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Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:13 pm
by Matt Mackenzie
Paul Douglass wrote:Nothing regarding your opinion of the post. I quoted it due to your link to the S&B blog.

It's just another post from Justin Horton criticising an organisation he's never been an officer of.
Why is this so relevant?

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:29 pm
by Paul Douglass
Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Paul Douglass wrote:Nothing regarding your opinion of the post. I quoted it due to your link to the S&B blog.

It's just another post from Justin Horton criticising an organisation he's never been an officer of.
Why is this so relevant?
It is relevant to the S&B posts quoted in this thread by Carl.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:42 pm
by IM Jack Rudd
Paul Douglass wrote:
Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Paul Douglass wrote:Nothing regarding your opinion of the post. I quoted it due to your link to the S&B blog.

It's just another post from Justin Horton criticising an organisation he's never been an officer of.
Why is this so relevant?
It is relevant to the S&B posts quoted in this thread by Carl.
In what way? It's not necessary to have done a job in order to recognise how well it's being done - otherwise the professions of critic, quality controller and other such occupations would be completely different from how they are.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:54 pm
by Mike Truran
“Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves.” (Brendan Behan)
Of course, in the ECF's case many people may be delighted that they are unable to do some of the things that the ECF has done recently.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:57 pm
by Sean Hewitt
Paul Douglass wrote:
Carl Hibbard wrote:
David Robertson wrote:Yes. That just about nails it.
Another good post here I have to say:

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... story.html
Justin Horton - Please remind me what position(s) he's held in the ECF or chess in general?
Horton knows bugger all about the stuff he writes about. He has no idea of the real world, nor of the pragmatic approach that a number of the directors took to this whole affair.

He knows nothing of the length that Phil Ehr is prepared to go to for his mate Andrew Paulson.

He has no idea that Paulson and Ehr met up last week with others and tried to get Paulson back as ECF President. Mind you, neither do half of the board, because the Chief Executive has neglected to mention it.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 12:19 am
by David Pardoe
Andrew Zigmond wrote:
Chris Rice wrote:"Roger Edwards a man who promises nothing and is guaranteed to deliver" Steve Giddins (extract from Nigel Short's article in New In Chess 2014#2)
Roger Edwards is the only ECF President from the last four who hasn't resigned in acrimonious circumstances. I think he deserves a lot more credit for that than he currently gets.

Andrews comments were indeed very well stated...
Question is....how do we go forward?

Here`s one possibility that I think ECF Council should take immediate action on at this weekends meeting...

Reinstate Roger Edwards as ECF President for an 18 month period till October 2015.
Extend the current `shelf life` of the other ECF board members til October 2015.
Install Angus French as NED till October 2015.
Perhaps add Jack Rudd as an additional NED, with additional responsibilities for mediating/coordinating with the FIDE delegate regarding ECF policy matters.

To bring Rogers undoubted experience to lead the ECF board could help restore stability, confidence, order, and at least help take us on a steady course through the next 18 months, which might also help restore the ECFs tarnished reputation.
I`d also favour allowing AP his ECU Vice President ticket.
Frankly, the shenanigans surrounding some of the East European personalities in FIDE related bodies, where self serving agendas, and devious politics abound, should not be allowed to cloud UK chess.

The alternative, of allowing the ECF to continue under a rudderless board really is not desirable. Who else will be daft/daring enough to risk there reputation at the hands of such a dysfunctional organisation. The ECF could end up rudderless for a considerable period of time.
At this critical point, it is important to take stock, reassess its position on a whole range of issues, and proceed with caution, making sure they consult widely on key issues.

The ECF AGM in October could then take stock on progress and make any recommendations to the board....and follow this up at the subsequent ECF Spring Council meeting.

In order to expidite this at the Council Meeting, or at least set the wheels in motion, it would need to be raised as a point of business at the meeting, for which I presume there are mechanisms in place. To accomodate discussion, it might be worth limiting discusions on some on the other business.
I hope this can be done.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 1:11 am
by IM Jack Rudd
So you're proposing changes to the way the Board is constituted and the frequency of Board elections... for a meeting in two days' time, where nobody will have prepared for your ideas.

No, this can't be done.

(The Board could appoint any of me, Roger and Angus to any of the three vacant Board posts, should both parties be willing, but it isn't entitled to replace the Commercial Director post with an additional NED, nor change the date of re-election, without a formal resolution at Council for which adequate notice has been given.)

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 1:20 am
by NickFaulks
David Pardoe wrote:
Perhaps add Jack Rudd as an additional NED, with additional responsibilities for mediating/coordinating with the FIDE delegate regarding ECF policy matters.
Not a job that many would welcome.

More generally, David's plan looks far too sensible to be the basis of anything that could actually happen.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 1:44 am
by Roger de Coverly
Sean Hewitt wrote:[Horton knows bugger all about the stuff he writes about. He has no idea of the real world, nor of the pragmatic approach that a number of the directors took to this whole affair.
He makes valid points about secrecy. Something that ought to be discussed at the Council meeting, but almost certainly won't be is what the interpretation of the new FIDE rules about mobile phones in particular and computing devices in general should be. It's easy for Leagues provided they don't look for FIDE rating, basically just set aside FIDE rulings. But what of leagues and Congresses that are FIDE rated? If on the Sunday rounds, you have in your luggage a computing device and a mobile phone, are you liable to be defaulted, or such lower penalty as the arbiter may determine?

