf of the ECF by its new International Director.

That's a welcome statement from the International Director and it would have had more impact had it been from him alone.

The Publicity Manager shouldn't become the story himself. Rather than a statement distancing himself from his reported comments he should have made a personal apology to Nigel Davies regretting that his comments had been misunderstood.

Other than this slight slip Mark Jordon is doing a great job. His posts add much needed colour and interest to the News page of the ECF website.

[JustinHorton]

Comments attributed to me, as they appeared in both the Sunday Telegraph and the Times, do not in any way reflect either my position

Does that mean he didn't say what they said he said?

(I don't particularly mind if he did, but it's a strange correction.)

[LawrenceCooper]

Other than this slight slip Mark Jordon is doing a great job. His posts add much needed colour and interest to the News page of the ECF website.

I was initially very encouraged but haven't seen anything from him (other than the Davies comments) since October 5th. There's been plenty of chess activity involving English players in that time so hopefully something will appear soon.

[NickFaulks]

Does that mean he didn't say what they said he said?

It's not as though anything he was quoted as saying was untrue.

[Roger de Coverly]

It's not as though anything he was quoted as saying was untrue.

Nigel wouldn't be selected for an Open England team, but would be high on a selector's list if he had declared himself available for Over 50 teams, a point mentioned by Malcolm. The ECF must be approaching the point where it could put not just one all GM team in over 50s events, but two.

[Nigel_Davies]

Does that mean he didn't say what they said he said?

It's not as though anything he was quoted as saying was untrue.

I think we are all aware that newspapers are in the business of selling stories and anything you say can be weaved into one and move away from what you originally intended. Mark Jordan contacted me after the articles appeared to assure me that they did not properly represent his views, and I suggested in turn that he issue a public 'clarification'. From the language of his 'clarification' I would say that he did actually say what he was quoted as saying but he did not want to come across as being dismissive of either Welsh chess or me. I also sense he was taken aback by the amount of publicity my transfer (which happened in JULY!) attracted. I hope he will see this as an on the job learning experience and become as good as Malcolm Pein has shown himself to be when dealing with such episodes.

[NickFaulks]

Nigel, since you're here, may I make one more attempt to find out why you moved from Wales to England? I would just like to know.

[Nigel_Davies]

Nigel, since you're here, may I make one more attempt to find out why you moved from Wales to England? I would just like to know.

You mean from England to Wales? The reasons are clearly stated, I'm hoping to do some good for Welsh chess as I felt irrelevant whilst registered with England.

[NickFaulks]

No, I mean from Wales to England.

[Nigel_Davies]

No, I mean from Wales to England.

That never happened. I started with England, moved to Wales in 1989, Wales to Israel in 1991, Israel to England in 1994 and now England to Wales.

[NickFaulks]

Thanks, I had forgotten the intervening period of allegiance to Israel, presumably for the good reason that you lived there. Even so, when you returned to the UK, and presumably your original federation would have welcomed you back, why the decision to transfer to England?

[Nigel_Davies]

Thanks, I had forgotten the intervening period of allegiance to Israel, presumably for the good reason that you lived there. Even so, when you returned to the UK, and presumably your original federation would have welcomed you back, why the decision to transfer to England?

I can't really remember, though after living in Israel and mixing with the Russians for a few years I was quite a serious player (I briefly popped into the World's top 100 on the PCA list). In fact I'd say I was just one small car crash away from getting in the England team, and there was pretty decent money to play for England whilst Welsh players would have to pay their own way, share rooms and could only get Olympiad matches against Morocco etc..

http://tigerchess.com

[Mick Norris]

The ECF must be approaching the point where it could put not just one all GM team in over 50s events, but two.

Short, Nunn, Speelman, Arkell, Hebden, Flear, Plaskett, Wells all born 1965 or earlier
Conquest, Emms, McDonald 1967
Ward 1968

[Stewart Reuben]

Roger >The ECF must be approaching the point where it could put not just one all GM team in over 50s events, but two.<

In the 2015 World 50+ team Championship we fielded 1st team Short, Nunn, Speelman, Arkell, Chapman. 2nd team Plaskett, Flear...i.e. non-GMs, non-IMs.
Short, Nunn, Speelman, Arkell, Hebden, Flear, Plaskett, Wells, Mestel, Levitt, McDonald, Davies, King, Watson, Penrose, Hodgson, Keene, Stean. We also have some strong IMs. The barrier is money, athough the last 4 are totally retired. It is unlikely we will be so strong in 2016.

Had we secured gold in 2015, I had it in mind to discuss our challenging England or the British Isles v Rest of the World. Of course we only got bronze.

I have written before. My memory says that Nigel Davies first played for ENG, then Wales. then ISR, then ENG and now WLS. This is confirmed above. He said to me on the phone when I asked him, as International Dirctor, why he had chosen ENG on his return from Israel was, 'The BCF is the best of a bad lot of federations.'

[Roger de Coverly]

Short, Nunn, Speelman, Arkell, Hebden, Flear, Plaskett, Wells, Mestel, Levitt, McDonald, Davies, King, Watson, Penrose, Hodgson, Keene, Stean.

Only looking at active GMs, we must be getting close to the position that the over 50 GMs outnumber the under 50s.

You are under 50 for FIDE purposes, if you are born in 1966 or later.

This is the list of under 50 active or semi active GMs still registered as ENG

 

McDonald, Neil 2415   1967
 Emms, John M 2463   1967
 Conquest, Stuart C 2510   1967
 Ward, Chris G 2431   1968
 Summerscale, Aaron P 2418   1969
 Adams, Michael 2744   1971
 Sadler, Matthew D 2659   1974
 Parker, Jonathan F 2525   1976
 Gormally, Daniel W 2504   1976
 Williams, Simon K 2439   1979
 Pert, Nicholas 2569   1981
 Haslinger, Stewart G 2508   1981
 Hawkins, Jonathan 2563   1983
 McShane, Luke J 2687   1984
 Gordon, Stephen J 2498   1986
 Jones, Gawain C B 2615   1987
 Howell, David W L 2693   1990

At the age of 25 this year, David Howell still retains the title as currently the youngest English GM.