Continuing Leagues & Established Events Online

[Nick Grey]

Perhaps 70Plus Events online.
This generation do not cheat.

[Paul McKeown]

Thank you, Richard, for a positively worded disagreement, and a recognition that as this crisis continues in time that your view may be different.

I would agree that tournaments offering significant financial reward are unsuitable for the treatment I am proposing.

But then I am talking about evening leagues, county matches, one day rapidplay and blitz events, where the incentive to cheat would be egotistical and lazy, rather than pecuniary. The bread and butter events that keep mad people sane.

Edit: unfortunate typo corrected.

[Paul McKeown]

I have sponsorship for a chess 960 blitz event, and we are thinking of doing this online, with entry fees and prizes. To combat possible cheating we would expect entrants to use real names, and they might have to register separately with an ECF grading code.

Do you think this would work? I need something to do...

It sounds perfect, Adam, and I would encourage you to continue.

I am in active negotiation with several server companies regarding how to keep Richmond Juniors and the Richmond Rapidplays continuing ad interim. I imagine you are too. If there is any scope, in your view, to pooling our interests, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

[Paul McKeown]

On a serious note, you could use what I understand the youth of today call "Skype", to reduce the chances of cheating.

It's an important question, Kevin, thank you.

[Paul McKeown]

It would be interesting to know how AWS satisfy themselves that no cheating is occurring when their exams are taken at home, given the stringent procedures they have at their test centres. If it's good enough for them, maybe it would be good enough for chess matches.

Thank you, Ian. Very well put.

[Matt Mackenzie]

The bread and butter events that kill mad people sane.

Rather unfortunate typo there

[Paul McKeown]

Oops...! An edit is in order, I see. Thank you for the heads up, Matt.

[David Sedgwick]

Paul, there is an ECF Board meeting on Friday 20th March. I suggest that you submit your proposal to the ECF before then.

Speaking for myself, I have never played online chess and I| would feel at a considerable disadvantage if, for example, I had to play a London League match online. I would prefer not to play until the shutdown is over.

For Junior events, I can see that it is a different matter.

[Chris Fegan]

Paul, there is an ECF Board meeting on Friday 20th March. I suggest that you submit your proposal to the ECF before then.

Speaking for myself, I have never played online chess and I| would feel at a considerable disadvantage if, for example, I had to play a London League match online. I would prefer not to play until the shutdown is over.

For Junior events, I can see that it is a different matter.

David

You may be surprised to hear that I am taking a pro-active view of posting on here during the Covid-19 crisis and I posted a rather long piece on Saturday evening about what the ECF Council and Board position should be on various matters under its "remit/control" in response to the ongoing debate here.
The Board Meeting scheduled for Friday is now likely to be cancelled.

Chris

[ben.graff]

I think there is a distinction to be drawn between what can be done during the shut-down and how the various leagues approach next steps. I’m all in favour of people organising online events for those who want to play in them. I personally would always want to support anything anyone like Adam did, if I could.

However, I do not think it is credible for leagues to finish their seasons online. Not all members want to play at the moment for perfectly understandable reasons. While there are many “dead-rubbers,” equally some of the remaining games will determine titles, promotion and relegation. My own view is that the integrity of these results would be compromised by trying to resolve them online and we are better off waiting this out. OTB leagues are really just that.

Doubtless all leagues will draw their own conclusions and I completely respect all other views on this. I just feel that we should distinguish between what can be offered to the chess community right now and how leagues might ultimately conclude. I see more support for online opportunities if we just offer these in standalone form.

[Paul McKeown]

Paul, there is an ECF Board meeting on Friday 20th March. I suggest that you submit your proposal to the ECF before then.

David, thank you. How do I go about submitting a proposal to the ECF for discussion at a Board meeting?

Speaking for myself, I have never played online chess and I| would feel at a considerable disadvantage if, for example, I had to play a London League match online. I would prefer not to play until the shutdown is over.

I suspect that your view may be different by the time this is all over, if it is going to continue until next year.

[Ian Thompson]

Speaking for myself, I have never played online chess and I| would feel at a considerable disadvantage if, for example, I had to play a London League match online. I would prefer not to play until the shutdown is over.

I suspect that your view may be different by the time this is all over, if it is going to continue until next year.

My views are the same as David's and I think it very unlikely I would change my mind no matter how long this lasts. I imagine that playing online would be a similarly unpleasant experience to telephone matches, where I found it very difficult to concentrate and take it seriously. I might be tempted to play some online blitz chess, but not 'proper' chess.

[Paul McKeown]

If that's a general view amongst experienced players, then the new grading system is going to have an easy roll-out!

[NickFaulks]

I would feel at a considerable disadvantage if, for example, I had to play a London League match online. I would prefer not to play until the shutdown is over.

If you didn't cheat, even just a little bit, then you quite possibly would be.

[Reg Clucas]

Could "intermingling" not be a temporary solution for the interim in these extraordinary circumstances?

Intermingling can hardly be a temporary solution, as the results are permanently held in the grading system. As for suspect games not being graded, there is an argument that any game played online is 'suspect'.