Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
Joshua Gibbs

Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Wed Sep 14, 2016 10:59 pm

Mike Truran wrote:Sorry Joshua - telling someone to f**k off if they dare to look at your game doesn't require an objective standard. It's just well out of order.
I remember one incident in the league in which i play where someone else did this and the congregated audience all laughed. It wasnt seen as well out of order...

I think there really needs to be some form of objective standard.

Mike Truran
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Mike Truran » Wed Sep 14, 2016 11:03 pm

There's no league in which I have ever played in which that would ever be acceptable conduct.

I'm sorry, Joshua - if you think it's OK to do what you did you do need to take a long hard look at your own standards of behaviour.

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John Upham
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by John Upham » Wed Sep 14, 2016 11:05 pm

Mike Truran wrote:There's no league in which I have ever played in which that would ever be acceptable conduct.

I'm sorry, Joshua - if you think it's OK to do what you did you do need to take a long hard look at your own standards of behaviour.

Mike is absolutely correct. This would not be acceptable in any sport including chess.
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Joshua Gibbs

Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Wed Sep 14, 2016 11:29 pm

Mike Truran wrote:There's no league in which I have ever played in which that would ever be acceptable conduct.

I'm sorry, Joshua - if you think it's OK to do what you did you do need to take a long hard look at your own standards of behaviour.
I didn't say I thought it was OK. Im just using it as an example to show that I think guidelines should be drawn up by the league.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:27 am

"SCCA (Surrey) changed their rules a few years ago. It was clear that previously the rules before only allowed this process for members, club officials etc.

I seconded the proposal because the year before it was one of our players that caused the dispute.
Our club also made a decision for a long term ban. Conduct was completely unacceptable."

The incident is known to me. When SCCA became a company, they did introduce rules to exclude "members", but this only referred to clubs (most of the board members wanted to get rid of one club), so when the dispute happened, SCCA had to make hurried changes. The ultimate decision was correct, although another individual probably should have been banned.

But the other members of Nick's club tried to cool the situation down at the time and afterwards. Relations between the clubs are probably even friendlier than they were before!

As for codes of conduct, you cannot cover every eventuality. If you say, "You will be banned if you throw a cup of tea at an opponent", then someone will throw a cup of coffee and claim he cannot be banned. It depends on context too. If you tell someone to "f*** off", merely for looking at your game, that is unacceptable. However, last season, a Guildford member violently pushed me in the back and falsely accused me of making a noise, I just looked at him and he went away, but I submit, it would have been quite reasonable to speak sharply to him or respond to the assault in an appropriate manner.

Nobody has mentioned codes of conduct for organisers. There are organisers and arbiters who behave in an obnoxious manner as well!

David Pardoe
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by David Pardoe » Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:44 am

The guidelines are there.... players should at all times act in a reasonable and good sporting manner.
Question is... what if they don't...and it happens.
Take a league match situation.. you`re half way through the game, running down on the clock. The game is entering a tricky phase.
Your opponent then appears back from the bar with large bag of extra crunchy crisps, which he proceeds to munch loudly on.
Should he automatically forfeit the game for a mobile phone type distraction.. ie, noise?
There`s a million and one possible things that can crop up..
Players who gain a reputation for such antics I guess will eventually get pulled up.. but it can be very irritating at times.
Generally however, player behaviour is reasonable... even the odd blip from a mobile in minor chess events should be tolerated, provided that no ill intent is apparent. I certainly don't want to claim games on such accidental incidents... so there has to be some tolerance.
If you`re a web player, such things might not apply quite so obviously...but I`ve seen mischief at these forums at times.
The problem with online chess is that it is not much fun spending hours in a silent room, looking at a screen.
I do think that the scope for fast lunch break chess is very appealing...
BRING BACK THE BCF

Clive Blackburn

Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Clive Blackburn » Thu Sep 15, 2016 9:59 am

The most distracting behavior that I have been subjected to during a match was when my opponent (an elderly gentleman) constantly analysed the position under his breath, whether it was his move or mine. I don't that think he was even aware that he was doing it but I could clearly hear him whispering "I put my bishop there, he chases it with the pawn, I go to c4, no maybe b3...." and so on.
Of course I should have asked him to stop and if that didn't work, I would have to involve my match captain. As it was, I just tried to ignore it but couldn't concentrate, got more and more annoyed and lost to somebody that on grading I should have beaten easily.
If I ever have to play him again then I will be prepared and will say something as soon as it happens! :roll:

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Thu Sep 15, 2016 10:29 am

"I don't that think he was even aware that he was doing it but I could clearly hear him whispering "I put my bishop there, he chases it with the pawn, I go to c4, no maybe b3...." and so on."

That is a good point - years ago, I had a club colleague, who was always drumming his fingers on the table etc. When I casually mentioned it to him in the pub and said someone might complain, he was clearly totally unaware of it. I'm sure most distracting behaviour is a "nervous tic". It's still distracting of course!

Jonathan Bryant
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Thu Sep 15, 2016 11:23 am

Kevin Thurlow wrote:"I don't that think he was even aware that he was doing it but I could clearly hear him whispering "I put my bishop there, he chases it with the pawn, I go to c4, no maybe b3...." and so on."

That is a good point - years ago, I had a club colleague, who was always drumming his fingers on the table etc. When I casually mentioned it to him in the pub and said someone might complain, he was clearly totally unaware of it. I'm sure most distracting behaviour is a "nervous tic". It's still distracting of course!
I’m quite sure you’re right here.

I once had a game against a 'verbal analyser". "And now knight to bishop three, "bring my rook across" etc. It culminated when he realised that his intended defence to my mating attack would fail. "Bishop takes pawn <pause> s**t. It doesn’t work".


Incidentally, with regard to codes of conduct, is anything more than

Thou Shalt Not Behave Like a Dick


required?

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Michael Farthing
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Michael Farthing » Thu Sep 15, 2016 11:39 am

I was going to propose an even shorter one:

"Do not annoy"

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Thu Sep 15, 2016 12:15 pm

My friend CN Lester runs events where the code of conduct is two rules long:

1. Don't be a dick
2. Don't make assumptions

It works very well.

Joshua Gibbs

Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Thu Sep 15, 2016 1:54 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:My friend CN Lester runs events where the code of conduct is two rules long:

1. Don't be a dick
2. Don't make assumptions

It works very well.

is h/she the song writer? i didnt know s/he played chess if it is

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IM Jack Rudd
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Location: Bideford

Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:02 pm

Joshua Gibbs wrote:
IM Jack Rudd wrote:My friend CN Lester runs events where the code of conduct is two rules long:

1. Don't be a dick
2. Don't make assumptions

It works very well.

is h/she the song writer? i didnt know s/he played chess if it is
The singer-songwriter, yes. I don't know whether they play chess; the events I've gone to of theirs are transgender pride events.

Joshua Gibbs

Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by Joshua Gibbs » Thu Sep 15, 2016 2:28 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Joshua Gibbs wrote:
IM Jack Rudd wrote:My friend CN Lester runs events where the code of conduct is two rules long:

1. Don't be a dick
2. Don't make assumptions

It works very well.

is h/she the song writer? i didnt know s/he played chess if it is
The singer-songwriter, yes. I don't know whether they play chess; the events I've gone to of theirs are transgender pride events.
oh ok. Is "they" the new way to refer to a transgender person?? If so i like their music

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Is there any code of conduct for the Players laid out by the ECF?

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Thu Sep 15, 2016 3:01 pm

There are plenty of exceptions, but the usual rule is: binary trans people prefer the pronouns of the gender they've transitioned to, genderqueer people prefer gender-neutral pronouns.