My Resignation

[John Upham]

It would appear that Lara has acquired her own hash tag viz: http://hashtags.org/larabarnes

What does this mean John?

A hashtag is a Twitter means of labelling at least one subject of a tweet.

For example, one could tweet about chess and by using the #chess hashtag one would allow the tweeter to draw attention to any Tweets with chess as at least one of the subjects.

http://hashtags.org/chess is a way of tracking tweets about chess, for example.


So our dear friend tweeted today using that hashtag. Perhaps he wishes to draw attention to them?

[Roger de Coverly]

Perhaps, but raising the same issues - where did the money come from? where did it go?

There is a point here. Both the joint managers of the 2011 British have experience of events where payments are made to players for their participation in addition to prize-money. As such they will have been familiar with the accounting, taxation and documentation requirements of the various interested parties. It's only recently become public through the intervention of Steve Giddins, but I believe that both have reservations about how the sponsorship money for the 2011 British was handled. As the Darwin money went through the ECF, there's also a legitimate concern for the voting members, in other words Council, and also the guarantors, who are the both the bodies represented on Council and also individuals who signed the "white form".

In retrospect, the answers to these questions given at the 2011 AGM were at best incomplete and at worst seriously misleading.

(edit) talking of Gidders, he says at http://stevegiddinschessblog.wordpress. ... elis-rule/

I also understand that he (CJ) paid Ray Keene’s expenses for attending the opening ceremony.

How would he know this? You would have to hack or otherwise, RDK's income or expense claims , CJ's expenses or outgoings or get private information from one or both of them. (/edit)

[Roger de Coverly]

No, the ID doesn't set the International chess budget. Council does! Council is invited to approve the budget for everything at each Finance Council meeting.

And so Council can set a budget of £0 for International chess, at which point the selection committee - which yes, picks the players - suddenly has the amateur v professional decision made for it.

This is a typical example of a situation where a Director, who may want to do one thing (i.e. field his strongest team), could be told to do another (i.e. field the best team he can get without spending anything).

However you define membership, whether by organisation or individual, directors are spending other people's money. It's very possible that other people will demand a say in how their money is spent. If you are a director or manager of a national organisation dependent on fund raising from participants, it's an issue you have to live with, however annoying it might be.

It is also a measure of success or failure of the national body as to whether it can send a successful or strongest team to international events. The German federation failed badly at the 2010 Olympiad, only to succeed at the 2011 European.

[Andrew Farthing]

On behalf of the Board of the ECF, I note with concern comments by Raymond Keene on Twitter reporting "rumours" of a "grovelling apology" from the Manager of the British Chess Championships, Lara Barnes, to the ECF President, CJ de Mooi, and the ECF Board. Mr Keene goes on to question the suitability of Ms Barnes to hold the post of Manager of the British Championships.

I cannot know the motivations of those involved, including Mr Keene's in choosing to say what he did at a time when positive progress had been made in a long-running dispute and his remarks could only serve to inflame the situation. It is therefore important for me to reiterate on behalf of the Board that the ECF is fully committed to the goal of delivering a successful 2012 British Championships in North Shields and that the Board has full confidence in Ms Barnes as Manager of the event and looks forward to continuing to work with her in pursuit of our common goal.

Andrew Farthing,
Chief Executive

[Carl Hibbard]

Nice to see Andrew with some comment on the matter and I for one can only agree with his sentiments

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Remember something written is not libel if its true!"

That is partially correct - it also has to be in the public interest to say it.

Why do people keep saying the 2011 championships were the strongest ever? Surely the 1997(?) event in Hove was stronger, both at the top and on average, (as it didn't have the long tail last year's event did).

[Ian Stephens]

Why do people keep saying the 2011 championships were the strongest ever? Surely the 1997(?) event in Hove was stronger, both at the top and on average, (as it didn't have the long tail last year's event did).

"Money Talks" Kevin, but mostly with "Forked Tongue"

[Alan Burke]

With regard to Andrew Farthing's above post; will the ECF (including the President) be ensuring that they publicly state that such "rumours of a grovelling apology" are completely unfounded and will they be taking any action to show that they not only support Lara but also do NOT want to be associated with anyone (ie Mr.Keene) who seems intent on rubbishing both herself and the Federation ?

[Jonathan Rogers]

I am of the opinion that the International Director should be able to pick:
(a) an amateur team or a professional team
(b) a team composing of any player he so wishes

Depending on the finances at the time. The official has the necessary competence to realise "Oh, hang on, the ECF hasn't got much money, we'd best not spend £30k on an Olympiad team this year". Council does not need to tell him this.

Just to remind you - again! - that a selection committee picks the players. That said, the ID presumably sets the budget, and later negotiates with the selected players within that budget, so he will nonetheless have the most influence on account of that.

No, the ID doesn't set the International chess budget. Council does! Council is invited to approve the budget for everything at each Finance Council meeting.

And so Council can set a budget of £0 for International chess, at which point the selection committee - which yes, picks the players - suddenly has the amateur v professional decision made for it.

This is a typical example of a situation where a Director, who may want to do one thing (i.e. field his strongest team), could be told to do another (i.e. field the best team he can get without spending anything).

Ok, when I said the ID set the international budget, obviously I didn't mean that he could name his price regardless of the money available to the ECF and the competing concerns of other directors! I meant that of the money budgeted to him, he could decide how much of it to allocate to the Olympiad, etc, thus giving him de facto more influence than anyone else on the selection committee about what sort of team is sent. Not that any of this matters much; first, there is barely no money in the first place, and secondly, the current ID enjoys the general trust of the English chess playing community.

