English Chess Forum

Accredited by the English Chess Federation, and an experienced player, once ranked in the top 50 players in Britain, now an England Junior selector!

Carl Hibbard wrote: Who?

A couple of the Google hits on David Levens BCF

He was Marketing Director of the BCF around 9 years ago - http://www.thamesvalleychess.org/reports/main.htm

Also good enough to play in the 1963 British Championship
http://chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/309382

Not to mention those old research standbys, the grading and rating sites

http://www.ecfgrading.org.uk/?ref=104365B
http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=413763

Geoff Chandler wrote:As I said if you are sure there are unqualified and unchecked conmen going about.
(I don't mean actual teachers who get a thorough background check.)
I would warn the schools who would in turn pass it onto the parents.

I thought Sabrina was saying that whilst they had satisfied the schools as to their general suitability as teachers, their specific experience as chess players was being exaggerated. Even worse they weren't actually teaching chess as we would know it, but obscure variants with strange rules.

I am right to say that no minimum standard of chess knowledge, playing ability or achievement is required to be an ECF Accredited Coach?

The ECF will give you a title with the word "Master" in it, for a mere 120 grade
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/?page_id=87

b) Team Master: A player must achieve a grade of at least 120 on any ECF official grading list.

That would however be verifiable against the grading site.

It's not just coaches though, who promote chess variants. Phil Ehr drew our attention a few months back to the EPSCA rules on rapid play and quick play finishes. These differ in a number of respects from mainstream arbiter opinion. In particular they come very close to saying that you can claim arbiter intervention regardless of position when you have less than two minutes remaining.

I quite like the sound of "Chess Maestro", and it pays for itself if I then enter a GG rapid on the day. (I'm easily distracted )

once ranked in the top 50 players in Britain

National Rank ENG
National (all players): 1154

Jan 2012 A 160 View
July 2011 A 168 View
Jan 2011 RP
July 2010 A 159 View
Jan 2010 RP
July 2009 A 176 View
Jan 2009 RP
July 2008 A 154 View View
Jan 2008 RP
July 2007 A 158 View
Jan 2007 RP
2006 A 166 View
2005 A 155 D 155 View View
2004 A 159 B 155 View View
2003 A 155 D 151 View View
2002 A 156 View
2001 A 154 View
2000 A 152 View
1999 A 155 D 158 View
1998 SP A 146 View
1998 RP View
1997 A 157 View

Mike Truran wrote:

once ranked in the top 50 players in Britain

National Rank ENG
National (all players): 1154

Jan 2012 A 160 View
July 2011 A 168 View
Jan 2011 RP
July 2010 A 159 View
Jan 2010 RP
July 2009 A 176 View
Jan 2009 RP
July 2008 A 154 View View
Jan 2008 RP
July 2007 A 158 View
Jan 2007 RP
2006 A 166 View
2005 A 155 D 155 View View
2004 A 159 B 155 View View
2003 A 155 D 151 View View
2002 A 156 View
2001 A 154 View
2000 A 152 View
1999 A 155 D 158 View
1998 SP A 146 View
1998 RP View
1997 A 157 View

Be fair, he is over 70 years old! Although the relevance of being in the top 50 British chessplayers in the 1960s is questionable. Top 50 has a nice ring to it though - it's the figure i always quote for myself

looking at this, I guess he was 190ish at his peak, and he does indeed seem an experienced coach.

(er, being in the top 84 is what really counts, isn't it? )

Guess you guys have found the missing link in the accreditation process - pass the Forum test !
http://www.chesscoach.co.uk/David/Levens
He was in the top 50. I played him in 1967 and again in 2004. He seemed to go off the radar in 1970s-80s. He was 195 from what I recall in 1967. I may be a few points out. Think he drew with T Mordue and C Kilpatrick within the last 7-8 years. He won against Gerald Abrahams in the 1963 Br Ch I believe. Abrahams, who was a chess colleague of my father as juniors, would have been 56 at the time so still competent.

Mike,

What is this supposed to mean? Are you saying David Levens was never in the top 50 in England, or that he peaked in skill some 30 years after his last British Championship appearance?

Mike Truran wrote:

once ranked in the top 50 players in Britain

National Rank ENG
National (all players): 1154

Jan 2012 A 160 View
July 2011 A 168 View
Jan 2011 RP
July 2010 A 159 View
Jan 2010 RP
July 2009 A 176 View
Jan 2009 RP
July 2008 A 154 View View
Jan 2008 RP
July 2007 A 158 View
Jan 2007 RP
2006 A 166 View
2005 A 155 D 155 View View
2004 A 159 B 155 View View
2003 A 155 D 151 View View
2002 A 156 View
2001 A 154 View
2000 A 152 View
1999 A 155 D 158 View
1998 SP A 146 View
1998 RP View
1997 A 157 View

It doesn't matter how strong Dave Levens is as a chess player. He clearly is good enough to know all the correct rules and has had a long history of successful coaching. He is very experienced and done a lot of good work in Nottingham. Any quick google search would probably show this.

I have read everyone's comments and they make sense. It is just quite tricky where to go from here. I have personally warned all the parents I can and will start doing so with the schools. These coaches will have CRB checks I am sure, as schools will not hire you without one. However, if someone came up with a glorious chess CV, many schools would not feel experienced enough to check this out and would take their word for it. That's why I believe there should be somewhere to go to check out their details.

I've been reading the posts about David Levens with interest since we're team mates at West Nottingham and are both coaches of the Notts U11 squad. David has been a full-time coach for about 15 years and has coached most (if not all) of the strong juniors to have come out of Nottinghamshire in that period.

Michael White's recollection that David beat Gerald Abrahams is correct. David thinks he probably reached a grade of 200 at his peak.

He is also a qualified athletics coach, although he's not involved in that these days. His experience in that field will no doubt prove useful. As an aside, I should mention that he has run several marathons - on more than one occasion while also playing six simultaneous blindfold games of chess via mobile phone.

I'm sure he'll reveal what he plans to do in his new role in due course.

If you go into the ECF Coaching pages it still says that Andrew Martin is Manager of Coaching.

From the ECF home page select 'ECF Officials' and scroll down.

michele clack wrote:If you go into the ECF Coaching pages it still says that Andrew Martin is Manager of Coaching.

I think Michele means Andrew Martin's own website - managed by John Upham?

Adam Raoof wrote:

michele clack wrote:If you go into the ECF Coaching pages it still says that Andrew Martin is Manager of Coaching.

I think Michele means Andrew Martin's own website - managed by John Upham?

I think it is more likely that she means this one: http://www.ecfcoaching.org.uk/

LawrenceCooper wrote:

Adam Raoof wrote:

michele clack wrote:If you go into the ECF Coaching pages it still says that Andrew Martin is Manager of Coaching.

I think Michele means Andrew Martin's own website - managed by John Upham?

I think it is more likely that she means this one: http://www.ecfcoaching.org.uk/

That's the one I mean!