A question about noise during a match

[Dave Roberts]

Thanks for the support. I was rather upset at the time, hence my giving up chess for almost a decade. Hopefully things have moved on a bit now, as I don't want to have to deal with this again. But I love playing chess, so here we go again!

[William Metcalfe]

Welcome back to league chess Dave i hope you have lots of fun and enjoy yourself as well as win a few games lol.
I am a disabled person joining my local chess club got me out off the house again i was too old when i learned to play chess to a high level.But for me its as much about the social side as it is about playing competative chess i have made a bunch of really good friends through chess so it has been worth all my effort learning how to play even if it is at just club standard.

[Stewart Reuben]

I had never before noticed this thread. The CAA (or possibly ECF) has pronounced its opinion on this matter generally. I don't remember the wording that David Welch used but it was something like, 'No disabled player should be disadvantaged by his disability.' FIDE disagrees in some cases.

In the case David Roberts gave us, the arbiter and his opponent were severely handicapped in their mental abilities.

Nobody need worry about drug testing for the over 60s. We are excluded by WADA from those regulations.

By the way, I have a defibrillator implant. I wonder if anybody else would be able to hear if it gave out a bleeping sound?

Stewart Reuben

[Alex McFarlane]

North of the border there seems to be some doubt about this story.

Robert Lothian made enquiries about this and here is John Clifford's response.

'1. I have been on the Bon-Accord Chess Club committee since 1985 and do not remember anyone called Dave Roberts.
2. I believe I am the only arbiter called John in the Aberdeen area and I do not recall any such occurrence and would certainly not have made any such ruling.
3. Rules involving mobile phones have only been in effect for a small number of years and in North-East Scotland chess a ruling was made on them no more than three years ago as I was at the meeting that made that decision.
4. I have at home every single SCA/Chess Scotland grading book since 1985 which I will happily scrutinise tonight but I quite confident of not finding a 'Dave Roberts' listed under Bon-Accord.

I believe that the poster 'Dave Roberts' has made an error of memory in most if not all of his post on the ECF forum.

Please feel free to repost this in any forum that you see fit as I am very confident of its accuracy.

John Clifford
Secretary
Bon-Accord Chess Club'

Would Mr Roberts like to clarify the situation.

[Geoff Chandler]

As I said in that other thread about bogus players.

"People believe anything...."

I emailed the Bon Accord Club Sec. before I would make a comment.

It's hopefully some kind of Christmas gag or the lad has seriously
mixed up the place and date.

[Peter Rhodes]

Daves story seemed plausible and imho carried no malicious intent.

I'm sitting here trying to figure out why this guy's account is being called into question. The fact that a club secretary can't remember a name from over twenty years ago concludes nothing to me. Further, I can think of all sorts of reasons why someone wouldn't be included in a grading book and if he is not in one - then that again concludes nothing.

I am sure the resurrection of this thread and it's subsequent change in direction has really motivated the original poster to invest more of his time in chess.

I can understand why anyone would want to refute direct allegations, but I can't see that any were really made. The "arbiter" of the match in question would have in effect been the team captain(s). I wonder if anyone can produce a list of team captains for each of the Bon-Accord teams - and their opponents for the years in question.


/sigh

[Dave Roberts]

I've just been made aware of the replies here. Yes, it did happen. I think the arbiter's name was John but am not sure, it was a long time ago. As I am on my way out to a job interview, I can't respond more fully now, but will do so later. I really had no intention of opening such a can of worms here!

dave

[Dave Roberts]

North of the border there seems to be some doubt about this story.

Robert Lothian made enquiries about this and here is John Clifford's response.

'1. I have been on the Bon-Accord Chess Club committee since 1985 and do not remember anyone called Dave Roberts.
2. I believe I am the only arbiter called John in the Aberdeen area and I do not recall any such occurrence and would certainly not have made any such ruling.
3. Rules involving mobile phones have only been in effect for a small number of years and in North-East Scotland chess a ruling was made on them no more than three years ago as I was at the meeting that made that decision.
4. I have at home every single SCA/Chess Scotland grading book since 1985 which I will happily scrutinise tonight but I quite confident of not finding a 'Dave Roberts' listed under Bon-Accord.

I believe that the poster 'Dave Roberts' has made an error of memory in most if not all of his post on the ECF forum.

Please feel free to repost this in any forum that you see fit as I am very confident of its accuracy.

