ECF Post of Non-Executive Director: Julian Clissold

[IM Jack Rudd]

It seems we are spoilt for choice for NEDs; my question to Julian would be that if you fail to win election would you be willing to contribute to the ECF in some capacity if a role could be found?

Hmmm! Manager of Senior Chess? Actually does Julian agree with a proposal to establish a Manager of Senior Chess who will be accountable to the Director of International Chess. Why the Director of International Chess?

Because that's where the known duties of the role best fit - it's envisaged that managing the England senior team will be a big part of it.

[Roger de Coverly]

Looking in my crystal ball, I would not be in the least surprised if the Chairman of the Governance Committee were to propose an amendment at Council to leave the reporting line of the Manager of Senior Chess up to the Board to decide, should the creation of the post be approved.

That seems reasonable. The rationale for the post is that on paper at least, if you set up a match between the top 100 over 60s against the top 100 under 18s, the over 60s would be ratings favourites. Further more they will gain additional recruits as the decade progresses.

It's all the fault of RJF with contributions from the Sunday Times, Stewart Reuben and BUCA.

[JulianClissold]

Keeping up with a Forum is hard work! I will try and respond to all the overnight queries. Apologies if this time I do not respond to each one individually against the named inquirer.

Firstly if I do not get the post...well I won't be surprised, hurt or disappointed, toys will stay in the pram. But I will continue to try and influence ECF because I think chess needs a strong and vibrant central organisation. To its detractors I would say that the ECF is a bit like God, if she didn't exist we would have to invent her.
Would I do some thing else. Not sure, I am quite busy with Manchester Junior Chess, ECF Under 11, MCF Congresses, Bolton Chess Club, overseas tours for juniors, watching Liverpool FC, playing the guitar. I don't really need anything else but I am getting to a stage where I think something needs to be done.......

I am not sure about senior chess. I am 67 but I do not become a senior until I am eighty.

ECF Membership: I understand that the Board has a difficult decision. They should talk to the field first, and be quite open about a range of options - so I would handle it differently. They should take some time to understand what junior chess is. It is not the children who get to fly all over the world and represent England, it is not even the children who come to the British or even those that come to the EPSCA Schools. They are the tip of an iceberg of participation. ECF Board should start there. Then when they start they should involve EPSCA, CS&C, Junior4NCL, UK Chess Challenge, and even London Junior Chess and others I have missed out. These are the significant players in the field; they need ECF to play a role in Junior Chess; they ought to be involved. Compare that to what happened.....EPSCA found out only when our events were expunged, and then got a very sour response when we queried the decision....no way to lead and inspire the junior chess world.

[Ken Norman]

It seems we are spoilt for choice for NEDs; my question to Julian would be that if you fail to win election would you be willing to contribute to the ECF in some capacity if a role could be found?

Hmmm! Manager of Senior Chess? Actually does Julian agree with a proposal to establish a Manager of Senior Chess who will be accountable to the Director of International Chess. Why the Director of International Chess?

The reason for a manager of Seniors Chess reporting to the Director of international Chess is that most Seniors Chess is international.

A Manager of Seniors Chess would be required to organise the teams for the European Seniors Team Championship and the World Seniors Team Championship.

As well as advising players who wish to play in the World Seniors Championship and the European Seniors Championship.


The only domestic senior’s event run by the ECF is the British Seniors Championship.

We did hold a very popular English Seniors Championship for a number of years but that ceased in 2011.

[Alex McFarlane]

Ken,

It is my intention to run an English Senior event again. It will be held in Durham in March. I would like to think this event could be run as an ECF event but it may not be.

[Jonathan Rogers]

It seems we are spoilt for choice for NEDs; my question to Julian would be that if you fail to win election would you be willing to contribute to the ECF in some capacity if a role could be found?

Hmmm! Manager of Senior Chess? Actually does Julian agree with a proposal to establish a Manager of Senior Chess who will be accountable to the Director of International Chess. Why the Director of International Chess?

Because that's where the known duties of the role best fit - it's envisaged that managing the England senior team will be a big part of it.

Managing it, yes. Financing, no, not even the slightest contribution, because the entirety of the International budget is spent on the national men and womens' teams to the exclusion of all else who represent the ECF in international competition. (I'd be curious to know what the NEDs think of that, though I appreciate it is not the most pressing of questions).

[PeterFarr]

Senior chess is likely to continue to grow quite rapidly; currently it benefits from the post-war baby boom, and fairly soon the 60's boom will start washing through (aided by, as Roger alluded to above, the "chess explosion" generation inspired by Bobby Fischer etc). Also of course, there is increased longevity, and a far more active group of over 60's.

