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Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:18 pm
by TimWall
Election Address: Director of Home Chess – Tim Wall
The reason I’m standing to be Director of Home Chess is simple: I love the game and want to see it enjoyed by as many people as possible.
English chess has a fine historical tradition, and we need to build on this foundation, while recognising that there are exciting new formats we can incorporate as a way of attracting new generations to the game.
Revitalising clubs
The lifeblood of any national chess organisation is its clubs. Encouraging clubs to organise popular activities for their members and local communities, and thus to grow and thrive, would be my top priority.
Clubs come in all shapes and sizes, and reflect their members’ interests, from league matches and junior training to blitz and rapidplay events for players of all ages and abilities. We should celebrate this diversity and encourage clubs to reach out to potential new members, particularly women and young people, by holding ‘Chess for All’ public events, in libraries, town centres and cultural venues.
Developing more social chess through a network of informal clubs, particularly in libraries, cafes and pubs, so that chess is played in public and is accessible to everyone, would be a key objective.
Training organisers and arbiters
I would organise and facilitate training events for local chess organisers, drawing on the expertise of successful club and congress organisers, to help clubs and constituent organisations. Also, I would actively support the excellent work of the Chess Arbiters’ Association in recruiting and training new arbiters, and to foster a greater understanding of the FIDE Laws of Chess and best practice among club players.
Developing the British Championships
The flagship event of the Federation is undoubtedly the annual British Championships, and I would work closely with our professional team of organisers and arbiters to ensure that the Championships attract a top-class field and a large entry in all sections, from the Championship and Major Open, through to the various Veterans, Junior and grading limited events.
I would continue the work we have already begun to organise a family-friendly chess festival alongside the British Championships that attracts newcomers to the game, using the Championships to grow local chess and partnering with local chess organisations, councils and businesses.
Other competitions
I would also work closely with the ECF’s various constituent organisations to promote the County Championships, UK Open Blitz Championships and British Rapidplay, recognising the logistical and geographical challenges that face players and teams outside the most populous areas of the country.
Raising sponsorship
To achieve these various goals, I would actively seek sponsorship from companies, local and national government, organisations and individuals, so that chess events can be professionally run and offer decent conditions to professional players, teachers and coaches.
My Chess CV
I have wide experience of playing, teaching and organising at all levels, from international tournaments to my club in Newcastle upon Tyne, Forest Hall, and at local schools and libraries.
Starting in the 1990s and resuming in 2016 on my return to the UK, I have organised various international, weekend, rapidplay and blitz tournaments, most notably the Northumbria Masters in February 2018.
I have coached England and Scotland juniors at various international events, including the World and European Championships, and taught chess in several schools on Tyneside. Currently, I organise the Northumbria MegaFinal for the Delancey UK Chess Challenge, work as a local coordinator for Chess in Schools and Communities and am a tutor for the ECF Academy.
I have recently started two successful library chess clubs, in Newcastle and Gateshead.
From 1997-98 I worked as editor of British Chess Magazine. During my years working as a news journalist and editor in Russia and Azerbaijan, I wrote a regular chess column for The Moscow News (2009-12) and covered the World Championship match in Sochi (2014).
Qualifications: FIDE Master (1994), FIDE International Organiser (1998), ECF Accredited Coach (2017), ECF Arbiter, Level 1 (2017).

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:32 pm
by David Robertson
All very fine. But I thought there were some protocols for the orderly publication and release of candidate statements. No?

...as given in Procedural Bye-Law 12.8.1 (I'm impressing myself! :) )

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:56 pm
by Roger de Coverly
TimWall wrote:
Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:18 pm
Election Address: Director of Home Chess – Tim Wall
Are there any other candidates apart from "none of the above"?

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:52 am
by Paul Dargan
I thought that byelaw was to protect people from being gazumped by a late submission of an address? I'm not sure there's an issue with a candidate voluntarily 'going first' - I suppose there might be some first mover advantage - but it's probably not GTO correctto do so.