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 2:23 am
by NickFaulks
Roger de Coverly wrote: Something that ought to be discussed at the Council meeting, but almost certainly won't be is what the interpretation of the new FIDE rules about mobile phones in particular and computing devices in general should be. It's easy for Leagues provided they don't look for FIDE rating, basically just set aside FIDE rulings. But what of leagues and Congresses that are FIDE rated? If on the Sunday rounds, you have in your luggage a computing device and a mobile phone, are you liable to be defaulted, or such lower penalty as the arbiter may determine?
This is important, but what has it to do with the ECF? FIDE regulations give organisers latitude to do what is sensible, and that is not an accident. In the Candidates, players are not permitted to bring phones into the playing area under any circumstances. Good. In the 4NCL, this may be considered unavoidable ( although they had better be turned off! ). Also good. As with default times, the Chief Arbiter must be willing to make and announce a ruling. I'm sorry if they consider this an unacceptable responsibility.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:50 am
by JustinHorton
The idea that you have to have been an officer of the ECF to have a valid opinion about the ECF is entirely symptomatic of what's wrong about the way some ECF officials have doing things, isn't it?
Sean Hewitt wrote: He has no idea of the real world
I certainly have no idea what this is supposed to mean.
PeterFarr wrote:Andrew, you are mistaken here. If you re-read the thread you will see that it was not an S&B blogger that made this remark
Or indeed Andrew could have used the Search function to look for "shysters". I trust he will be withdrawing.

Incidentally I have no intention of getting into a Forum spat about this. Neither Sean Hewitt nor anybody else has any idea what I know and what I don't know: but Sean Hewitt and anybody else is perfectly entitled to criticise or disagree with what I say. This is a good thing.

However, it strikes me that there's a certain irony in people reckoning their critics know nothing when they've gone out of their way to keep their own actions as secret as possible. The ECF is not divided into an in-group which knows what's going on, and the rest of us, who are kept in the dark. Or it shouldn't be.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 9:46 am
by Roger de Coverly
NickFaulks wrote:
This is important, but what has it to do with the ECF?
I would have thought that playing conditions at leagues and tournaments throughout England, an important consideration for the 15,000 or so who play competitive chess and thus for the ECF who demand money from them to finance its very existence.

In my mind it's still muddy whether a "lesser" penalty is no penalty as I think senior arbiters are making contradictory statements on this.

I read in the entry form for a Congress in early July that
Mobile Phones: Mobile devices of any kind are not permitted in the playing hall while games are in progress, whether switched on or not. Players may not have a mobile device in their possession in the playing hall or elsewhere during their game.
In fairness to the organisers, they put in what an arbiter said they should and have indicated that they will not be conducting searches.

So are such clauses and organisers ignoring them going to be a feature of British Congresses?

If such a phrase is intended unless modified to be an implied part of League rules, then League AGMs will need to discuss adding clauses starting " Contrary to FIDE Laws of Chess ... ".

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:12 am
by Mike Truran
From the Oxfordshire Chess Association 'Guidance to Captains' notes:
A. FIDE Laws of Chess: Exceptions in the OCA

The exceptions specified in 7.11.1-5 refer to Laws which, however suitable for FIDE events, are excessively rigid or otherwise regarded as inappropriate for the OCA League. Although their rationale and meaning are for the most part self-explanatory, some comments on certain of the exceptions may be helpful.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:19 am
by Roger de Coverly
Mike Truran wrote:From the Oxfordshire Chess Association 'Guidance to Captains' notes:
A. FIDE Laws of Chess: Exceptions in the OCA
They made need some rewording if it's the intent that switched off phones are allowed to be in the possession of league players without any penalties being applied.

A meeting of representatives of all the Leagues, Counties and Congresses in the country ought to be a very good forum for (a) establishing whether a consistent interpretation should be placed on what appears to be deliberately ambiguous wording and (b) what this interpretation should be. The practicalities of fitting chess games around ordinary life should also be a consideration.

Re: Sean Hewitt resigns

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 11:16 am
by Mike Truran
Good point. Here's what the OCA rules and captains' guidelines say. No doubt the wording can be improved, but we have tried to do what you rightly suggest leagues should do, i.e. fit chess games around ordinary life in a reasonably practical way. We hope we've got the balance about right, and since the rule's implementation things seem to have gone pretty smoothly.

If any league secretary (or anyone else) wants sight of the OCA's rules and captains' guidelines (which cover a range of items such as mobile phones, 10.2 claims, recording of moves etc etc) they can be found at http://www.oxfordfusion.com/oca/GetDocuments.cfm
7.11

All games will be conducted in accordance with the FIDE Laws of Chess except as indicated here:

......

7.11.2
Players may bring mobile phones into the playing area, provided that they areswitched off for the duration of the playing session. Captains should ensure that a reminder to switch phones off is issued immediately before the start of the match. Should a mobile phone make a sound during the match, the captains will issue a warning to the player to switch it off. Should the player’s device make a further sound, the captains will enforce loss of the game by the player.

......
(i) Mobile phones.

Rule 7.11.2 reflects the fact that the FIDE rules on mobile phones have widely been recognized at
local league level as imposing a somewhat draconian penalty in an environment in which cheating is highly unlikely and players play primarily for enjoyment. Clearly, however, if during a league match a player is caught using a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication to cheat (e.g. by accessing programs such as Fritz or Rybka, or phoning third parties for advice) that player's opponent will immediately be awarded a win, and the episode and circumstances reported to the
Committee, who will consider whether any further action is required.