Player of the Year

[Sabrina Chevannes]

I'd like to see more categories, like at any two bob awards ceremony. I think the Player of the Year is intended to reflect personality and input in addition to performance. So perhaps something like:

Best Female Junior (Hoare, Messam-Sparks, Anna Wang)

Best Male Junior (Zhou, Clarke, Williams, Harvey, Sanders, O'Toole, Haria, Malhotra)

Most Improved Female (Yurenok, York-Andersen, Hoare)

Most Improved Male (Hawkins, Haydon, Zhou, Harvey, O'Toole, Sanders, Adair)

Player of the Year (A selection of the above plus the top people)

I like this idea. That shortlist is rather random and wouldn't consider a lot of them to become player of the year just because they have had a couple of tournaments.

I mean people like Yang Fan and Hawkins clearly have done exceptionally well and consistently. Also Luke at the top end has obviously been performing v well against very strong fields and has now made England no 2. but as people have mentioned, surely there are lots others who have done just as well or not better as some of the others up there so it seems unfair.

[Richard Bates]

I like this idea. That shortlist is rather random and wouldn't consider a lot of them to become player of the year just because they have had a couple of tournaments.

I mean people like Yang Fan and Hawkins clearly have done exceptionally well and consistently. Also Luke at the top end has obviously been performing v well against very strong fields and has now made England no 2. but as people have mentioned, surely there are lots others who have done just as well or not better as some of the others up there so it seems unfair.

Don't like to be controversial ( ) but isn't "having a couple of tournaments" a rather good description of Yang Fan's rise to prominence?

At start of relevant period he was 2320, 9 months and 63 rated games later he was 2323. And then... bang!bang! Obviously it is to be hoped that the dramatic improvement is sustained, but it's a little early to make that call yet.

Personally i think if you are looking for a "player of the year" as opposed to a "player of the last two months of the year", then Luke should win it hands down, to the extent that it shouldn't really require any debate.

Winner of the 2010 World Open, winner of the Canadian Open, winner from memory of some strong unrated 4-player A-P-A tournament in Holland, unbeaten at London Classic including victory against Carlsen, winner of the Tata Steel B tournament qualifying for the A tournament next year, qualification for the next stage of the World Championship cycle at the European Individual, and briefly breaking the Adams/Short duopoly at the top of the English rankings.

What more does somebody have to do in a yearly competition to get due recognition?

[David Haydon]

Don't like to be controversial ( ) but isn't "having a couple of tournaments" a rather good description of Yang Fan's rise to prominence?

At start of relevant period he was 2320, 9 months and 63 rated games later he was 2323. And then... bang!bang! Obviously it is to be hoped that the dramatic improvement is sustained, but it's a little early to make that call yet.

Personally i think if you are looking for a "player of the year" as opposed to a "player of the last two months of the year", then Luke should win it hands down, to the extent that it shouldn't really require any debate.

Winner of the 2010 World Open, winner of the Canadian Open, winner from memory of some strong unrated 4-player A-P-A tournament in Holland, unbeaten at London Classic including victory against Carlsen, winner of the Tata Steel B tournament qualifying for the A tournament next year, qualification for the next stage of the World Championship cycle at the European Individual, and briefly breaking the Adams/Short duopoly at the top of the English rankings.

What more does somebody have to do in a yearly competition to get due recognition?

I totally agree...Yang Fan has been the best performing player over the last few months but thats different comparing it to the rest of his season, he clearly had 9 months where he was finding it difficult to improve.

Luke Mcshane on the otherhand does not seem to be getting enough praise for his achievements over his very consistant past year, i was particularly impressed with his win against carlsen and his overall performance at the london classic, so he does it for me, should win it hands down, our next 2700+ player.

David.

[Simon Brown]

I agree. I played Yang Fan in January 2010 (my first and last game since October 1997) and although I lost, I put it down to rustiness and time consumption brought on by trepidation at playing a booked-up kid rather than great talent. He had several more efficient ways of winning than the one he chose and that combined with the albeit brief post mortem led me to remark to my team mates than he was good but nothing special. But his recent games and performances have been extraordinary and very special, so good luck to him.

