UK Chess Challenge - what does a plate in the Gigafinal mean

[David Blower]

Thanks in advance, and please explain it in laymans terms to me.

[Michael Flatt]

The Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge comprises four events each of which is a six-round Swiss Tournament where achieving a specified score (qualification standard) allows one to progress to the next Event. The top performing boy and girl in each age category gain an individual title and trophy.

The four stages are:
1. Individual school, junior chess club or "last chance Saloon".
2. County level - The Mega Finals and award of Supremo and Suprema titles.
3. Two regional finals (North and South) - The Giga Finals and award of Ultimo and Ultima titles
4. National - The Terra Final and Strat title. Three Challenger tournaments (the Plate competition)

At the Giga Final if a player does not achieve the qualifying standard for the Terra Final, it is possible to qualify for the Challenger competitions (Plate competition).

The results of the recent Giga Finals are available on : http://www.ukchesschallenge.com/index.shtml

Incidentally, EPSCA also use the term "Plate Competition" for the lessor tournament in the National Primary Schools Chess Championships.
For information: http://www.epsca.org.uk/

[John Swain]

Thanks in advance, and please explain it in laymans terms to me.

Those children in the U.K. Chess Challenge who won their section at the Giga-Finals (North and South) qualified for the Tera-Final, to be held at Loughborough Grammar School over the weekend of 16/17 August.

Players who finished in second or third position are also involved in this event, but play in one of the three Challengers sections.

Results are recorded at: http://www.ukchesschallenge.com/

Children who did well and who scored 3.5 points or more but who did not finish in these top positions can play in the "Silver Plate" run by the U.K. Chess Academy. Entry forms were given out at the Giga-Finals. Contact details may be found at: http://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/news/

[Michael Flatt]

The Silver Plate competition is something new to me. I mistakenly thought that it was part of the UK Challenge but it appears to be run by a different organisation, UK Chess Academy.

I also found this link which indicates that 15 players (in 2012) were recommended to the ECF to represent England at World and European School Chess Championships: http://ukchessacademy.com/?p=352

This explains the origin of another thread on this forum regarding a complaint on the way individuals are selected to play in World and European Junior Championships.

How did this all come about?

[Roger de Coverly]

I also found this link which indicates that 15 players (in 2012) were recommended to the ECF to represent England at World and European School Chess Championships: http://ukchessacademy.com/?p=352

..

How did this all come about?

from another thread

The UK Chess Academy, to the best of my knowledge, is run by Mike Basman and Sainbayar Tserendorj.

Mike Basman has run the UK Chess Challenge independently from the ECF since he first devised it back in the 1990s.

I can recall an announcement prior to the 2011 British in Sheffield that details of co-operation between the ECF and Chess Challenge would be revealed during the event. I didn't remember seeing any such announcement but it could have been hidden in the fallout from the opening and closing controversies.

From the viewpoint of the UK Chess Challenge, the right to be selected for what are perhaps presented as an elite international events gives them additional prizes to offer. The downside for the ECF, as we now see, is that it locks up some selection places in the hands of a commercial organisation outside of the ECF's control or influence.