[Matthew Turner]

Nobody has denied that Lara has apologised to CJ and the Board. The dialogue between Alex McFarlane and Raymond Keene is about where the Times columnist learnt of the apology and not the validity of the claim. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that Lara has indeed apologised (for what I'm not sure?) It seems hard to believe that Lara would apologise because of some sudden bout of remorse, so it also seems reasonable to assume that Lara has apologised under duress, presumably under the threat of legal action if she didn't.

Raymond Keene's tweet are deliberately provocative and as far as I can see there can only be two reasons for this
1. He wants to get back at Lara (and Alex) for taking a case to the Press Complaints Commission
2. He wats Lara to resign as Manager of the British because he wants somebody else in place
I wonder which it is?

[Ernie Lazenby]

My retired coppers mind tells me that the 'apology' probably relates to some communication between individuals and not related to what took place at Sheffield on that terrible day.

I think its easy to see the 'chess politics' currently infesting our game at national level. Keene with his friend, our absent President, appears to be wanting involvement in the running of our Federation and indeed the British Championships.

I repeat- How many more people have to walk away before the chess playing communiuty via its official representatives on Council get a grip with all this unpleasantness and lance the boil once and for all.

Looking forward to the next AGM. Heres a fancifull senario, Mr Keene anounces he can get many thousands of sponsorship money for the 2013 British (the 100th) puts his name forward(or gets someone to to nominate him ) for a board position; whats the odds on those present forgetting whats happened over the last 12 months and voteing for him, pretty good I think.

BTW If anyone had a good case to sue anyone in recent months it was Alex/Lara. If I had the tens of thousands needed to pursue a case I would have willingly let them have it.

[Ernie Lazenby]

On behalf of the Board of the ECF, I note with concern comments by Raymond Keene on Twitter reporting "rumours" of a "grovelling apology" from the Manager of the British Chess Championships, Lara Barnes, to the ECF President, CJ de Mooi, and the ECF Board. Mr Keene goes on to question the suitability of Ms Barnes to hold the post of Manager of the British Championships.

I cannot know the motivations of those involved, including Mr Keene's in choosing to say what he did at a time when positive progress had been made in a long-running dispute and his remarks could only serve to inflame the situation. It is therefore important for me to reiterate on behalf of the Board that the ECF is fully committed to the goal of delivering a successful 2012 British Championships in North Shields and that the Board has full confidence in Ms Barnes as Manager of the event and looks forward to continuing to work with her in pursuit of our common goal.

Andrew Farthing,
Chief Executive

Much respect for that Andrew.

[Alex McFarlane]

As I have said for many months in communication with the ECF Board, a statement of clarification from the President would have resolved many matters. It is obvious to a great number of people that his initial apology was sadly lacking in light of further developments, especially the PCC decision.
Mr De Mooi, via a third party has steadfastly refused to expand on his initial statement.

I can only speculate over his reluctance to clarify his involvement in the situation which develops. With reference to Lara, Keene was claiming silence was amounting to an admission of guilt. Will he apply the same logic to his friend De Mooi?

Kevin is correct, the publicity surrounding 2011 was corrupted by the inaccurate statement about the strength of the event. I was alerted to this early doors by the then ECF Publicity Director. I doubt if you will find any statement by the organisers claiming that it was the strongest ever event. I wonder who actually did make that statement!

Matthew, Keene has tweeted that his 'dream team' for the British is Manager - Malcolm Pein, Chief Arbiter - Stewart Reuben, Finance - David Anderton, Publicity - Adam Raoof.
Whilst many, including both Lara and me, would welcome Malcolms involvement I doubt if Keene has approached him on the matter. I certainly doubt if Stewart would be willing to put in the 12 hour days required of the Chief Arbiter at the British (or is Keene planning to do away with the other events). I doubt very much if David would like to handle the entries to ensure the accuracy of the accounts!!
I can assure everyone that Lara, like De Mooi to us, has not apologised for the original incident. I can also say that she has never grovelled to anyone.

Ernie, even with money no object Lara would have been loathe to take legal action. It is only in exceptional circumstances that she comes anywhere near to bearing a grudge and such action would have been detrimental to chess.

[Roger de Coverly]

Looking forward to the next AGM. Heres a fancifull senario, Mr Keene anounces he can get many thousands of sponsorship money for the 2013 British (the 100th) puts his name forward(or gets someone to to nominate him ) for a board position; whats the odds on those present forgetting whats happened over the last 12 months and voteing for him, pretty good I think.

Is the ECF Council sufficiently geriatric to recall the circumstances of the termination of RDK's previous involvement with the BCF? The BCF were intending to investigate various financial issues, but then came his resignation and an outbreak of silence from both sides. The account in Kingpin at http://www.kingpinchess.net/wp-content/ ... in_391.pdf has never been denied to my knowledge. (edit) (but not admitted either) (/edit)

[Andrew Zigmond]

One really does have to wonder at RDK's motives in going on the attack yet again (and I'm sorry to say I see the hand of CJ in this). Surely Lara has already been misrepresented in the press, been subject to abusive emails (which CJ supposedly deplored) and seen her health and happiness suffer as a result? This forum is the sole place where Lara is receiving any meaningful support and her one champion amongst the chess hierarchy sneers at this forum and its contributors at every opportunity.

Does anybody know what the consensus is on this issue amongst chess editors and journalists (I'm thinking primarily of Malcolm Pein at Chess Magazine but there are others). If any of them feel (as anybody with any sense would) that Lara has been badly wronged then maybe we should ask them to break their silence?

If there's a wider issue here it's the elite vs grassroots argument that has been preventing English chess from moving forward for a long time (and there is fault on both sides but that's a debate for another time).