PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2017

[Roger de Coverly]

The most trophies would almost certainly be someone playing in junior tournaments.

Not this chap then

http://www.charliechess.com/

Having won more Open Chess tournaments (143) than most Grandmasters in the UK

[LawrenceCooper]

The most trophies would almost certainly be someone playing in junior tournaments.

Not this chap then

http://www.charliechess.com/

Having won more Open Chess tournaments (143) than most Grandmasters in the UK

I don't think they all came in the last 12 months

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Given the difficulty involved, and the controversy that has enveloped, for example, the Oscars, I'd be more inclined to support the popularity contest as at least everyone will know what it is,"

Having a list of nominees is useful, as many of the voters may not even have heard of some of the candidates, even if they have, they may be unaware of what the candidates have done! Voting will always be subjective, even for questions of "role model".

Unless, you just use TPR over the year? That would keep Alex H busy for a while!

The Oscars also had the problem that people were voting for films they had not seen (well, there are a lot of them).

[Matthew Turner]

Chess Scotland seems to have a perfectly good system for selecting a player of the year.
Players are nominated, a shortlist drawn up. Members are E-mailed. We vote (once!!). The person who gets the most votes wins.
There is no set criteria, so I've voted for Alex MacFarlane, Neil Berry and Jonathan Edwards amongst others, based on a diverse range of factors.
That seems to work and it seemed that the ECF were moving in that direction, so I am not sure what has gone wrong. Having a shortlist surely means that no-one offensive or terrible could win so what is the problem?

[Nick Grey]

I am still not sure why the votes were cancelled. A manual system for the few returns and that is it.

[Brian Towers]

so I am not sure what has gone wrong

The relationship:
one member <=> one email address <=> one vote entitlement (where <=> indicates a bijection in mathematical terms)
is indeed a solution but not one the ECF can implement because "one member <=> one email address" is not satisfied. One email address (club secretary) often corresponds to many members.

[John Upham]

Following a conversation with a senior ECF person it would appear that the issue which was deemed to be inappropriate revolved around ECF members who are were considered to be too young to be capable of voting sensibly (whatever that means) who were voting for a friend of theirs.

The question was essentially : we agree that they are members but should we encourage them to vote ?

Too young would appear to be aged in the primary school area.

Surely the solution to this problem would be for the ECF to decide that one may only vote for

1. Michael Adams
2. Nigel Short or
3. Keith Arkell as usual

and then the winner will be deemed to be sensible.

[Michael Farthing]

Following a conversation with a senior ECF person it would appear that the issue which was deemed to be inappropriate revolved around ECF members who are were considered to be too young to be capable of voting sensibly (whatever that means) who were voting for a friend of theirs.

A minor suggested variation of wording

..who were voting for a friend (or not) of theirs with the guidance of a helpful adult.

[Alan Walton]

The ECF should have come up with a recommended short list of 10 players using some type of criteria

1) International Team tournament performance (Olympiad & European)
2) High-Level tournament performance (Elite events like Gibraltar, IOM, Wijk and others where high volume of 2600s play)
3) Title and Norm achieved persons
4) International Senior Events
5) Outstanding Junior performance, though this has to be in relation to 2200+ players (you should have a seperate Junior player of the year award)

Then members vote on these

[Stewart Reuben]

Alan, your list of criteria is lacking:
International Women's events
International events for the disabled. THE IBCA team tournment has just started. How many of you are aware of that?
I met one perfectly lucid gentleman who wanted to vote for the most active adult player.
Most strikingly your list lacks opportunity to vote for players who have done well in weekend tournaments, local leagues, or even national league events,
We never hear how Joe Bloggs score 9/9 on board 6 in his local league.

Some years ago Michael Adams said to me, 'It's the type of award that shouldm't always go to the same person.' But him not to get it this year I find very disappointing.

[John Upham]

Can someone do me a favour and post the list of nominated players who appeared on the list?

I recall Shreyas Royal, Michael Adams, Keith Arkell and Nigel Short as a starter for ten.

[IM Jack Rudd]

David Howell, Gawain Jones and Jovanka Houska were the other three.

[John Upham]

David Howell, Gawain Jones and Jovanka Houska were the other three.

Thanks Jack, So just these seven names then ?

[LawrenceCooper]

David Howell, Gawain Jones and Jovanka Houska were the other three.

Thanks jack, So just these seven names then ?

Yes, they were presumably the top seven from the first round of voting.

[Brendan O'Gorman]

Would it be fair to say that the only candidate that cared about the award was judged to have campaigned too hard and too effectively?