I don't use words like piffwibble.Paul McKeown wrote: Can I ask what, in your opinion, makes you more of a grass-roots player than myself?
So last night at the chess club I invented a mechanism for determining the views of some ordinary members on whether the ECF president should carry on. (I went up and asked them.)
"What's he done?" Fallen out with the board, basically. "Well if he's not following what the board want he's got to go hasn't he."
"You know what, it's bloody ridiculous Chris, the way the board are behaving."
"The president of what? Ah aye, the BCF... Nah, I just give me money tiv em."
"Oh God, who's trying to depose the leader this time?"
"I don't know him, so I'm happy for him to carry on."
"It's all politics isn't it. I don't get involved."
Maybe I was assuming too much background knowledge. What if I just asked for people's opinion on the current ECF 'situation'?
"Absolutely no opinion at all."
"No, I haven't been following it."
Have you been following the situation at the ECF? "No." Expectant pause. "No and to be honest I don't care."
FIDE! Surely people had an opinion on that?
"No idea."
"Weren't they trying to elect Karpov a while ago?"
"Who's standing for election?" Well, its a choice between Garry Kasparov and this other chap who's been doing it for years, who reckons he once got abducted by aliens. "Well the aliens obviously brought him back then, haha! ...I expect people must have their own reasons for voting for him... I'm not sure, I followed it all maybe 20 years ago but these days I just want a casual game."