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:09 am
by John Upham
Roger de Coverly wrote:
Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:56 pm
TimWall wrote:
Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:18 pm
Election Address: Director of Home Chess – Tim Wall
Are there any other candidates apart from "none of the above"?
I was told on Monday that Adrian Elwin was another candidate.

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 6:22 pm
by TimWall
Hi everyone! I was advised by the ECF Office that I was welcome to publish an election address on the ECF Forum, as other candidates for ECF posts have done previously. Apparently the official notification of who the candidates are only happens when the agenda for the AGM is sent out. That is scheduled for 17 September, I understand.

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 6:26 pm
by TimWall
I would be very happy to answer questions about how we're going to develop chess, too. It doesn't just have to be procedural matters :)

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:44 pm
by benedgell
Hi Tim. One member from a chess club in Somerset wrote to me a while ago, firstly mentioning about declining numbers of people who play in clubs (which I'm pleased you've written about in your address), and secondly about the number of BAME participants in chess activites. Have you any thoughts about the second point?

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 11:29 pm
by TimWall
Hi Ben, I don't think there's any magic wand we can wave to make our chess clubs more ethnically diverse overnight, or to get more women, young people and LGBT folks involved. But the main point is just to try. If we make a conscious effort to reach out to people who don't normally come to chess clubs - and look at doing (for want of a better word) 'outreach' into the community - playing informal chess in bars, cafes. libraries etc, then we will definitely come across a more diverse group of people than are currently represented at chess clubs. Be welcoming to everyone - it's the single most important thing we can do.

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 3:46 pm
by Andrew Zigmond
The nominations and addresses have been published. https://www.englishchess.org.uk/agm-elections/

Wall vs Elwin (two excellent candidates) confirmed for Director of Home Chess. Interestingly Alex Holowczak is not stepping down from the board but is instead seeking the junior directorate. Equally interestingly those who thought there should be a female Director of Women's Chess have failed to put up a candidate against Chris Fegan.

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 4:12 pm
by J T Melsom
I like the references in a couple of the published manifestos to 'sharing best practice'. Although clubs are autonomous, and very diverse it is often difficult to think creatively about how to run a club, let alone have the energy to do so. I think therefore that this sharing and promulgating of ideas is a good thing, and has the potential to strengthen the connection between national body and club members and organisers. And there are many clubs wanting to give assistance to juniors without really knowing where to start, so similar observations apply here, although in truth, less dabbling and more structured competence from those involved at club level might served the children better.

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:08 pm
by Paul Cooksey
Good to see we have two good candidates

Tim, if you are taking questions - do you have an idea of the budget and team you would need over a 3 year term?

The outgoing Home Director often lamented he had insufficient resources, particularly volunteers, available. It sounds like you are planning to keep doing everything he was, and do more on top.

I think everyone is happy when we have a strong British. But I would like to understand how the Home Director will handle a situation if a sponsor is not available. I hope this is a hypothetical, but it was not for the International Director.

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:27 pm
by Nick Burrows
Hi Tim,

I wish you luck in the coming contest. You are clearly an excellent and well qualified candidate.

In your article about tournament structures, you were outspoken in a) your dislike of graded limited sections and in b) support of more financial support for professional players at the expense of amateur players. Do you have any proposals to attempt to enact these changes?

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:46 pm
by Bob Kane
Hi Tim,
The National club has been scheduled for termination by Alex. In my opinion this heritage event never got the attention it deserves from the ECF. Once revitalised It would have great appeal to sponsors .
I would appreciate your thoughts on the issue .

Many thanks and good luck

Re: Election Addresses for 2018 AGM

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:52 pm
by Roger de Coverly
Some questions about the British Championship.

Should the policy of disallowing non-FIDE rated tournaments to be part of the qualification process be continued?

Should there continue to be no special prizes for over 65s in the Championship? This is now pertinent to Norm opportunities as the UK now has and increasingly will have titled players over that age.

Should the policy of denying rating prizes to competitors below 2050 be continued?