Home Chess 2009-2010 and the future

[Sean Hewitt]

So Howard is just correcting a mistake of Ray's then, seems clear?

I don't think we can conclude that it's clear until we've seen the relevant law that says Ray was wrong and Howard is right.

I also don't think that Sean's grumble is over the additional £6. It's probably more to do with the fact that by rating the events separately, players missed out on a half-norm, for example.

Alex is bang on the money on both counts. I couldn't give a toss about six quid and Adam is disengenuous to suggest otherwise. If he had bothered to read my emails let alone reply he would understand that.

I did ask Howard to point out the FIDE reg that supported his position. He admitted that there isn't one.

[Matthew Turner]

I am struggling to understand what is at issue here. All I can think is that it relates to a player in the 'major' playing someone in the 'open'. If the game counts in the Open then it might prevent the major player from getting sufficient games for a part rating. If the game counts in the major it might prevent the open player from getting sufficient games for a part rating (or norm?).
The answer would seem to be to rate the tournaments together. This seems to be simlar to Yateley Manor rated tournaments that were run over two separate weekends.
Have the FIDE rules changed? if not, then it seems sensible to rate Sean's Major and Open together. Whatever has happened in the past this seems relatively simple to resolve going forward?
Apologies if I have misunderstood, but things would be a bit easier to understand if Sean was more transparent about the issues.

[Carl Hibbard]

I did ask Howard to point out the FIDE reg that supported his position. He admitted that there isn't one.

I have sent a PM to Howard to get his feelings on this one before more comments are posted

[Sean Hewitt]

I am struggling to understand what is at issue here. All I can think is that it relates to a player in the 'major' playing someone in the 'open'. If the game counts in the Open then it might prevent the major player from getting sufficient games for a part rating. If the game counts in the major it might prevent the open player from getting sufficient games for a part rating (or norm?).
The answer would seem to be to rate the tournaments together. This seems to be simlar to Yateley Manor rated tournaments that were run over two separate weekends.
Have the FIDE rules changed? if not, then it seems sensible to rate Sean's Major and Open together. Whatever has happened in the past this seems relatively simple to resolve going forward?
Apologies if I have misunderstood, but things would be a bit easier to understand if Sean was more transparent about the issues.

Matthew - apologies for not being transparent. I hadn't really wanted to have an open debate on the issue but I guess that Adam has taken that option away. At least he's replied to something now

You are 100% correct. The Open and the Major should be rated together. For e2e4 events they always have been since we started to FIDE rate the Major and the FIDE rules have not changed since then. But the ECF's International Rating Officer has. I submitted a combined FIDE rating report as I always have but he refused to accept it accusing us of "mashing two rating reports in to one obviously invalid one."

[andrew martin]

Sean,

Have you irrevocably cancelled your events for 2011?

Is there no way going forward with a discussion and hopefully,compromise, that these excellent tournaments can be saved?

[Sean Hewitt]

Sean,

Have you irrevocably cancelled your events for 2011?

Is there no way going forward with a discussion and hopefully,compromise, that these excellent tournaments can be saved?

Nothing is irrevocable. If the ECF committed that they would rate our events as they have done previously (ie as one event) then we would be all systems go.

Obviously I would then need to discuss availability with various hotels but I'm sure that that is doable, even if the events we end up with are not the ones we originally had!

[Brendan O'Gorman]

Sean,

Have you irrevocably cancelled your events for 2011?

Is there no way going forward with a discussion and hopefully,compromise, that these excellent tournaments can be saved?

Nothing is irrevocable. If the ECF committed that they would rate our events as they have done previously (ie as one event) then we would be all systems go.

Obviously I would then need to discuss availability with various hotels but I'm sure that that is doable, even if the events we end up with are not the ones we originally had!

Sean,
With respect, I don't think you've quite grasped the meaning of "compromise".

[Sean Hewitt]

Sean,

Have you irrevocably cancelled your events for 2011?

Is there no way going forward with a discussion and hopefully,compromise, that these excellent tournaments can be saved?

Nothing is irrevocable. If the ECF committed that they would rate our events as they have done previously (ie as one event) then we would be all systems go.

Obviously I would then need to discuss availability with various hotels but I'm sure that that is doable, even if the events we end up with are not the ones we originally had!

Sean,
With respect, I don't think you've quite grasped the meaning of "compromise".

Brendan - I suspect you don't have all the facts in which case you're not best placed to make this comment.

[Sean Hewitt]

The fact that Howard is covering temporarily for what became a vacant post should also be made clear

That's correct. In case there is any doubt

from Adam Raoof
to Cynthia Gurney, Tina, Sean Hewitt, Mike Truran, David Welch
date 7 August 2010 23:23:53 UTC+1
subject Howard Grist, IRO

if you can update the site with a statement to reflect the fact that due to new responsiilties at work Ray Ryan Foster has stepped down from the position of IRO and Howard Grist is covering the post until a permanent appointment can be made, I would be grateful.

--
Best wishes

Adam Raoof

ECF Director of Home Chess

I don't care who the IRO is if he were to rate events correctly in accordance with FIDE regs.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Should I take the post on? I declined to apply for it a few years ago, but saving the e2e4 events might be enough of a motivation for me to do so.

[John Upham]

Should I take the post on? I declined to apply for it a few years ago, but saving the e2e4 events might be enough of a motivation for me to do so.

Go for it Jack!

[Sean Hewitt]

Should I take the post on? I declined to apply for it a few years ago, but saving the e2e4 events might be enough of a motivation for me to do so.

That would be fantastic.

The only problem is that the vacancy hasn't been advertised.

[Keith Arkell]

Should I take the post on? I declined to apply for it a few years ago, but saving the e2e4 events might be enough of a motivation for me to do so.

Go for it Jack!

Jack,you'd do a great job and you certainly would save the best series of events we've had in the UK for a long time;so I also say Go For It!

[Matthew Turner]

I think I understand the ECF argument now. It goes something like this, the e2e4 Open is a distinct event so can be FIDE rated. Alternatively, you could say that the e2e4 event is a distinct event so the Open, Major and Minor ALL have to be FIDE rated. You cannot just decide to FIDE rate part of an event.
I would make two points about this
1. It appears ridiculous to force a tournament to rate a Minor where none of the players are FIDE rated. It is not the job of the ECF to 'artificially' raise funds for FIDE.
2. What happens with the British Championships? Are the Championships and Major Open separate events? or are junior events/weekenders 'artificially' excluded from FIDE rating?

[Roger de Coverly]

2. What happens with the British Championships? Are the Championships and Major Open separate events?

They've always been processed that way. The argument in favour of treating an Open and Major as the same event for rating purposes is that it facilitates filler pairings where you pair a player from the Open against a player from the Major. This happens very rarely in the British/Major Open. I can recall a player being promoted from the Major Open to the British after a game or two in the Major Open but usually the promotion happens before round 1.