British Chess Federation is alive and well!

[Michael Flatt]

Browsing the ECF website I came across a page which seems to rank Chess Scotland and other independent national chess federations as being constituent units of the English Chess Federation: http://www.englishchess.org.uk/clubs-an ... al-bodies/

Are the ECF trying to claim authority over Scotland, Wales, Ulster and even Ireland?

Are the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey Chess Federations national federations or constituent units of the ECF?

It may be useful to provide links to these different organisations but the list should be partitioned to distinguish between ECF Constituent bodies and independent national federations.

[David Sedgwick]

The page is headed "Constituent Units of the ECF / Other British Isles National Bodies".

It gives contact details, firstly, for the seven Constituent Units of the ECF and, secondly, for the other seven members of the British Isles Coordinating Committee (besides the ECF).

I fail to see why that's a problem.

[Michael Flatt]

It may be useful to provide links to these different organisations but the list should be partitioned to distinguish between ECF Constituent bodies and independent national federations.

The page is headed "Constituent Units of the ECF / Other British Isles National Bodies".

It gives contact details, firstly, for the seven Constituent Units of the ECF and, secondly, for the other seven members of the British Isles Coordinating Committee (besides the ECF).

I fail to see why that's a problem.

My original post raised a concern that the list doesn't distinguish between ECF Constituent Units and National Bodies. Not everyone would readily know which is which.

The list is also very selective in that it ignores other significant national organisations such as those listed in this extract from the 2011 yearbook which is what surfaces when doing a google search using the terms "ecf chess constituent units": http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... ok_wee.pdf

[David Sedgwick]

My original post raised a concern that the list doesn't distinguish between ECF Constituent Units and National Bodies. Not everyone would readily know which is which.

I think that most readers of the web page would have enough knowledge and intelligence to make that distinction.

The list is also very selective in that it ignores other significant national organisations such as those listed in this extract from the 2011 yearbook which is what surfaces when doing a google search using the terms "ecf chess constituent units": http://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-conte ... ok_wee.pdf

There are seven Constituent Units of the ECF. Those seven are listed both on the web page and in the Yearbook pages to which you refer.

You seem to devote a great deal of time to criticising the ECF. Some of those criticisms are valuable. In my opinion this is not one of them.

[Michael Flatt]

You seem to devote a great deal of time to criticising the ECF. Some of those criticisms are valuable. In my opinion this is not one of them.

David, that is kind but, please, don't be so patronising.

[Roger de Coverly]

There are seven Constituent Units of the ECF.

What is the actual status of Gibraltar? Presumably the Tradewise Festival is a member of the ECF, but what of events, if any, outside the Festival?

Under parallel circumstances, the Isle of Man has a chess association, which is a member of the ECF in its own right? It has membership of the British Isles Coordination Committee at the very least.

[Andy Ward]

Browsing the ECF website I came across a page which seems to rank Chess Scotland and other independent national chess federations as being constituent units of the English Chess Federation: http://www.englishchess.org.uk/clubs-an ... al-bodies/

Are the ECF trying to claim authority over Scotland, Wales, Ulster and even Ireland?

Are the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey Chess Federations national federations or constituent units of the ECF?

It may be useful to provide links to these different organisations but the list should be partitioned to distinguish between ECF Constituent bodies and independent national federations.

Put it this way, I think members of Chess Scotland and the Welsh and Irish Chess Unions know that they are distinct from the ECF and would not be slighted by that page. For anyone who didn't already know that the links to those associations are given and a quick browse would tell them.

[Michael Flatt]

In the interests of clarity I would have thought it a trivial exercise to add some headings to categorise the different organisations into ECF constituent units and national federations.

Also, it does seem remiss not to include links to the websites of other significant national organisations, such as The Friends of Chess, English Deaf Chess Association, British Chess Problem Society and others that are listed in the ECF yearbook and not on the ECF website.

How are British Overseas Territories such as Gibraltor affiliated to the ECF?
They do not appear to be listed as a constituent ECF constituent unit. Are they, perhaps, incorporated in the West of England Chess Union?

[LawrenceCooper]

In the interests of clarity I would have thought it a trivial exercise to add some headings to categorise the different organisations into ECF constituent units and national federations.

Also, it does seem remiss not to include links to the websites of other significant national organisations, such as The Fiends of Chess, English Deaf Chess Association, British Chess Problem Society and others that are listed in the ECF yearbook and not on the ECF website.

How are British Overseas Territories such as Gibraltor affiliated to the ECF?
They do not appear to be listed as a constituent ECF constituent unit. Are they, perhaps, incorporated in the West of England Chess Union?

The Fiends of Chess

An e-mail to the office is probably the easiest way to pass on your recommendations.

[Matt Mackenzie]

The Fiends of Chess

Can think of a few possible candidates for membership, tbh

[Michael Flatt]

I just noticed that Isle of Man Chess Federation and Ulster Chess Union are not listed as member federations on the FIDE website.
https://www.fide.com/fide/directory/mem ... ont=europe

Have they been omitted by accident or are they not FIDE members?

[IM Jack Rudd]

They are not FIDE members. Isle of Man is ENG, Ulster is IRL.

[Roger de Coverly]

Have they been omitted by accident or are they not FIDE members?

They are not FIDE members. Generally speaking to become a FIDE member it is now necessary for a country or territory to be capable of UN membership or national membership of the International Olympic Committee.

Scotland, Wales, Guernsey and Jersey all become members of FIDE during periods when FIDE were less concerned about such matters and before there was any significant chess activity in the Isle of Man or Gibraltar. Like a number of other cross border bodies, the Irish Chess Union included Northern Ireland.