Search found 1022 matches

by Mike Gunn
Tue Aug 15, 2023 10:11 am
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF Membership Reform
Replies: 150
Views: 16381

Re: ECF Membership Reform

What's the problem they're trying to fix / outcome they're trying to achieve? Is it simply raise more money, or something else? I think it is just felt that the current membership scheme has been running for ten years and a review is timely. There will probably be no changes because a majority will...
by Mike Gunn
Thu Aug 10, 2023 10:44 am
Forum: Chess History
Topic: Michel Memorial Trophy
Replies: 9
Views: 717

Re: Michel Memorial Trophy

When you do, Kevin, it's time to start worrying.

PS I have ordered your book!
by Mike Gunn
Tue Aug 08, 2023 4:40 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF Membership Reform
Replies: 150
Views: 16381

Re: ECF Membership Reform

You would get the added benefit of FIDE rated games.
by Mike Gunn
Tue Aug 08, 2023 1:37 pm
Forum: ECF Matters
Topic: ECF Membership Reform
Replies: 150
Views: 16381

Re: ECF Membership Reform

I don't know what the current proposals would be but one idea would be:

Club/ league players (only): £20
Congress players (only): £20
Play in both: £40.

This would remove what seems to be a minor injustice to some congress players (those who only play in congresses) under the current system.
by Mike Gunn
Tue Aug 08, 2023 1:31 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Government funding for chess
Replies: 46
Views: 4412

Re: Government funding for chess

The problem is that English juniors and beginners have inaccurate FIDE ratings because they don't get enough FIDE rated games. The idea is to give them more games. As far as the accuracy issue is concerned, I would move back to a Clarke type system where for active players the rating is based on gam...
by Mike Gunn
Tue Aug 08, 2023 12:21 pm
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Government funding for chess
Replies: 46
Views: 4412

Re: Government funding for chess

Accuracy is down to the number of games played (whatever the system) so a FIDE rating based on few games will be just as inaccurate as a national rating. However, I do prefer the FIDE system of just rating games against players who already have an established rating rather than the ECF approach. (Th...
by Mike Gunn
Tue Aug 08, 2023 11:57 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Government funding for chess
Replies: 46
Views: 4412

Re: Government funding for chess

My idea would have to be combined with a reform of the membership structure to have 2 classes of member: club/ league members and those who play in congresses too. (=bronze and silver?). You would adjust the membership fees to bring in the same income as now.
by Mike Gunn
Tue Aug 08, 2023 11:36 am
Forum: General Chat
Topic: Government funding for chess
Replies: 46
Views: 4412

Re: Government funding for chess

With this money apparently earmarked for international teams this immediately raises the question of what the ECF should do with the money saved from the current budget? One possibility would be to fund the FIDE rating of local leagues (which would have to adopt an U2400 rule to make 3 hour games FI...
by Mike Gunn
Thu Jul 27, 2023 9:15 am
Forum: Chess History
Topic: George Albert Felce and Harold George Felce
Replies: 13
Views: 872

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: 5100

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: 2297

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: 1153

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: 1398

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: 798

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...