Squandered resources!

[Joey Stewart]

Just doing some cleaning out of old books and found some old bcm magazines from the late 80s (not sure where exactly they came from as i didnt start playing until 2001) and found the most atrocious article saying how matthew sadler was given 20,000 pounds to further his chess career but, as we all know, he selfishly denied the world of his great talents in order to line his own pockets with gold (at least that is the common rumour).

I wonder if anyone might be able to arrange some way of asking him if he would now pay that money back as it would make a huge difference to a talented junior now (several young players spring to mind) and would make up for his desertion.

[Mike Truran]

Why don't you ask him?

[Richard Bates]

as we all know...

Do we?

...(at least that is the common rumour)

Oh, clearly not.

[David Lettington]

...found some old bcm magazines from the late 80s...

If the magazine was from the late 80s then Matthew Sadler continued playing for at least ten years after that as I think he was still playing competitively until 1999.

[Richard Bates]

...found some old bcm magazines from the late 80s...

If the magazine was from the late 80s then Matthew Sadler continued playing for at least ten years after that as I think he was still playing competitively until 1999.

I would imagine that the only accurate part of the original post was that Matthew Sadler received some money, probably some sort of sponsorship, similar to what a number of very strong young players have received down the years. The word "atrocious" and the rest of the post is just the poster's embellishment. The idea that such money is some sort of resource denied to the wider chess world as a result is equally nonsense.

Then again one wonders who Joey Cage is, to have such knowledge and insight into players who predated him even playing the game. Not that he can play that much, judging by his absence from the ECF grading list.

[Alex Holowczak]

Then again one wonders who Joey Cage is, to have such knowledge and insight into players who predated him even playing the game. Not that he can play that much, judging by his absence from the ECF grading list.

He's the captain of Warwickshire's Open team in the County Championship.

I think this is what you were looking for.

[Richard Bates]

Then again one wonders who Joey Cage is, to have such knowledge and insight into players who predated him even playing the game. Not that he can play that much, judging by his absence from the ECF grading list.

He's the captain of Warwickshire's Open team in the County Championship.

I think this is what you were looking for.

Thank you. Perhaps Carl could reinstate the "real names" policy.

[Carl Hibbard]

Thank you. Perhaps Carl could reinstate the "real names" policy.

Not surprised one got past me to be honest, it's an impossible job!

A comment please Joey?

[Geoff Chandler]

Ha Ha.

Two have slipped past you.

There is no Geoff Chandler.

I was fed up being called dull and boring so invented
this exciting super cool handosme dude to live out a new persona.

Yours etc etc...

Vladimir Kramnik

PS. Can I have some money now?

[Jonathan Bryant]

I got funded to undertake a Social Work training course (MSc, DipSW at Royal Holloway College, 1996-1998 should you wish to look it up).

I'm not working in Social Services now. They're not getting their money back.

[Joey Stewart]

Well if you were being paid that money to elevate you to an elite management status and to be a major asset to your country but, instead, jacked it in for a better opportunity then I think you damn well should be paying that money back - especially since it came out of my taxes!!

Back to the subject, however, I will reserve further judgement on Sadler as he is still a young man and will hopefully learn the error of his ways and come back like Gata Kamsky did - Kamsky is a true inspiration to all those fallen souls who have strayed from the rightious path of chess and into the murky waters of money obsession or letting a family steer them away from the game, he had a nice high roller job and could have spent the rest of his days in the luxury of his ill gotten gains but instead he saw the light and realised that he could never truely be an immortal unless he continued to play - and one day in the future when he is long gone, his memory will forever live on as a great player.... how many famous businessmen get remembered so fondly after their death?? Not many I wouldnt have thought.

But, yeah, I always get quite cross around this time of year when I look through my lists of all the strong players who used to play for my county team and have 'given up' chess - not that I have any disregard for my current keen players but I dont like to see them having to face superior opposition every time we get to the national stages, when all it would have taken was three or four more 200s for us to be just as strong as all the london or northern lot and make it a really close competition instead of a massive uphill struggle.

[Alex Holowczak]

But, yeah, I always get quite cross around this time of year when I look through my lists of all the strong players who used to play for my county team and have 'given up' chess

Don't worry, I get quite cross all the time when I look through the Warwickshire team and realise how tenuous their links to Warwickshire are (perhaps not the Open team, to be fair).

[Carl Hibbard]

But, yeah, I always get quite cross around this time of year when I look through my lists of all the strong players who used to play for my county team and have 'given up' chess.

One of those would be me I suppose but then I no longer get any enjoyment out of playing and decided it was time to give up

[Joey Stewart]

But, yeah, I always get quite cross around this time of year when I look through my lists of all the strong players who used to play for my county team and have 'given up' chess

Don't worry, I get quite cross all the time when I look through the Warwickshire team and realise how tenuous their links to Warwickshire are (perhaps not the Open team, to be fair).

Dont you worry, my players are well researched and always fall within the letter of the law (which does allow some tenuous links, to be fair)
To play for a county you must:
1. Be born there - this gives a lifetime eligibility, so I could have people from anywhere in the country using this one.
2. Have lived there for at least 5 years in a stretch- also gives a lifetime eligibility, and is one which now applies to myself as I no longer live in Warwickshire.
3. Are currently living in the county -this is one to be careful of, as players can come and go without you realising.
4. Are currently playing for a club which falls within the county boundaries - this comes in handy for me as well, for recruiting outsiders or keeping hold of players who have moved away.

[Alex Holowczak]

Warwickshire can also pick anyone in the Birmingham League, since it's affiliated. So you can pick half of Stourbridge, Lichfield, Redditch, Wolverhampton (etc.) if you so desired... The Dudley and Wolverhampton Leagues don't quite give Worcestershire and Staffordshire the same spread.

Anyway, I've had this discussion before.