Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.

Who should ECF Council elect as President

Edwards, Roger
35
41%
Paulson, Andrew
34
40%
None of the Above
16
19%
 
Total votes: 85

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:16 pm

Surely a Bazaar is from Dominion, not Chess:

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David Pardoe
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by David Pardoe » Mon Oct 07, 2013 6:17 pm

John Upham wrote:
David Pardoe wrote:Interesting...
No wonder some chess bodies come up with cranky and bazaar decisions.
I like the notion of the ECF organising a bazaar or even making decisions about one.

I presume this might follow once charitable status had been achieved?
Point noted..!!
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MartinCarpenter
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by MartinCarpenter » Tue Oct 08, 2013 10:14 am

Nice game dominion :)

Andrew Paulson
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by Andrew Paulson » Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:59 am

For better or for worse, the EC Forum is currently the only forum for understanding the moods and concerns of an important part of the chess community. I have been reading it assiduously in the past weeks and there is an issue that seems to me to be exercising the commentators that I’d like to address now leading up to the Elections on Saturday: my views on the next FIDE Presidential Election. I want directly to address the concerns of the many contributors to the Forum who will not be at the AGM. And, as I only will have five minutes for a presentation and questions during the election phase of tomorrow’s AGM, posting it here will free time for more pertinent questions.

FIDE vs. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

I have said that it is important to separate our position vis-a-vis the current President of FIDE and FIDE the institution/organization itself. I would recommend that as a member of FIDE the ECF engage and attempt to influence FIDE on issues that the ECF feels are important either ‘interestedly’ as they relate to English chess or ‘disinterestedly’ as they relate to matters of principle and reputation on a larger worldwide stage. Of course, the ECF could decide against this path as on any other issue.

Paulson (possible President of ECF) vs. Paulson (Owner of AGON) vs. Paulson (Private Individual)

As to the current President of FIDE, my position vis-a-vis him may be divided into three angles of view: my position were I to be elected as President of the ECF, my position as the owner of a business with FIDE as the principal counter-party, and my position as a private individual. As the President of the organization with only a symbolic voice I would reflect the views of that organization, whatever they might be, in a frank and unambiguous manner. Similarly, the FIDE Delegate with a material vote would always vote to represent his best understanding of the views of the ECF.

As a businessman via AGON, my relationship is with FIDE the permanent institution and not with its transient leader. (This is why my fear of Kasparov reviewing the contract were he to be elected President is a red herring and also why to date I have tried to be agnostic vis-a-vis FIDE politics.) The AGON contract was negotiated with FIDE with no intervention from the President. The FIDE side of the ‘interface’ which is designed to make day-to-day decisions regarding the relationship is made up of Nigel Freeman and Georgios Makropoulos.

As a private individual, I have repeatedly stated my views on the matter. I feel that it is time for Kirsan to go for many reasons. The most clear and unequivocal is that he and his apparat have been around too long and it is always good to introduce new blood into an organization. The stories of the assassination of a journalist, meetings with murderous tyrants, meetings with chess-playing aliens, have all cast disrepute onto chess and FIDE and made him easy to demonise. Fortunately, Kirsan can also lay claim to many ambassadorial achievements in spreading competitive chess and chess in schools around the world and organizational achievements in creating within FIDE an efficient bureaucratic system for dealing with complex issues affecting chess the game and chess the sport. But, I state unambiguously, its time for a change.

The only step I cannot make is a whole-hearted endorsement of Garry Kasparov at this time. There are several reasons: (a) I don’t believe he is a leader of men but rather oppositional, confrontational and ultimately a bully; (b) although his political wrath against the current FIDE administration is genuine and heartfelt, I suspect that he may be his own first priority; (c) he will stand for election using many of the same unsavory tactics as his opponent even though even by his own account, he’ll likely lose (Wouldn’t it be better to run a clean campaign with a clean ticket and lose? That’s a ticket I’d join shoulder by shoulder with Garry!); (d) by spending many millions in an attempt to win the election he will be taking money away from the pool of benevolent funding available for chess and spending it on a quixotic adventure (much as he forced $millions which otherwise would have gone to chess to be spent in the two failed lawsuits against FIDE).

Therefore, I have repeatedly stated that although my natural position would be to support abstention on principle, I will recuse myself from all discussions and voting in the Board, if I am elected, on the subject of voting in the FIDE election. (Nigel Short, the Candidate for FIDE Delegate, has made the point that in an election you vote for the best, not necessarily the good. It is a valid point, though not unarguable.) Further, I will recuse myself on any other subject that the NEDs feel presents a conflict of interest between the duties of an ECF President and an individual engaged in business around chess.

