Search found 1014 matches

by Mike Gunn
Thu Jul 27, 2023 9:15 am
Forum: Chess History
Topic: George Albert Felce and Harold George Felce
Replies: 13
Views: 869

Re: George Albert Felce and Harold George Felce

Mike Gunn could buy a copy of the History of Chess in the English Civil Service... Thanks, Kevin, I will! (I clearly also need to give Martin Smith's history of Streatham and Brixton chess a second reading). Over the years I'm sure I asked Martin Cath about all the names on the Surrey trophies and ...
by Mike Gunn
Thu Jul 27, 2023 9:05 am
Forum: International News
Topic: FIDE Rating Consultation
Replies: 130
Views: 5031

Re: FIDE Rating Consultation

Under the Richard Clarke BCF system you had to play 10 games before you got any sort of grade/ rating (subsequently reduced to 9 to be in line with FIDE Elo). There is a sound statistical basis for this and my understanding is that the rationale for ECF now publishing ratings for fewer games is that...
by Mike Gunn
Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:12 am
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Martin Cath
Replies: 16
Views: 2269

Re: Martin Cath

Martin's contribution to Surrey Chess extended over 50 years as an office holder (36 years inter-club tournament controller, 16 years as grader amongst others). I always looked forward to seeing him for his friendliness and knowledge of Surrey chess history. A few weeks ago I found amongst old Surre...
by Mike Gunn
Mon Jul 24, 2023 9:50 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: What Have I Missed.
Replies: 14
Views: 1152

Re: What Have I Missed.

What I don't understand is what anybody gains from running bots in a place like this forum - can anybody explain?
by Mike Gunn
Sun Jul 09, 2023 11:26 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: ECF Rolling Membership - Club Views Requested
Replies: 24
Views: 1397

Re: ECF Rolling Membership - Club Views Requested

1. Although I am a member of the Governance Committee I haven't discussed the contents of this post with the other members: thus I am not speaking on behalf of the committee. 2. The Governance Committee does generally do the initial drafts of changes to the articles and bye laws which subsequently g...
by Mike Gunn
Thu Jun 01, 2023 1:26 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Norway Chess 2023
Replies: 11
Views: 800

Re: Norway Chess 2023

I was disappointed to see the following on Lichess: "We apologise for the disruption to the Norway Chess 2023 Broadcast. As in previous years, access to the facts of the games (moves and clock times) has been exclusively provided by the organisers to only some third parties and is so denied to Liche...
by Mike Gunn
Tue May 30, 2023 11:07 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Frank Winter Chess Cup
Replies: 8
Views: 791

Re: Frank Winter Chess Cup

For many years I was one of the organisers of the Surrey Chess Congress. We continued the previous tradition of calling the top section of the tournament "the Frank Winter Open" although I (for one) had no idea who Frank Winter was and I never saw an actual (physical) trophy being awarded in all tha...
by Mike Gunn
Tue May 16, 2023 9:57 am
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Brian Eley
Replies: 389
Views: 50033

Re: Brian Eley

Andrew, in my personal view having a policy and appropriate paperwork in place is just not sufficient (by itself). I expect a proportion of episodes of abuse would go unreported today just as they were a few decades ago. As to the risk level in chess compared to other sports perhaps it is a bit high...
by Mike Gunn
Mon May 15, 2023 11:13 am
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Brian Eley
Replies: 389
Views: 50033

Re: Brian Eley

One of the reasons for recording the details of cases like the Eley one is so that the chess community as a whole become more aware of the possibilities that coaching affords pedophiles. Of course the readers of Kingpin and this forum know about Eley but how many chess parents read this forum? Not m...
by Mike Gunn
Fri May 12, 2023 11:33 am
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Brian Eley
Replies: 389
Views: 50033

Re: Brian Eley

I prepared a similar report when CJ de Mooi suddenly resigned as ECF President while representing the ECF at the FIDE Congress. I collected statements from those involved and that formed the substance of the report. The final report was not put in the public domain (it went to the ECF board) because...
by Mike Gunn
Thu May 11, 2023 12:05 pm
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Brian Eley
Replies: 389
Views: 50033

Re: Brian Eley

I would do this* for free if the ECF were to ask me.

*Interview/ take statements from those involved and still alive and produce an anonymised report.
by Mike Gunn
Thu May 04, 2023 10:59 am
Forum: Deaths & Obituaries
Topic: Brian Eley
Replies: 389
Views: 50033

Re: Brian Eley

...With Eley now dead there are two "loose ends" for want of a better thread. The first is that if anybody who was abused, by Eley or indeed anybody else, it is not too late to speak out and be supported. Survivors UK are an excellent charity that specialise in supporting male victims of sexual abu...
by Mike Gunn
Tue May 02, 2023 8:27 am
Forum: International News
Topic: World championship match in Astana
Replies: 355
Views: 26251

Re: World championship match in Astana

Thank goodness it was an extra time win, and we didn't get on to the penalty shootout stage.
by Mike Gunn
Sun Apr 30, 2023 7:50 am
Forum: International News
Topic: World championship match in Astana
Replies: 355
Views: 26251

Re: World championship match in Astana

Mick Norris wrote:
Sat Apr 29, 2023 6:18 pm
I was pleased it was extended to 14 games, although I would have preferred at least 16, I can see the players will be understandably tired

As the title is vacant, there is no real alternative to tiebreaks
Replay the match? I don't like penalty shootouts in football either ...
by Mike Gunn
Sat Apr 22, 2023 8:16 am
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF Finance Council Meeting 22 April 2023
Replies: 78
Views: 9697

Re: ECF Finance Council Meeting 22 April 2023

Platinum members received a mailing from their reps.