European Championship - Team ENGLAND

[Mark Howitt]

@nigelshortchess is hopeful of England's chances! "@MarkHowitt Better than usual. The oldies are not quite on their zimmer-frames and hopefully Luke still remembers the en passant rule."

[John Philpott]

In the meantime, the following announcement has appeared on the ECF website

England Women's Team

After further discussion with the European Chess Union, the English Chess Federation is pleased to announce the participation of the England Women’s Team in the 2013 European Team Championships.

This nine-round event will take place in Warsaw from November 8th to 17th. The team will consist of –
IM Dagne Ciuksyte, WIM Sabrina Chevannes, WGM Anya Corke, WFM Meri Grigoryan and WFM Kanwal Bhatia.

This event will bring together top players in the world’s strongest continental team championship.
Best wishes to our team!

- David Openshaw, International Director

[Mick Norris]

Why the change of mind? And what does the ECU have to do with it?

[IM Jack Rudd]

Why the change of mind? And what does the ECU have to do with it?

It's an entry after the deadline, so special dispensation had to be granted from the ECU.

[John Swain]

Why the change of mind? And what does the ECU have to do with it?

It's an entry after the deadline, so special dispensation had to be granted from the ECU.

The deadline appears to have been 15 August, so presumably we had entered a team, later withdrew it, then discovered we could raise/finance a team after all so wished to re-register.

Whatever the procedural complications, it's very good news, even if it's not our strongest team.

[Mark Howitt]

I think we should have got Judit Polgar as well!!

[IM Jack Rudd]

I think we should have got Judit Polgar as well!!

An excellent idea, Mark, with just two minor flaws. One, she isn't registered with England, and two, she isn't registered with England. I know that, technically speaking, this is only one flaw, but I thought it was such a big one that it was worth mentioning twice.

[Mark Howitt]

It's not too late... what we need to do RIGHT NOW is have more meetings with the ECU.... then bring in ALL THE POLGARS... winner!

[Mark Howitt]

That doesn't matter Jack, several of our players weren't registered with England before/played for another country! Quick, get them in and give them an England stamp!

[IM Jack Rudd]

That doesn't matter Jack, several of our players weren't registered with England before/played for another country! Quick, get them in and give them an England stamp!

You're quite clearly trolling here, but I'll spell out the difference anyway. Ciuksyte and Grigoryan have lived in England for years. Corke is a British citizen. They may have represented other countries in the past, but what of it? Polgar is not a British citizen, has never lived in any part of the UK, and wouldn't be playing in our women's team anyway even if she did transfer to us - she's strong enough to get into our Open team.

[Paul Bielby]

Big question. Do they have a coach?

[John Moore]

Surely a minibus will be big enough.

[Chris Dossett]

I think we should have got Judit Polgar as well!!

An excellent idea, Mark, with just two minor flaws. One, she isn't registered with England, and two, she isn't registered with England. I know that, technically speaking, this is only one flaw, but I thought it was such a big one that it was worth mentioning twice.

Thank you Jack "Kryten" Rudd. They are going to miss you on the ECF committee.

[John Upham]

Big question. Do they have a coach?

Another big question: do they have a couch?

[John Swain]

Big question. Do they have a coach?

Another big question: do they have a couch?

I imagine this is meant to be in jest, but I'm not sure everyone will share your sense of humour.

It's great news that the ECF has been able to field a women's team after initially pleading poverty. The resulting criticism presumably helped the ECF to realise that they had got their priorities wrong (they should have seen it as equally important to send a women's team as well as a men's).

So I would imagine that many female English chess-players remain to be convinced that the mainly male officer-class of the ECF has their best interests at heart. They may also take the same view of Forumites too if we allow jokes in poor taste to go unchallenged.