The value of the ECF Calendar

[Alan Burke]

So, the ECF will not include an event in their calendar which is not registered to be graded with them, yet they continue to list the names of many ungraded players who are not members of the ECF in their Grading Database pages !

Why are the ECF allowing these names of non paid-up players to be included on their website yet won't allow unregistered events to be displayed ?

Yes, these events might get a bit of free publicity by being included in the calendar, but who is viewing that publicity ? I suggest that the vast majority will already be ECF members and therefore the calendar is providing a service for them.

However, it does seem (as with the non-grading of Yorkshire matches even though the players themselves are ECF members) that some of the ECF board are not concerned that their own membership are losing out on such services not being provided as long as they themselves are seen to be loyal to the cause and are enjoying the power that their position affords them.

1984 and George Orwell come to mind !

[Richard Bates]

Richard Bates wrote:As pointed out e2e4 is a really bad example - both in that it attracts individuals who are prepared to pay a bit extra for added value, and that it is (I think) run on a commercial basis for profit.


Unfortunately not. We actually run e2e4, idiots that we are, because we enjoy it. We cover our expenses and break even, but that's about it. Either that, or I'm so terrible at it that I also work full in a real, full time, paying job!

Apologies Sean. I thought i read somewhere that you try and make some money out of the tournaments. I know you have a full-time job, but the two aren't mutually exclusive. Either way it wasn't to imply criticism.

Roger de Coverley wrote: But measure the voices. There's next to no one supporting the decisions of the ECF Board. All that remains is to prod the voting members and attendees of Council meetings into life to put up a motion changing the principles of inclusion on the ECF calendar.

You can't draw conclusions from a small number of people on the forum, reacting to a decision implemented out of the blue on an unexplained basis. Especially when it can so obviously be portrayed as a revenue raising measure (not that revenue raising measures are automatically a bad thing - it is a common complaint that the ECF does not have enough commercial nous - but that they will always be treated with suspicion, especially if arguments to justify the decision give the impression of skirting around this motivation).

It would have been better if the ECF had attempted to answer some of the obvious questions pro-actively in advance. I do not know if Sean is speaking as the main advocate/driver of the change on behalf of the ECF board(in his temporary post as DoMM), or someone simply putting his own personal slant on the reasons for the decision.

Already the policy seems to be evolving - apparently, according to one of Sean's posts above, there is to be a "non-tournament" calendar (which is exempt from the charge?). You wouldn't have realised that from earlier posts?

[Roger de Coverly]

You can't draw conclusions from a small number of people on the forum, reacting to a decision implemented out of the blue on an unexplained basis.

I think it can be concluded that the measure or the process of its introduction are unpopular by the several pages of adverse postings. By contrast, the abolition of the ECF's adjudication service raised no adverse comment.

[John Upham]

Whilst considering the good old flat file format of the ECF calendar, you might to imagine that

http://spotlight.etta.co.uk/

was a chess resource.

If the ECF calendar was to filter out events for whatever criteria then would anyone like the above app to be invoked for chess.

In fact, why not invoke such a UI anyway?

I would also add a "nearest postcode" type feature with an AJAX type dialogue UI.

Like?

[Neill Cooper]

I see that the ECF calendar has now been rename to "ECF English Tournament Calendar" reflecting the aim of the calendar.
Surely it is time to delete the remaining ungraded events, which have been accidentally listed as graded?

[Bill Porter]

Entire contents of the new calendar:

Dates for your diary …

… pending …

Surely anyone who supports the ECF would pay £50 for this?

[Roger de Coverly]

Entire contents of the new calendar:

It reminds me of the time a previous Board had a strop with this very forum. All links were supposedly removed unless you knew where to look.

So from the Junior page
http://englishchess.org.uk/Juniors/
you can get to
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=27
from which January 2013 is
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=12322

So are the ECF intending to have a calendar for events that cannot be graded? If so do they propose to charge £ 50 an entry?

[Sean Hewitt]

Entire contents of the new calendar:

It reminds me of the time a previous Board had a strop with this very forum. All links were supposedly removed unless you knew where to look.

So from the Junior page
http://englishchess.org.uk/Juniors/
you can get to
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=27
from which January 2013 is
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=12322

I don't understand what you're trying to say. Click ECF English Tournament Calendar and then Jan and you get the page you describe as hidden. Seems to me it's anything but.

So are the ECF intending to have a calendar for events that cannot be graded? If so do they propose to charge £ 50 an entry?

