Certificate of Merit

[Carl Hibbard]

- have you filled in all the fields marked with an *asterisk?
- have you scrolled down to see the rest of the registration fields?
- have you typed your email address correctly?

Does pressing the back/return button inside the application actually work though if you get one of these wrong?

[David Sedgwick]

- have you filled in all the fields marked with an *asterisk?
- have you scrolled down to see the rest of the registration fields?
- have you typed your email address correctly?

Does pressing the back/return button inside the application actually work though if you get one of these wrong?

Thank you for your help, Adam. It's good to get a prompt answer from ECF Director to a question posed on this Forum.

I think Carl's hit the nail on the head. The first time round I made mistakes and was unable to correct them.

Anyway, I registered and logged in successfully this time round. I took the practice test and got 20/20. (Matthew, thank you for warning me to take a modicum of care.)

[Alex Holowczak]

I just did a practice test, and got 17/20.

The questions I found hardest were the ones where you were "controlling" squares, largely through not knowing quite what definition of "controlling" was being used, and generally not being able to count.

[Carl Hibbard]

I think Carl's hit the nail on the head. The first time round I made mistakes and was unable to correct them.

Yes the session control and the element of correction (going back...) needs additional work, it's still quite easy to break with php errors when used maliciously...

[Adam Raoof]

I got 19/20 - but then I did the real test, not the easy-peasy practice version

[David Sedgwick]

The questions I found hardest were the ones where you were "controlling" squares, largely through not knowing quite what definition of "controlling" was being used

That's interesting.

Learning or knowing how to calculate how many squares a piece controls was something that was drummed in to me when I learnt how to play. I suspect that that's also true of the three CoM principals (Andrew Martin, John Upham and Ken Coates), as they're all in my age group.

However, I wondered when I was doing the test whether the concept might not be quite so familiar to players from a younger generation. The three principals may all teach it themselves, but I'm not sure that everybody does.

[David Shepherd]

Think I got 39/39 on the practice questions because each time it asked if I wanted to do the next question.

Also took a few attempts register (not obvious to scroll down the page) - if I was a genuine student may have given up after the first.

Also had to guess some of the earlier ones - when it said can you castle it didn't mention it was on that move. Maybe something like white to move, which of the following is true:

[Carl Hibbard]

I had the foresight to choose a Nominet type domain plus both myself and the ECF are customers of Zen Internet. I predict less than that. It would come out of JRT if need be.

Was I right on the registrant name change hassle and cost then John or not?

[John Upham]

Was I right on the registrant name change hassle and cost then John or not?

There has been no hassle.

[Alex Holowczak]

The questions I found hardest were the ones where you were "controlling" squares, largely through not knowing quite what definition of "controlling" was being used

That's interesting.

Learning or knowing how to calculate how many squares a piece controls was something that was drummed in to me when I learnt how to play. I suspect that that's also true of the three CoM principals (Andrew Martin, John Upham and Ken Coates), as they're all in my age group.

However, I wondered when I was doing the test whether the concept might not be quite so familiar to players from a younger generation. The three principals may all teach it themselves, but I'm not sure that everybody does.

Well, no one has ever taught me how to play!

At the 4NCL at the weekend, I was looking at an adjourned position I have in a League game, and I thought it was drawn, but Jack commented that black had the edge because he had a natural pawn break in the position. When that small point was mentioned (if only in passing), it seemed obvious what his plan was, and what I have to do tonight to avoid losing seemed obvious. The point is, no one had ever explained it to me before, so it never even crossed my mind as something to think about.

Similarly, I don't think I've ever thought about how many squares a piece controls in a game of chess; at least, not out of the opening, where pieces end up on those squares almost by default.

[John Upham]

)as they're all in my age group.

What is your age group? 1-100? In that case you are correct.

[Adam Raoof]

Was I right on the registrant name change hassle and cost then John or not?

Yes

However it won't cost you a penny, as you can claim that back from the ECF.

[Carl Hibbard]

Was I right on the registrant name change hassle and cost then John or not?

Yes

It's a bit naughty to even charge but there always has been a cost with that one

How much do they sting you for now?

[John Upham]

Was I right on the registrant name change hassle and cost then John or not?

Yes

It's a bit naughty to even charge but there always has been a cost with that one

How much do they sting you for now?

Nothing so far

[David Sedgwick]

as they're all in my age group.

What is your age group? 1-100? In that case you are correct.

Oh, come on!

I was trying, reasonably politely I thought, to say that some of the questions in the practice test seemed to me to be a little dated.

Lots of people on this Forum know a great deal more about teaching chess to today's children than I do. I'm quite prepared for one or more of them to come on here and tell me that I've got things wrong.

But I don't appreciate a glib reply.