[John McKenna]

Getting back to the main topic - can't find fault in what you, Julian, write about junior chess in England but it is based on the premise that children are the future. (Except there may be different premises and futures in store for humankind.) You are obviously an eternal optimist - that is not a bad thing, however, too much unwarranted optimism is not that good as it can become unrealistic and lead to unwarranted actions. The good thing from my point of view is I can see that your optimism is a little dented by the state of things and that is realistic - as it should be.
You wrote above - to its detractors I would say that the ECF is a bit like God, if she didn't exist we would have to invent her - are you a believer? (If you regard that as a personal question you could just reply with something like I "don't do God" and I will understand.)
Anyway, all the best with your election campaign. Good of you to come into the bear pit, say what you are standing for and answer questions. I would always consider voting for anyone who does that even if I didn't have a vote, which I don't.
(I hope to ask a question of that other brave candidate IM Jack Rudd but he is fielding enough at present so I will wait. Also I have noted what Angus French has said on the forum about his candidacy and thought it eminently sensible, and Sean makes his views know constantly on the forum so the voters, lucky people, in this NED election are really spoilt for choice - as Andrew Zigmond has already noted above.)

[JulianClissold]

John
Thanks for noting that the post seems to have morphed into a discussion about senior chess! No doubt one day I will sign up. I recently became a grandfather and when Mia Clissold starts to play chess with her Dad (Ben) I might make a concession to my age and join a senior national tournament.
You are correct that I don't do God very much. But I do believe ECF has the potential to be a powerful force for taking chess forward; and it is not all about money.
Thanks for your warm words.

[Ken Norman]

John
Thanks for noting that the post seems to have morphed into a discussion about senior chess! No doubt one day I will sign up. I recently became a grandfather and when Mia Clissold starts to play chess with her Dad (Ben) I might make a concession to my age and join a senior national tournament.
You are correct that I don't do God very much. But I do believe ECF has the potential to be a powerful force for taking chess forward; and it is not all about money.
Thanks for your warm words.

I find this statement rather confusing. In his original post Julian Clissold states that:

"My name is Julian Clissold I have been involved in Junior and Senior Chess in the Manchester area for the last twenty years."

Perhaps he could explain what he has done for Seniors Chess in the last twenty years.

[JulianClissold]

Ken
Yes sorry. Quite right to query my post. I used Senior as opposed to Junior. I did not mean to imply chess for the over 60's. So I run two or three Manchester Congresses every year, I run two Bolton Chess Congresses every year, I run a Bury Congress every year. In between that I have helped at Leyland, Blackpool, Preston, and Heywood over the years on odd occasions and when required. I have also been President of Manchester Chess Federation and an active Council member. I intended to say that I don't just do Junior Chess I also do Chess for Adults. My apologies for the confusion I may have created.
I confess that I have never participated in or controlled events for over 60's; I am sure that this has been my loss.
Julian Clissold

[Ken Norman]

Julian,

Thank you for the explanation.

Two dates for your diary.

World Seniors Championship. Opatija. Croatia. 11th to 24th November 2013

European Seniors Team Championship. Sibenik, Croatia. 1st to 10th April 2014

[Ian Thompson]

It seems we are spoilt for choice for NEDs; my question to Julian would be that if you fail to win election would you be willing to contribute to the ECF in some capacity if a role could be found?

Hmmm! Manager of Senior Chess? Actually does Julian agree with a proposal to establish a Manager of Senior Chess who will be accountable to the Director of International Chess. Why the Director of International Chess?

Because that's where the known duties of the role best fit - it's envisaged that managing the England senior team will be a big part of it.

In that case I would question whether the role has been well defined. The international senior teams involve perhaps a couple of dozen players playing in what, 4 international events. There must be thousands of domestic senior players to represent. How can that not properly be the major part of the job?

[JulianClissold]

Ken
Thanks for the two events. Do you have a website for these events, entry, eligibility etc.
Julian

[Ken Norman]

Ken
Thanks for the two events. Do you have a website for these events, entry, eligibility etc.
Julian

World seniors championship


http://www.worldsenior2013.rijekachess.com/en


European seniors team championship


No website as yet.

All players over 60 in 2014 eligible.

It is open to national teams, regional teams or club teams.


The 2013 championship was won by ISRAEL,

BELARUS were second and RUSSIA third.


England 1st Team finished tenth.

A total of 71 teams played in the event.