Nominations for the elections at the ECF AGM

[Stewart Reuben]

The candidate may be hoping somebody else comes forward in addition to himelf. The most obvious reason for that stance is that the candidate is prepared to stand, but is modest enough to believe there might be superior candidates. Such might be disinclined to stand if there was already a name in the frame.

[Roger de Coverly]

This board is a classic example - there are some 10,000 active chess players on the net in England using a round figures; of these some 1,000 or so belong to this forum and of those probably 1 in three have made a significant number of posts. One can surmise that probably 3% of chess players might have a passing interest in how things are run; 97% probably couldn't care less!

Carl quotes between two and three thousand visitors a day in the monthly statistics. I don't know to what extent that's a reliable count of apparently unique visitors. The count of views for a given topic is another measure, but a topic that has only one post would be the most reliable in terms of count if not interest.

The 97% would presume the ECF to retain the status of mostly harmless. It's when it starts trying to throw its weight around that you start to worry.

[Carl Hibbard]

Carl quotes between two and three thousand visitors a day in the monthly statistics. I don't know to what extent that's a reliable count of apparently unique visitors. The count of views for a given topic is another measure, but a topic that has only one post would be the most reliable in terms of count if not interest.

The 97% would presume the ECF to retain the status of mostly harmless. It's when it starts trying to throw its weight around that you start to worry.

If anything the unique visitors count could be greater as it is based on unique IP.

[Sean Hewitt]

You may infer what you wish. I couldn't possibly comment.

Jack not wishing to be critical about your stance, the ECF Board should be advising who this candidate is. It's hardly a matter to be shrouded in secrecy.

Candidates for all posts are declared simultaneously as soon as possible after nominations have closed on 4th September. It would be totally unfair to all concerned for the board to reveal the the identity of one nominee in advance. Of course, the candidate is free to publicise his candidature in advance if he or she so wishes.

I can confirm though that the board have not interviewed this candidate. There is no need, as he has put himself forward for election by council, not for appointment by the board. I hope that clears things up.

[David Pardoe]

Volunteers..yes, we need to encourage players to come forward. For most posts, it requires just a willing pair of hands to keep the wheels turning, and quite often there is help and advice aplenty to be had.
Players interested should have a look at various club, league, county and ECF website for more details and vacant posts, and ask for more information.
As for active players....
well...is it nearer 200,000 in this country alone....I`d guess.
80,000 kids playing in Mike Basmans super schools competition...
Then you have about 15000 playing an assortment of league, congress, Rapidplay, 4NCL, county, e2e4, and numerous other chess events...which cater for players of all standards.!!
Then you have about ten million playing lunchtime online knockabout chess...and some of those guys can play some seriously good stuff. Two of my recent opponents were FIDE 2350+ rated players a while back.
So chess is a thriving pursuit, make no mistake...... Our challenge is to encourage more participation on all levels.

[Roger de Coverly]

Then you have about 15000 playing an assortment of league, congress, Rapidplay, 4NCL, county, e2e4, and numerous other chess events...which cater for players of all standards.!!.

It's around 15,000 as the total who play at least one game of graded chess in a season. That's going to include a reasonable number of juniors who will only be playing for a season or two.

So chess is a thriving pursuit, make no mistake

That's not something which is reflected in new players taking part in Leagues and Congresses.

[John Upham]

That's not something which is reflected in new players taking part in Leagues and Congresses.

What would be your policy for making it so?

For the sake of argument can we assume that the ECF membership scheme is set-up according to how you want it to be and then move on from there?

[Roger de Coverly]

For the sake of argument can we assume that the ECF membership scheme is set-up according to how you want it to be and then move on from there?

ECF membership is Platinum only. That way you don't get moans about paying for the ECF twice, so you can revert to a system which doesn't penalise new or irregular players. If leagues want to insist on a per head scheme then confine it to their local area.

I believe compulsory membership and local leagues don't mix because you either have to charge the full annual rate for just playing one game or invent a whole string of arbitrary concessions. Compulsory membership and Congresses is dubious as well, unless you have a form of temporary membership just lasting the length of the event.

I don't know that it actually encourages new players, the important point is not to start from a position of discouraging them.

[John Upham]

I don't know that it actually encourages new players, the important point is not to start from a position of discouraging them.

Without wishing to sound like a broken record I would ask what your strategy would be to encourage more players (assuming the membership scheme is set-up in the way you would want it to be)?

I accept that you may have none whatsoever but that would seem to be unlikely.

[Roger de Coverly]

Without wishing to sound like a broken record I would ask what your strategy would be to encourage more players

I told you. Remove all impediments imposed by the ECF and let creative organisers get on with it. Neil Copper's secondary schools initiative has only been able to continue after he removed his events from ECF oversight.

[John Upham]

Remove all impediments imposed by the ECF

Please list what these are

Assuming this is done around another 5,000 players will then play in congresses and leagues: is that your projection?

[Roger de Coverly]

Please list what these are

On the membership page.

[Sean Hewitt]

Neil Copper's secondary schools initiative has only been able to continue after he removed his events from ECF oversight.

The event could quite easily have continued under the umbrella of the ECF. Neill simply decided that he wasn't prepared to run the event on behalf of the ECF unless it was exempted from the ECF membership rules. That was something the ECF was not prepared to agree to.

[Roger de Coverly]

Neill simply decided that he wasn't prepared to run the event on behalf of the ECF unless it was exempted from the ECF membership rules. That was something the ECF was not prepared to agree to.

That surely is the point. The ECF were insisting on membership for everyone as a condition of grading. I class that as an impediment. These were inter school events designed to get secondary school players to participate in semi-serious chess. As such there would almost certainly have been players brought along to make up the numbers. A more pragmatic ECF would have suggested that the organisation become an ECF member with the organisation's membership fee offset by a grant to promote the event.

[Sean Hewitt]

Neill simply decided that he wasn't prepared to run the event on behalf of the ECF unless it was exempted from the ECF membership rules. That was something the ECF was not prepared to agree to.

That surely is the point. The ECF were insisting on membership for everyone as a condition of grading. I class that as an impediment. These were inter school events designed to get secondary school players to participate in semi-serious chess. As such there would almost certainly have been players brought along to make up the numbers. A more pragmatic ECF would have suggested that the organisation become an ECF member with the organisation's membership fee offset by a grant to promote the event.

Well, we don't know because the hypothesis was not tested.