ECF may join with English Bridge Union in Judicial Review

[Paul McKeown]

Strychnine is on the banned list as well - please be very careful if you take this...

It was Sir Robert Robinson who first determined the chemical structure of strychnine. Not really surprising, though, he was a brilliant chemist who not only first elucidated the structure of many organic molecules, but indeed also first synthesised many. Alongside inventing the conventional symbol for benzene and for electron transfer. And finding the time to be President of the BCF. Oh, and being awarded a Nobel.

By the way, it really is those scorning Roger here, who are being foolish. The case of Monika Galambfalvy certainly happened, and there have been other instances of amateur players being snagged by the anti-doping rules.

[NickFaulks]

By the way, it really is those scorning Roger here, who are being foolish. The case of Monika Galambfalvy certainly happened, and there have been other instances of amateur players being snagged by the anti-doping rules.

Perhaps, but he is shooting at the wrong target. Since the small revolution in 2004, I do not believe that the Anti-Doping Commission has harassed any amateur player. Where such action has been taken, it has been on the initiative of the local federations, using supposed FIDE regulations as cover.

The same approach is seen in other areas where federations wish to apply policies which they fear may be unpopular with their members, such as the 90/30 time control and zero tolerance default times.

[Roger de Coverly]

The same approach is seen in other areas where federations wish to apply policies which they fear may be unpopular with their members, such as the 90/30 time control and zero tolerance default times.

I doubt much British player hostility to 90 30 time controls when they have been substitutes for non-incremental four hour sessions at G/120, 36/90 + 30 or 40/100 + 20. The ECF may have just about got away with dumbing down the British Championship to 40/90 + 30 with 30 second increments, which is a widely used international format. The London Classic FIDE Open is using that rate as well, but it does at least have the excuse of a 4:30 pm start time.

[NickFaulks]

I'm actually thinking more of other federations, which have saved a bit of money and work by using 90/30 for their events, describing it in the literature as "the official FIDE time control".

edit : Yes, before anyone else says it, this is seriously off topic

[Michael Farthing]

OK Then I'll bump it back on topic.

Have I missed something? I assume that there is no result yet from the hearing, but was any idea given as to when a decision might be announced?

[Richard Bates]

They lost

[Neil Graham]

They lost

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34537024

[Roger de Coverly]

From the link

But Mr Justice Dove began his written ruling on the case with the words: "Bridge is a card game."

But the judge said the issue he had considered was whether Sport England officials had "erred in law" when refusing to classify bridge as a sport, not the "broad, somewhat philosophical question" as to whether or not bridge "is a sport".

This would seem to go back to that 1937 Act, card games and board games are not sports for the purposes of VAT and Sport England because an old Act of Parliament says so. Should "chess as a sport" advocacy now be concentrated on getting that Act repealed?

[Jonathan Bryant]

They lost

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34537024

A person closely involved with the ECF’s part in this business recently told me that they were sure that the case would be won. Make of that what you will.

[Jonathan Rogers]

They lost

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34537024

A person closely involved with the ECF’s part in this business recently told me that they were sure that the case would be won. Make of that what you will.

I expect that is true and you can guess what I make of it! I expressed my (strong) scepticism at the time and Dove J's decision is pretty much as expected from my angle. (For those of you who are interested in the legalese of judicial review and the approach to statutory interpretation of old statutes, the full text can be found here:

https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content ... proved.pdf

But it is probably paragraphs 18-24 which will be of most interest to most people on this forum).

[Roger de Coverly]

But it is probably paragraphs 18-24 which will be of most interest to most people on this forum).

The status of chess remains much as stated by Tony Banks in 1999, the only development being the inclusion of chess within the framework as to what counted as "sport" as a definition of a charity or charitable purpose.

There was some mention by the Bridge people in media reports that they were excluded from some international events by virtue of not being a UK sport. I was trying to recall if there were any chess related exclusions. Was an international competition between universities one of these? To enter, a University team had to be recognised by a British or English umbrella Universities body, which had used the Sport England arguments to reject chess clubs.

[MartinCarpenter]

Wonder what they meant? I can't think of a major bridge event we don't play in. Well when we manage to qualify that is!
(Several of them qualify via the European champs which is quite as hard as it would be in chess.).

[Roger de Coverly]

Wonder what they meant? I can't think of a major bridge event we don't play in. Well when we manage to qualify that is!

It was the Guardian's report.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/o ... mind-sport

Looking more closely it's actually the university competition.

Peter Stockdale, communications officer for the EBU, said it was “obviously disappointed” at the judgment. Bridge, he said, had “many of the attributions of playing sport … You are exercising yourself very intensely, albeit mentally”.

The decision meant that schools would not be able to offer bridge as a sporting option, he said, while the English university bridge champions were currently unable to compete at the European championships, because they did not have official sporting status.

[NickFaulks]

Peter Stockdale, communications officer for the EBU, said .... the English university bridge champions were currently unable to compete at the European championships, because they did not have official sporting status.

I don't wish to impugn the reliability of the EBU, about whom I know nothing, but if the ECF said something like that it would be worth checking.

[LawrenceCooper]

Peter Stockdale, communications officer for the EBU, said .... the English university bridge champions were currently unable to compete at the European championships, because they did not have official sporting status.

I don't wish to impugn the reliability of the EBU, about whom I know nothing, but if the ECF said something like that it would be worth checking.

I believe that to be the case and the reason why we have been unable to enter certain university events because BUCS won't nominate for non sporting events. As with many similar matters, Alex H is the man who would know.