Chess once we restart over the board

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Roger Lancaster
Posts: 1910
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:44 pm

Re: Chess once we restart over the board

Post by Roger Lancaster » Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:50 pm

ECF home director Adrian Elwin doesn't, as far as I can see, post here so I trust he won't mind my passing on a piece of news. One of the problems with the "two boards" solution [see Upper Franconia example last month] to the problem posed by Covid-19 is that, in England, this approach is inconsistent with the current [March 2020] edition of the ECF tournament rules. In other words, if the tournament rules are strictly enforced by the ECF, such games are - unless a dispensation has been sought and obtained - ineligible for grading. This is obviously undesirable as it inhibits over-the-board chess at present, something which is being remedied by the ECF in its latest [August 2020] version of the rules which will appear on its website very shortly. The tournament rules tend to be something of a hidden secret, buried deep in the website, which is why I mention the fact here.

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Michael Farthing
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:28 pm
Location: Morecambe, Europe

Re: Chess once we restart over the board

Post by Michael Farthing » Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:54 pm

Hopefully these regulations are buried so deep that Matthew Carr and Brian Valentine will be unable to find them, or at least not feel like searching for them.

Brian Valentine
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Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:30 pm

Re: Chess once we restart over the board

Post by Brian Valentine » Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:01 am

Michael Farthing wrote:
Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:54 pm
Hopefully these regulations are buried so deep that Matthew Carr and Brian Valentine will be unable to find them, or at least not feel like searching for them.
But Michael we've been forewarned because of the request to alter the k-factor for those with short arms.

Tim Harding
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Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 8:46 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Chess once we restart over the board

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Aug 03, 2020 10:14 am

The Irish Championship (32 competitors, 9 rounds) started on Saturday afternoon in a school hall.

How it is being managed can be seen (including photos) at:
https://www.icu.ie/articles/906

A comment from one of the players on how safety precautions are working can be read at:
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthr ... 97&page=10

Games are live on chess24 starting at 3pm (except the last round next Sunday which I think starts earlier).
Results and pairings are at https://chess-results.com/tnr531394.asp ... turdet=YES

The boards are not in order of scores because of the way the tables are arranged, so one of the games that will potentially decide the event is on table 9: FM Conor O'Donnell v IM Sam Collins.
Three other players are also on 2/2 (see boards 1 and 2).

Conor Murphy is not able to defend the title he won last year because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Only Irish residents have entered and half the field are juniors under 18.

No side-events are being held but the Major will be played over a weekend at the same venue later this month.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

Roger Lancaster
Posts: 1910
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:44 pm

Re: Chess once we restart over the board

Post by Roger Lancaster » Mon Aug 03, 2020 1:01 pm

Brian Valentine wrote:
Mon Aug 03, 2020 9:01 am
Michael Farthing wrote:
Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:54 pm
Hopefully these regulations are buried so deep that Matthew Carr and Brian Valentine will be unable to find them, or at least not feel like searching for them.
But Michael we've been forewarned because of the request to alter the k-factor for those with short arms.
Joking apart, I did suggest to Adrian that the new rules needed to be sufficiently flexible to accommodate youngsters, or indeed anyone else with short arms, who might be unable to reach [or easily reach] the clocks if the Franconia layout was followed. Well done, the ECF, for getting it right.

Mick Norris
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Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:12 am
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester

Re: Chess once we restart over the board

Post by Mick Norris » Mon Aug 03, 2020 3:34 pm

Roger Lancaster wrote:
Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:50 pm
ECF home director Adrian Elwin doesn't, as far as I can see, post here so I trust he won't mind my passing on a piece of news. One of the problems with the "two boards" solution [see Upper Franconia example last month] to the problem posed by Covid-19 is that, in England, this approach is inconsistent with the current [March 2020] edition of the ECF tournament rules. In other words, if the tournament rules are strictly enforced by the ECF, such games are - unless a dispensation has been sought and obtained - ineligible for grading. This is obviously undesirable as it inhibits over-the-board chess at present, something which is being remedied by the ECF in its latest [August 2020] version of the rules which will appear on its website very shortly. The tournament rules tend to be something of a hidden secret, buried deep in the website, which is why I mention the fact here.
ECF August 2020 tournament rules
Any postings on here represent my personal views