English Chess Forum

Roger de Coverly wrote:I know that Neville is no longer maintaining the qualifiers list, but who is?

I ask because a recent event advertised itself as having a qualification place and as late as last week, was still on the list without a name attached. It's now not there. It's useful to have events listed that haven't taken place, that way potential entrants know that a place can be available.

I am, so if you can be more specific, I will investigate!

Adam Raoof wrote: I am, so if you can be more specific, I will investigate!

It transpires there are two versions of this list in different formats, one of which is up to date with last weekend's Kidlington qualifier.

A small suggestion. Roger is excellent at this type of thing. Adam has a great deal to do. I suggest Roger takes over this particular task. Everybody will benefit.

That seems a very good idea and could be the first step on the path to more volunteers.

michele clack wrote:That seems a very good idea and could be the first step on the path to more volunteers.

Lest there be any doubt, I do not wish to work for an organisation which demands compulsory membership.

Well that's a shame Roger as I think you would be very good.

Could the scrapping of Labour's national identity scheme have avoided the horns of a dilemma - emigrate to a non-totalitarian state or hold out in a fastness like the Welsh mountains?

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Lest there be any doubt, I do not wish to work for an organisation which demands compulsory membership.

Would you be prepared not to be a member of the ECF on a point of principle?

John Upham wrote: Would you be prepared not to be a member of the ECF on a point of principle?

I was a member of the ECF before they compelled it.

Individuals have next to no say in the running of the ECF, so even the existing schemes are not really membership with a capital M, more a way for the ECF to collect money. Again as I've said before, the logic that it costs less to collect from 10,000 individuals than 250 institutions rather escapes me unless you load the costs in an unbalanced manner.

If I didn't want to play chess, or was prepared to cut down to next to nothing, then yes I wouldn't be a member. For example if the WCU were to demand that absolutely everyone taking part in a Welsh event had to join the WCU at a cost of £ 27, I would consider it unlikely that I would ever play in Wales.

I support Roger on this. I too would not be a member of the ECF were I not compelled to be.

I play half my chess in France and all my FIDE rated chess there. But it did not matter. The ECF took my FIDE rating off me to force me to become and ECF member. Worse still the ECF would still force me to be a member by removing my FIDE rating even if I played all my chess in France.

With this background I will do nothing to support the ECF.

Does the ECF really think it can continue to survive successfully when it actions have this effect on those who were its strongest supporters.

Neville Belinfante wrote:A list of players qualified to play in next year's championships has just been added to the ECF website at http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... s2012.html.

A possible missing name: David W Anderton - winner of the British Seniors at Sheffield 2011.

There are oddities e.g.
HAGESAETHER, Arne, 2145
Surely he is not eligible? He is not a British Isls player, nor is he resident in that part of the world.

Stewart Reuben wrote:There are oddities e.g.
HAGESAETHER, Arne, 2145
Surely he is not eligible? He is not a British Isls player, nor is he resident in that part of the world.

It might help if there was an obviously accessible page detailing eligibility requirements. Presumably somebody has assumed there is a qualification by marriage, and/or is unsure about current residency.

http://britishchesschampionships.co.uk/ ... lifiers-2/ has the list, and a key to the rules.

Richard Bates wrote: It might help if there was an obviously accessible page detailing eligibility requirements. Presumably somebody has assumed there is a qualification by marriage, and/or is unsure about current residency.

The paper entry form continues to specify

Championship events are open only to British Isles subjects or players resident therein for the past year, or those with British Overseas Dependent Territories Citizenship.

The online material makes no similar stipulation, that a quick scan finds.

If they wanted to formalise it, the ECF might wish to say that players, not ENG, SCO, WLS, IRL, GCI, JCI wishing to qualify by residence should contact the ECF in confidence to validate their status.