John Clifford
Secretary
Bon-Accord Chess Club'

Would Mr Roberts like to clarify the situation.

Ok. I'm not even sure of the exact year, but I lived in Aberdeen from 1997-2005. It was before my son was born, so sometime before 2001 and I suspect it was nearer to 97. I had been playing friendlies at the club for a while and was asked if I wanted to play for a team, to which I agreed. The events as described above happened in my first match, and I did not return to play for any chess club nor play in any chess tournaments. As I have mentioned before, I am not sure of the arbiter's name - and I posted that the first time I mentioned it. As far as the comparison with the mobile phone goes, that was what my opponent claimed. I was then and, until recently, remained ignorant of the rule on mobile phones. Given that this was an unpleasant experience, I simply wanted to learn what the ruling on this in England would be were my pump to give an alarm here.

I seriously resent the implication that I am a liar and the willingness for you to propagate this throughout the internet without once discussing this with me or giving me the chance to respond to your complaints. Smacks to me of libel. Reminds me of the events in Aberdeen and why I stopped playing chess at the Bon Accord. I received no private message from anyone, save one kind soul who told me that there were some messages here that I might want to respond to. Instead of sending me a message and trying to clarify the matter, you state to the whole forum that "I believe that the poster 'Dave Roberts' has made an error of memory in most if not all of his post on the ECF forum." And then suggest "Please feel free to repost this in any forum that you see fit as I am very confident of its accuracy." Really out to get my aren't you? All I wanted was a clarification of the rules, not to attack any person or club nor to have my memory and integrity called into question.

Dr Dave Roberts

[Sean Hewitt]

Well said Dave.

Over to you Mr Clifford!

[Carl Hibbard]

I headed this one off as (yet again...) some information was copied into the Chess Scotland forum here:

http://scotchess.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopi ... =scotchess

[Martin Benjamin]

In fairness to both parties and in an attempt to bring about post-Christmas harmony:

I can understand why Dave felt so bad about what happened to him. It is extraordinary and shameful that any arbiter, official, player or considerate person would take such action in the circumstances Dave describes.

I can also understand why John responded. Dave referred to this happening when he was

"playing for the Bon Accord Chess club in Aberdeen"

and wrote

"the arbiter's name was John something or other."

In his reply, John states:

I have been on the Bon-Accord Chess Club committee since 1985..... I believe I am the only arbiter called John in the Aberdeen area and I do not recall any such occurrence and would certainly not have made any such ruling.

I can understand why John (being "the only arbiter called John in the area") would not want his name to be tarnished by association with such a shameful incident and would be anxious to make this clear. It would also be a shame if this incident had the unfortunate consequence of deterring people from joining Bon Accord.

I hope both Dave and John continue to enjoy their chess.

[Dave Roberts]

I headed this one off as (yet again...) some information was copied into the Chess Scotland forum here:

http://scotchess.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopi ... =scotchess

Thanks Carl. Ask a simple question and get libelled all over the UK! I've registered there so as to respond, but an administrator has to approve me. People seem to not even believe that my name is my name - I need to take a picture of my driver's license to prove that. I really didn't want to attack anyone - wasn't even talking about an event in the past, just mentioned as I wanted to know what the rules in England are. Someone asked for where and when it happened. And I tried as best as possible to respond. I certainly didn't want to insult anyone. And now I'm infamous in here and in Scotland. <sigh>

Dave, yes really Dave Roberts, that is my name.

[Carl Hibbard]

They are good guys up there (really they are...) so this should get resolved quickly

[Dave Roberts]

As I said in that other thread about bogus players.

"People believe anything...."

I emailed the Bon Accord Club Sec. before I would make a comment.

It's hopefully some kind of Christmas gag or the lad has seriously
mixed up the place and date.

I haven't been called a lad in quite a while - cheers for that! As far as they gag goes, though I have an odd sense of humour, I fail to see how this could be in any way a gag. All I wanted was to know the English rules on something that had been an issue in the past. My initial post didn't even mention Scotland. Someone asked where it happened and I responded. Now Chess Scotland seems to be attacking me all over the place, where I have no opportunity to respond. People seem to be doubting my name. And, apart from the person who told me that this thread had some things I needed to respond to, not one person has contacted me to talk about this. Seems to me if you really wanted to find the truth, you might maybe want to contact me before accusing me of being a liar publicly. Know what - this is kind of a gag.

[Carl Hibbard]

I would hope Chess Scotland will do a little pruning there...