If I were allowed a vote - as a non-member - I would vote for Luke first, then Yang Fan. Maybe I'll try.....

Simon

[Richard Bates]

Leaving to one side the issue of using an online poll for this sort of thing, I'm afraid it could be made worse by allowing everyone to see the results as they are in progress. Rather encourages 'vote rigging' if one were so inclined. (and i'm using the term very loosely to include "getting the whole school to vote for you" or something similar).

[Carl Hibbard]

Leaving to one side the issue of using an online poll for this sort of thing, I'm afraid it could be made worse by allowing everyone to see the results as they are in progress. Rather encourages 'vote rigging' if one were so inclined. (and i'm using the term very loosely to include "getting the whole school to vote for you" or something similar).

Yes clearly it's silly as I am quite capable of adding hundreds of nonsense votes from here

[Gareth Harley-Yeo]

How about ECForumite of the year?

I would short list the following :

1. Roger D de Coverly (for services to Game Fee)

others are possible but I am tired and emotional after two schools worth of entertainment today!

2. Alan Burke

need I give a reason?

[Richard Bates]

Leaving to one side the issue of using an online poll for this sort of thing, I'm afraid it could be made worse by allowing everyone to see the results as they are in progress. Rather encourages 'vote rigging' if one were so inclined. (and i'm using the term very loosely to include "getting the whole school to vote for you" or something similar).

Yes clearly it's silly as I am quite capable of adding hundreds of nonsense votes from here

Maybe the brains trust at the ECF has formed a cunning plan for some national publicity?

"Voting Scandal/Controversy in Chess Player of the Year award" might grab the odd headline on a slow news day

[Roger de Coverly]

[
"Voting Scandal/Controversy in Chess Player of the Year award" might grab the odd headline on a slow news day

What used to happen was that one of the mailed copies of ChessMoves would turn up with a voting form, which you were invited to complete and send back. Postal voting in other words. I don't recall whether there was an email option. Now that ChessMoves isn't normally sent in print form, the regular mailing by the ECF Office has ceased with it.

Without any sort of identification test on the voters (other than an IP check for uniqueness), the current poll is no longer a poll of ECF members, but a poll of the rather wider, we presume, readership of the ECF website.

[Sabrina Chevannes]

How about ECForumite of the year?

I would short list the following :

1. Roger D de Coverly (for services to Game Fee)

others are possible but I am tired and emotional after two schools worth of entertainment today!

2. Alan Burke

need I give a reason?

Ha! I was going to suggest him, but thought I might get harassed continually again! He would def get my vote

[John Upham]

(other than an IP check for uniqueness)

Most large bodies (Universities, schools, companies etc) will return the same IP address and probably the same http client version so abpve will limit an institution to a single vote.

[Rob Thompson]

How about ECForumite of the year?

I would short list the following :

1. Roger D de Coverly (for services to Game Fee)

others are possible but I am tired and emotional after two schools worth of entertainment today!

2. Alan Burke

need I give a reason?

David Pardoe, for services to the ellipsis.

[Phil Makepeace]

So perhaps something like:

etc.

That shortlist is rather random

I actually thought about that list for quite a while! Especially the junior categories as I wasn't entirely sure who'd won the main tournaments. I happen to agree that Luke should win; I think a lot of Yang-Fan's voter appeal is that his exceptional achievements have occurred very recently.

[Sabrina Chevannes]

I didn't actually mean yours!! I meant the official ECF one! I think your categorised one is better! lol

[Thomas Rendle]

Personally i think if you are looking for a "player of the year" as opposed to a "player of the last two months of the year", then Luke should win it hands down, to the extent that it shouldn't really require any debate.

Winner of the 2010 World Open, winner of the Canadian Open, winner from memory of some strong unrated 4-player A-P-A tournament in Holland, unbeaten at London Classic including victory against Carlsen, winner of the Tata Steel B tournament qualifying for the A tournament next year, qualification for the next stage of the World Championship cycle at the European Individual, and briefly breaking the Adams/Short duopoly at the top of the English rankings.

What more does somebody have to do in a yearly competition to get due recognition?

I couldn't agree more