English Chess Forum

Announcement

The following policy has been radically altered from 2018. While there will still be tournament-based qualification routes to playing for England, the main emphasis will change, to be part of ECF-supported training programmes and players’ ratings. This is a deliberate attempt to shift the focus of English junior chess away from playing in junior tournaments, and focussing more on education and training than in the past.

I only had a quick read through, but one thing that did strike me was that it seems somewhat incomplete for the World Junior unless I am missing something (so for example qualification by rating/title).

David Shepherd wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 03, 2019 5:21 pm

I only had a quick read through, but one thing that did strike me was that it seems somewhat incomplete for the World Junior unless I am missing something (so for example qualification by rating/title).

"The International Director will be responsible for selecting additional people to represent England in this tournament."

Thanks Alex, apologies if that was there originally and I missed it - that makes sense.

David Shepherd wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 03, 2019 6:28 pm

Thanks Alex, apologies if that was there originally and I missed it - that makes sense.

It was, but right at the bottom.

There's another new policy which presumably has practical implications.

https://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-cont ... ration.pdf

Trip administration – MT reiterated that the ECF Office would no longer be involved in travel arrangements for international trips other than administrative requirements such as player and team registration fees and lists.

Arguably the ECF has subsidised junior international activity by providing travel agency services for gratis in the sense that it created a workload for paid for staff.

At a guess, they are either expecting a volunteer or volunteers to handle travel and accommodation, or perhaps more likely, they have a commercial organisation (Guaranteed Events?) running it for a commission or other remuneration.

Parents who attended the recent http://hampsteadchess.blogspot.co.uk have suggested that we might get a surge in entries from juniors at FIDE rated tournaments looking to improve their FIDE rating (especially where that rating lags behind their ECF grade) in order to meet the qualification criteria.

"Arguably the ECF has subsidised junior international activity by providing travel agency services for gratis in the sense that it created a workload for paid for staff. "

Presumably, it also makes sense to try to get the "team" travelling together when practical.

When travelling together & arguably coming out of ECF is there any reason why it should not be by coach & boat?

On general junior ECF we also had queries on junior ECF Jan list in County championship at U160 level. From what I saw we had 3 juniors in total but many players over 60 a few in between that. 32 players.

Nick Grey wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 04, 2019 8:39 pm

When travelling together & arguably coming out of ECF is there any reason why it should not be by coach & boat?

No reason, provided you're happy with the players spending more days travelling to events than they do playing in them.

Nick Grey wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 04, 2019 8:39 pm

When travelling together & arguably coming out of ECF is there any reason why it should not be by coach & boat?

To expand slightly on Jack's reply, the "European" events are almost invariably in eastern or south-eastern Europe, for example, Greece, Romania, Georgia, while the "World" events can be on another continent entirely - I recall one of our juniors playing in Brazil.

Thanks I expect the budget is the budget with help elsewhere. And you get there as quickly as possible. The future European budget ought to have Brexit considerations.

Nick Grey wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:13 am

Thanks I expect the budget is the budget with help elsewhere. And you get there as quickly as possible. The future European budget ought to have Brexit considerations.

Quite a call to expect the ECF to budget for Brexit when the rest of the country hasn't got a clue.

Simon Brown wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 07, 2019 1:13 am

Quite a call to expect the ECF to budget for Brexit when the rest of the country hasn't got a clue.

I'm factoring that into our choice of exchange rate for junior trip invoices - when parents pay in GBP, but we have to pay everyone else in EUR several months later...

Parents pay for Junior selection?