English Chess Forum

Dear Sir/Madam,

First of all, let me take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of Holloid Plastics and the ECF for registering your school’s interest in the nationwide Chess for Schools initiative.

We have had an overwhelming response and I am pleased to inform you that over 8,000 schools are now involved, making this the largest chess-related initiative ever undertaken in England.

I am also delighted to report that the first 35 schools have now received their chess sets. Each of these schools attended one of the three pilot launches we carried out in June and July, where we tested both the product and the logistics involved in this large scale project.

The sets themselves were very well received, by staff and pupils alike. But we were not happy with our proposed method of distribution.

Distributing to 8,000 schools all across England is a major logistics exercise and we have been researching various different methods. Our preferred method at this stage is to utilise LEAs, as we believe they have a distribution network already set up. We will distribute our chess boxes to each LEA in turn and they will deliver a chess box to each of its schools that has signed up.

If you would like to get in touch regarding distribution methods, please contact me via email.

We appreciate that some schools have been waiting to receive their chess sets for some time. If you wish to get hold of your sets immediately, you can make an appointment to pick them up from either our factory in Basingstoke or the ECF offices in East Sussex. To make a pick-up appointment, please get in touch via email, shown below.


Thank you once again for your interest in the Chess for Schools project. Please rest assured we are working hard to ensure this initiative becomes the success we know it can be.


Yours faithfully,

Caroline Morris,
Chess for Schools Project Manager,
Holloid Plastics

Email: caroline@holloid-plastics.co.uk

I am also delighted to report that the first 35 schools have now received their chess sets. Each of these schools attended one of the three pilot launches we carried out in June and July, where we tested both the product and the logistics involved in this large scale project.

We appreciate that some schools have been waiting to receive their chess sets for some time. If you wish to get hold of your sets immediately, you can make an appointment to pick them up from either our factory in Basingstoke or the ECF offices in East Sussex. To make a pick-up appointment, please get in touch via email, shown below.

This entire saga will go down in Chess history asthe biggest lash up ever, thankfully one of those responsible is leaving.

We have it on the authority of Chris Majer that Holloid haven't actually manufactured any sets beyond the first batch of 500.

Yes, this is interesting. I can only think that they are expecting less than 15 will be bothered to go to Hastings and that interested Schools around Basingstoke have already got their sets from one of the launches. If 16 Schools do want to pick up their free sets, then I can only think that Cynthia would have to go into the hard sell of the support package to bring in some money to buy sets from Chess & Bridge.

Anyone know what is happening with the support package?

Dear Chris (Majer) and Andrew (Martin)

I am in receipt of the contract for Chess in the Classroom.

I have a few issues with it:

…

2. I have a problem with the title. The understanding I had with
Robert Richmond was that the book would be aimed at children, not at
schools, and that schools would be encouraged to buy multiple copies,
one for each child learning chess, just as happens with course books
in other subjects at school. I am concerned that the title 'Chess in
the Classroom' will suggest to schools that it is a teachers' manual
and that they only need one copy.

3. I have a problem with Item 6: ECF's RIGHTS. This states "The ECF will
own the copyright of the software and supporting documentation
produced under this contract and will receive source code." Firstly,
it's a book - there is no software or documentation apart from a WORD
document. Secondly, I would much prefer to keep the copyright to
myself. The book is designed to tie in very closely with the first
stage of the new version of chessKIDS academy which is currently
under development and which, with any luck, will be released this
summer. Ideally, I would like the book to have a publisher who would
guarantee distribution in shops and on the Internet via online
bookstores to ensure maximum sales. Would the ECF be able to do this?
At present it seems to me that I am likely to make more money by
having the book published elsewhere, especially as there is, despite
recent reassurances, still much scepticism about whether or not the
Chess for Schools scheme will be successful. (Because of my involvement
in the project I have refrained from commenting publicly on this.)

…

I have now completed the main part of the manuscript, although I
would still like to write an introduction which might be fairly
substantial.

I hope the issues above can be resolved.


With best wishes


Richard James

The boards are roll-up and the intention is for the schools to modify them by attaching them to a base.

Holloid Plastics have not as yet manufactured any further sets beyond the first batch of 500.

This directly contradicts what I have been told by Caroline Morris who tells me that sets were made during August and September and production will be stored at a facility in Banbury. Maybe Chris should talk with Caroline so that they are in agreement?