No and [therefore] not applicable.

[Alan Burke]

Yet still no answer to my question about the ECF not allowing unregistered events to be put onto their website because they have not paid fees to the governing body, yet continuing to list players on their Grading Database who have similarly not paid anything to them.

If these players have not paid anything to the ECF why are their names still shown ?

I suspect the ECF haven't even thought about it - although I foresee someone now coming up with some excuse to try and justify the case and "prove" the ECF are correct in not doing so.

Or will they say that I am just ranting ?

[Roger de Coverly]

No and [therefore] not applicable.

So what is the position for organisers of Blitz events, Junior ungraded events, training sessions or simultaneous displays? Is there a calendar on which they can schedule their events and how much, if anything, will they be charged by the ECF?

[Roger de Coverly]

Yet still no answer to my question about the ECF not allowing unregistered events to be put onto their website because they have not paid fees to the governing body, yet continuing to list players on their Grading Database who have similarly not paid anything to them.

If these players have not paid anything to the ECF why are their names still shown ?

The future position is likely to be that data will only appear for events where the organiser has signed up to restrict the event to ECF members or agreed to pay £ 2 per game per non-member if a league, or £ 6 per head if a Congress. Junior events excluded, or with lower fees.

Past data will appear on the basis of the rules applying in previous seasons.

The ECF has not for a couple of years been bothered about whether any fees other than "FIDE" rating fees have been paid. A couple of years ago, back in the Farthing era, it decided to waive Game Fee for internationally rated events.

[Richard Bates]

Simuls and training events cannot be graded. Why try to exclude them from the calendar?

Because it's meant to be a domestic tournament calendar. There will be a calendar of other events and I see no reason why simuls and training events could not be advertised there.

So are the ECF intending to have a calendar for events that cannot be graded? If so do they propose to charge £ 50 an entry?

No and [therefore] not applicable.

Something in there for everyone!

[Sean Hewitt]

No and [therefore] not applicable.

So what is the position for organisers of Blitz events, Junior ungraded events, training sessions or simultaneous displays? Is there a calendar on which they can schedule their events and how much, if anything, will they be charged by the ECF?

I think I have already said that that there will be a separate calendar for events for which the ECF do not offer grading. That is distinct from events which the ECF do offer grading, but where the organiser chooses not to grade it.

[Richard Bates]

Step 1 - Return the ECF calendar to its (alleged) original purpose to restrict it to advertising tournaments (although not those which aren't eligible for grading) and rename it "The ECF Tournament calendar".

Step 2 - Meet a demand for a calendar of non-grading eligible events and call it "The ECF 'other event' calendar".

Step 3 - Acknowledge that the user base for the two calendars is broadly the same, and that it serves no real purpose to keep the two separate. Merge the two and rename the unified calendar "The ECF Calendar".

Repeat as appropriate

[David Pardoe]

Richard is right...what we need is a Calander that serves the chess community, and also serves as an attraction to visit the ECF website.
If there is to be a service charge, I`d opt for some moderate figure of say £10 which would apply to all groups.
To event organisors....
It is vital that the message about your proposed event is broadcast widely in your local region.
So, I`d strongly urge organisors to contact all major league/county websites operating within say a 60 mile radius of your event. Also, look out for some of the bigger club websites. But, its also important to get that message out to `joe public`...so do send details to major local Press outlets, and maybe some regional papers (as appropriate), to see if they would put a free notice in there `Forthcoming events/Entertainments` section. This needs to happen about 4 weeks before the scheduled event, and might prompt some interest from potential newcomers to `congress/competative chess`. Its important to emphasis that the events contain sections for all standards of players, and all age groups (as appropriate). Maybe even mention that this includes `casual` web players. It is vital that chess starts to welcome more new players to its clubs and events, and to mention if any coaching, social events, club competitions, or other support is available.

I`d like to see a series of `novice tournaments` specifically organised for players with either no grade, or graded below say, ECF 100 to encourage take-up, and perhaps include publiciry for local leagues and clubs, mentioning that they welcome new players of all standards.
The watchword for 2013 must be to promote and encourage the takeup of chess by joe public, and to try to boost junior chess in particular, and encourage more junior clubs. Chess is very much a social activity, and should be promoted as such in our local areas. Yes, league and congress and other competitive chess is a major element that players will aspire to and also needs encouragement and promotion.
Many events could boost entry levels by ensuring that they give events good publicity, and send out reminders to local email lists.