John McKenna

Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Oct 12, 2013 1:12 am

Neck and neck on the forum as we enter the home straight.

John McKenna

Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Oct 12, 2013 9:40 am

Roger edges ahead by a nose.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:09 am

I've voted for Roger, of course (trustworthiness vs total absence of same) although from the point of view of a blog writer I'd have thought Paulson was likely to give me more to write about...
"Do you play chess?"
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John McKenna

Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:35 am

Absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence.
I think that Justin and many others are comfortable with the status quo because Roger has been a safe pair of hands. The unkown is always unsettling as it has more potential for success or failure.
Edit: Roger ahead by a head.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:58 am

John McKenna wrote:The unknown is always unsettling as it has more potential for success or failure.
Mmm, though what bothers me is not so much the unknown as what we do know.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

John McKenna

Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:20 pm

What do we really know?
Roger has attempted no major initiatives in the post and that's fair enough given the history.
Andrew has attempted a lot - sometimes too much - and so has a wider record of success and failure.
Nothing ventured nothing gained (or lost).

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JustinHorton
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:02 pm

Well, never has an ECF official done less wrong and lost their post for it.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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David Pardoe
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by David Pardoe » Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:55 am

The ECF forum membership by yesterday afternoon, had indeed indicated its preference for Roger Edwards to be returned as ECF President, in the Poll conducted, with no block/multi proxy votes, and they were clearly not seduced by Mr Paulson's patter, as ECF delegates seemingly had been. A point to note is that almost 80 members on the forum cast a vote, whereas only about 40 ECF delegates actually turned up at yesterdays ECF AGM.
This shows that there is indeed interest amongst the membership for voting at elections...and they could make a difference.
Last years elections were another farce. Some appear to have (conveniently) forgotten that Roger Edwards stood against the then incumbent, CJ..who withdraw late on. Then the circus erupted again, when rumours of mystery candidates waiting in the wings circulated. These turned out to be fantasy stories, and caused certain parties and ECF delegates to clutch at the `non of the above` option, in the hope that some shining knight might appear. What a comedy show these elections have become, many will think. Presumably any such knights were deterred from running the gauntlet of ECF forum candidate scrutiny, and even Mr Paulson seemed to run out of steam part way through, under a barrage of questioning...arriving back late on for some last minute exchanges. Many questions and concerns remain unanswered, many might feel.
Many delegates were still unsure, even after lengthy consultations with various parties, due, in part, to the various issues and concerns being vented on this forum.
That there is a need for reforms to this election process goes without saying.
Roger Edwards did a good job last year, under difficult circumstances, many feel. The CEO position remained vacant last year..nobody wanted it, apparently, such was ECFs malaise following CJs departure.
Mr Edwards bravely set about trying to pick up the pieces, working with a rather divided and inexperienced board. He made mention of this in his election interview with Yorkshire recently, I believe.
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Roger de Coverly
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Oct 13, 2013 10:37 am

David Pardoe wrote:. The CEO position remained vacant last year..nobody wanted it, apparently, such was ECFs malaise following CJs departure.
That isn't exactly correct, two candidates came forward, in both cases the remaining Board members deciding that "none of the above" was preferred.

Ernie Lazenby
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by Ernie Lazenby » Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:49 pm

Council has sold its sole to an American living in Russia. No doubt in the forelorn hope he can input money into English chess. Another English organisation being run by overseas interests.
I am pleased I have packed chess in. I have not in the past had much reason to support David Robertson however his comments on another thread sum up the current situation very well.

I consider the ECF is a disfunctional organisation riven with egos and those who posture rather than doing.(not to mention several thoroughly nasty individuals)
My parting comment is this. That Lara Barnes has seen fit to call a halt to involvement in the British championships speaks volumes about the ECF and those who run it. I suspect in 12 months time there will have been much to moan about for those who visit this forum. I dread to think how far it would really sink without John Phillpott.
Glad I am out of it.
Last edited by Ernie Lazenby on Sun Oct 13, 2013 5:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Who should the ECF Council elect as President?

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:55 pm

Ernie Lazenby wrote:Council has soul its sole to an American living in Russia.
That all sounds very fishy, but his interviews suggested that he lives in the UK for at least some of the time.

If it's of any comfort, I don't think he will actually achieve very much.