English Chess Forum

How about creating team tournaments (ideally with schools) where no players with a grade are allowed to compete? As a student myself, I find that many children are afraid of playing the stronger "professional" (I use the term very loosely) players, and are thus put off from the game. If they know that there aren't any 'scary' players at the tournament, they might get more enthusiastic about chess and persue it to greater lengths as they are finding that they are enjoying themselves more.

Also, how about creating partnerships with schools to promote chess and try and persuade them to "enforce" a chess club and various chess activities and/or events?

Nigel,
The opposite is also true to some extent : many mature players are put off playing stupidly underated Juniors and playing someone whose rating is 18 months out of date.

Perhaps they should be issued with a badge saying " Beware: I am stupidly underated junior who will contribute to the downfall of your rating because the standardplay database is only published annualy".

John

There is an interesting petition which I believe is relevent to this topic.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/chessinschools


Also, having spent a few years running a university club, I find that the unrated players we get can often be good enough to give veteran players a run for their money.

durham have a D league that is for juniors and new players the ocasional older player turns up these are 3 20 min per player games its proved very popular with juniors and some more established players as it gets them more games plus playing as a team plus playing in there own league i dont know if other counties do such a thing
this league is ungraded so nobodys grade gets hurt thats why some established players also play in it

That is quite a good idea, I hear in Gloucestershire they have something similar in the summer league where two rapid games are played in a night.

If that was done as an official league policy by the ECF, which grade would it affect? Rapidplay or Longplay?

Nigel Wright wrote:If that was done as an official league policy by the ECF, which grade would it affect? Rapidplay or Longplay?

Rapidplay.

that would certainly provide more people with rapidplay grades, and would maybe make rapidplay tournaments more popular if people knew their strengths and limitations at these tournaments instead of an approximate rating gained from longplay results...

Nigel Wright wrote:How about creating team tournaments (ideally with schools) where no players with a grade are allowed to compete? As a student myself, I find that many children are afraid of playing the stronger "professional" (I use the term very loosely) players, and are thus put off from the game. If they know that there aren't any 'scary' players at the tournament, they might get more enthusiastic about chess and persue it to greater lengths as they are finding that they are enjoying themselves more.

Also, how about creating partnerships with schools to promote chess and try and persuade them to "enforce" a chess club and various chess activities and/or events?

I would have to, on the most part, disagree with you here, we have a number of very good players that come to our tournaments along with those who have never played or only been to one or two of the tournaments there are a large part of them that beg to play some of the better players so they can learn from them and quiz them on the moves they have made. It's a pleasure to see them want to be challenged

John Upham wrote:Nigel,
The opposite is also true to some extent : many mature players are put off playing stupidly underated Juniors and playing someone whose rating is 18 months out of date.

Perhaps they should be issued with a badge saying " Beware: I am stupidly underated junior who will contribute to the downfall of your rating because the standardplay database is only published annualy".

John

There is an answer to this and it's called the RACERS grading, it allows for the grading to be upgraded quicker and works very well for the juniors whose game is constantly developing. Charles knows all the details so give him a call he'll be able to explain it better than I can 0845 400 2429

There are various informal rating systems around the country but since the ECF does not work with them they are for amusement value only.

The correct solution is this : ECF adopts FIDE system and updates every three months. Job done. Easier said than done etc etc.

John

John Upham wrote:There are various informal rating systems around the country but since the ECF does not work with them they are for amusement value only.

The correct solution is this : ECF adopts FIDE system and updates every three months. Job done. Easier said than done etc etc.

John

I'm stuck on this subject, I do believe that we need something for rapid developing player (especially juniors) but the ECF system is fantastic. This will effect me directly, but (unlike most chess organisers) I'm going to sit and wait to see what they come up with. R.A.C.E.R.S. might be a stop gap and great for gaging junior streagth but I still only back the ECF system. The biggest problem is that FIDE ELO system is different in different countries there needs to be one true global system, sadly we don't get on that much.

At the very least the ECF should update the standardplay ratings every three months.

There will be issues to overcome but the rewards will outweigh the pains.

There is stark difference between the publicly stated opinions of ECF officials and their personally held ones : an example of this is the notion of adjournments.

Its only a matter of time for both of these issues.

John

John Upham wrote:At the very least the ECF should update the standardplay ratings every three months.

There will be issues to overcome but the rewards will outweigh the pains.

There is stark difference between the publicly stated opinions of ECF officials and their personally held ones : an example of this is the notion of adjournments.

Its only a matter of time for both of these issues.

John

From my own point of view, and totally own point of view. I do like the offical list, but a rapid system would make my life easier. Adjournments are a stange subject I can;t see the point of them, but any and all comments I have put about them are from my point of view not as ECF Chess for Schools Project Manager.