World Senior Teams Ch, Prague 2025

[Tim Harding]

FIDE just published details of the World Senior Teams Championships, to be held in Prague in the second half of February 2025.
You can find the information on the FIDE news site or at my chessmail.com website.

Players born not later than 31 December 1975 can play in the 50+; 31 December 1960 is cut-off date for 65+ eligibility.

Players wishing to be on an Irish team should contact Gerry MacElligott, for English teams I guess it is Nigel Povah.

I am informed that anyone aged 65+ has free travel on Prague public transport provided they carry a passport or other official document proving their age.

[Geoff Chandler]

Has anyone else seen Keith's Facebook post (posted yesterday) about not being selected for Prague next year.

Seems like a wrong and poor decision given Keith's senior record. 200+ comments, including me, agree he deserves a better explanation than the one he got including; 'We needed to introduce more fighting qualities to the team'." which Keith, who recently retained his Seniors title at the last British Ch. scoring 6½ from 7 describes as 'ludicrous and insulting."

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Here is Keith's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Atomrod
Currently it has 234 comments, most of them in support of Keith.

Has England's team for Prague 2025 been announced yet? I couldn't find it. It would help if we could actually see which two players have replaced Keith in the 50+ team.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jon,

I was not too sure about posting a F.B. link as I think you have to be a member to see it.

You would think Keith would be the first name down. His results speak for them themselves, he is the current British Senior Champion and you cannot buy his OTB experience especially in senior events.

I've no idea who the other two are, it is not actually their fault. Keith adds:
"I have been dropped for players weaker than me and lower rated. The lowest rated has very little Senior experience and has been lower rated than me for donkey's years. The stronger of the two could be used to strengthen the 65+ team, whereas I cannot until the following year. So this decision is irrational on more than one level."

In the comments that I've read, far too many to read them all, everyone is expressing sorrow, shock, surprise and yes, it is irrational. Keith says he is 'crushed' and you cannot help but feel for him.

There is obviously some back of the envelope politics going on. If the selectors do not have a re-think then they could be limping back from Prague having shot themselves in the foot.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

You would think Keith would be the first name down.

Well, perhaps the second since Michael Adams is now a 50+ senior!

I had a look at the list of top senior English players:
https://rating.englishchess.org.uk/v2/n ... ype=rating

I've never heard of Plamen Mladenov before and his FIDE profile (https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2906198) says he was born in 1987.

[Alan Walton]

I've never heard of Plamen Mladenov before and his FIDE profile (https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2906198) says he was born in 1987.

He and his fellow countryman Nikolay Milchev have been playing for Bolton for a couple of years now, here is the latest match they both played

https://lms.englishchess.org.uk/lms/fixture/73081

[Nick Ivell]

On the face of it, an absurd decision.

You can be a grinder and a fighter at the same time!

[Roger de Coverly]

There is obviously some back of the envelope politics going on

A rumour that I've heard, which seems confirmed in Keith's Facebook post, is that he and another veteran player no longer wish to play in the same event and presumably team.

[jholyhead]

If the event expenses are funded by the ECF, then they really should be held to account for this. The World Seniors isn't an all expenses paid jolly for the selector's pals. We're not the Seychelles Women's Olympiad team for Christ's sake.

[Keith Arkell]

There is obviously some back of the envelope politics going on

A rumour that I've heard, which seems confirmed in Keith's Facebook post, is that he and another veteran player no longer wish to play in the same event and presumably team.

Hi Roger, I have never made such a condition. I only learned that the player had an issue with me via the senior management. Had the player ( who I was friends with for decades) simply had a private word with me, rather than the selectors, we could have sorted it out very quickly, and none of this would have happened.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Keith,

I guessed there was a personality clash in there which is often the case. This one looks much deeper. Falling back on the wonderful gift of hindsight a let's clear the air meeting with the parties involved would have been a better way to handle things. That way you at least you would have been forewarned that not picking you, or even both of the players concerned, was being considered.

As a selector I'd have gone for 'If you two do not forget the past and make up then neither of you go.' which neatly passes the buck to the players and lets me off the hook from appearing to take sides.

I'd not go into revealing any further details. In my and many others opinion we think a mistake has been made. It also appears you too are set to put this behind you, I see you have entered the Isle of Wight International Masters. https://www.iowchess.com/players2025 which is being played at the same time.

Good choice. You will get the chance to cross swords with the likes of Shreyas Royal, Harry Grieve, Jovanka Houska, Danny Fernandez... That sounds like more fun than going to Prague to play a bunch of old men. Good Luck.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'd not go into revealing any further details.

A link to the forum's archives that may or may not be relevant.

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=13254#p296323

[Mick Norris]

I've never heard of Plamen Mladenov before and his FIDE profile (https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2906198) says he was born in 1987.

He and his fellow countryman Nikolay Milchev have been playing for Bolton for a couple of years now, here is the latest match they both played

https://lms.englishchess.org.uk/lms/fixture/73081

The ECF member database has him down as year of birth 1905, which I assume is a default for where they haven't got a date of birth, so I have emailed 1 of his club colleagues to suggest this gets updated

I would like to see Keith in the England 50+ team; I'd like to see Mark Hebden in the 65+ team

[Tim Harding]

If the event expenses are funded by the ECF, then they really should be held to account for this. The World Seniors isn't an all expenses paid jolly for the selector's pals...

I suspect they are not ECF funded, at least not fully.
Having played in several of these tournaments, I think most players at these events meet their own expenses, though some of those in contention for gold medals probably get paid by their federations or private sponsors. I expect Rex Sinquefield pays the American GMs and most years since they started entering they have won the 50+ . (England did finish ahead of them in 2022.)

Every year the competition in the 50+ gets stronger and this year Italy came second with England taking bronze (and close to missing out). That is presumably the motivation for seeking a different line-up in Prague though it's hard to disagree with Keith's belief that as reigning senior champion he should be automatically selected.

From Danny Gormally's Youtube vlog on this matter, I gather that the selected players in preference to Keith are Mark Hebden (who is eligible for the 65+) and Peter Wells. If that's right, somebody else who played in Krakow is also not selected, presumably Nigel Davies who was the lowest rated member of the team. John Emms (board 2 and captain) and Glenn Flear were the other team members.
In the European 50+ championship earlier in the summer, Stuart Conquest was on the team and Michael Adams was not, presumably by his own choice.

Gormally reckons Keith ought to accept board 1 on the 2nd team (which would still be much stronger than most of the other teams).
Also that perhaps in future there should be clear published criteria for selection, perhaps reserving a place or two for the winners of the English Seniors and (if eligible for ENG) the British Seniors.

It's understandable that the 65+ team which won this year would not be changed if all members wish to play again (Nunn, Kosten, Mestel, Littlewood and Chapman) but presumably Hebden will migrate to the 65+ at some future date.

[Mick Norris]

Tim, do the Irish publish selection criteria?

I see from the ECF website

International Senior Selection Committee
Nigel Povah (Chair), John Emms, Clive Frostick, Paul Littlewood, Malcolm Pein, Stewart Reuben

if that's up to date

ECF Documents includes, from 2014, the International selection policy but not certain this is current,, or applies to the Seniors