New Directors of Women's Chess

[Matthew Turner]

I have gone back and got some discussion about the appointment of Ljubica Lazarevic, as Manager of Women's Chess (which I have appended below). A year on and she has finished to be replaced by Sabrina Chevannes and Jovanka Houska. This all seemed very predictable to me. Now we have two people working on a budget of zero, where one has listed on here that she is having to sell her chess library because she is broke. Any guesses for what will happen next year?


Matthew turner wrote
"I just find this a bit odd. This is somebody who has not had a grade since 2006. If you cannot find time to play chess why do you suddenly find time to be an ECF Manager?"

Loz Cooper replied
"Let's try and be a bit more positive about the appointment. Just because someone doesn't play the required number of games in a season to be graded it doesn't mean they can't bring enthusiasm and new ideas to a post that had been empty for six months. From memory she played and defeated Megan Owens in the 4NCL last year and it's more the cost of playing rather than not having the time that has limited her activity. Like many other players her chess playing has been mainly restricted to ICC in recent years.

Personally, I'm thankful the post has been filled and she co-organised and was the arbiter at four British Blitz events from 2003-2006 so she has experience of organising high profile events. Let's reserve our judgement until she's been in the post for longer than two and a half days."

My response
"You cannot afford to play chess, but you would like to be an ECF Manager for a post that doesn't have a budget. I can see a potential problem.
As with anybody who tries to do something with the ECF I wish Ljubica the very best of luck."

[John Upham]

Matthew,
Did the previous holder of this post also remain in post for one year and then relinquish?

Was it Meri Grigoryan or someone else : my memory might be letting me down?

Is a pattern emerging?

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I think Claire Summerscale held the position for a while until the mass resignations of 2008 and then Meri Grigoryan took over, only to resign herself in 2009.

[Ljubica Lazarevic]

I stepped down from the post as I heard that Jovanka and Sabrina were keen to take on the post of Manager of Women's chess. I took this decision as I felt that Jovanka and Sabrina would able to achieve far more then I could.

If they had not expressed an interest in the post, I would not have stepped down.

[Ljubica Lazarevic]

I am also grateful that there aren't too many Matthew Turners about with the negative, poisonous attitude. One too many of those and I could see English Chess collapsing completely.

[Matthew Turner]

Ljubica,
I think it is great that you want to offer your time to chess. I think it is great that you want to support Women's Chess. However, it seems to me to be a bit naive to jump in as the person in charge of Women's Chess. I really do suggest that have a go at organising a girls' event and try encouraging more women to join your local chess. Get that experience, then in a couple of years' time come back and be the Manager of Womens' Chess. That really will be the best for everybody.

[LozCooper]

Ljubica,
I think it is great that you want to offer your time to chess. I think it is great that you want to support Women's Chess. However, it seems to me to be a bit naive to jump in as the person in charge of Women's Chess. I really do suggest that have a go at organising a girls' event and try encouraging more women to join your local chess. Get that experience, then in a couple of years' time come back and be the Manager of Womens' Chess. That really will be the best for everybody.

I don't think this comment is fair. The post was vacant for a long time and may well have stayed vacant if Ljubica hadn't applied for the post. I fail to see how that would be the best for everybody. She was a big help to helping Sarah and Hannah to play in the Universities Championship in Zurich and had plans for girls events which would have taken place with my and Adam's assistance if she hadn't found out about Jovanka and Sabrina's interest.

[Ljubica Lazarevic]

It appears Matthew's logic is that an empty post will achieve more than a filled post. Good job Matthew isn't in a position of decision-making.

It's very easy to criticise when you're perched on your high-horse. Perhaps you should engage that organ between your ears before you leap into your vicious, unfounded attacks.

[Matthew Turner]

Ljubica,
Everything I have said proved to be true. I hope you will take this on board and accept my advice. Organise some events, encourage women to participate at your local club (and participate yourself) talk with other female players and understand their problems and issues. Come back to the ECF in a few years time and be very successful. I really do hope that will happen.

[Alex Holowczak]

Ljubica,
Everything I have said proved to be true.

Did it?

I just find this a bit odd. This is somebody who has not had a grade since 2006. If you cannot find time to play chess why do you suddenly find time to be an ECF Manager?

Well, in the last half of the 2010 season, she found time finish her academic commitments, and managed to play 13 games in a short space of time. I know she was particularly active over the summer; I played her myself in Worcester, which isn't exactly a local tournament for her.

Someone can be very active in chess without actually having a grade. A lack of grade for a while does not mean that the person is incapable of doing the job. CJ hasn't had a grade since 2005, but he's doing a fantastic job! You can also have a period off for a few years for other reasons. She was clearly very active pre-2006. You don't forget how to do a good job in three years.

You cannot afford to play chess, but you would like to be an ECF Manager for a post that doesn't have a budget. I can see a potential problem.

As far as I was aware, it did have a budget. I know this, because two of the players in Zurich received a small portion of it. As stated earlier, she managed to play 13 games in a short space of time, so clearly cost was not the problem. Presumably other commitments were the problem.

In my experience, Ljubica is not deserving of this criticism. (Although, she does need to learn 6. d3 against the Fried Liver. )

[LozCooper]

Ljubica,
Everything I have said proved to be true. I hope you will take this on board and accept my advice. Organise some events, encourage women to participate at your local club (and participate yourself) talk with other female players and understand their problems and issues. Come back to the ECF in a few years time and be very successful. I really do hope that will happen.

Matt,

I'm sure your advice is well meant but all you have done is really upset someone who has tried her best to make a difference. I wish you would give a thought to the consequences of some of your postings. I am now trying to convince someone not to give up on the chess world altogether because of your posts on here. I'm sure that isn't what you want to achieve but you are well on the way to causing it.

I would like to thank Ljuba for her time in post and reassure her that some people do appreciate her contribution and we should be grateful that someone has had the good grace to stand aside when they feel someone else can add something extra to the post. If only all people had the same attitude.

What English chess really needs is people prepared to give their time to try and make a difference. Telling the organiser of four British Blitzes and other events to go and organise some events is certainly one of your least helpful contributions.

[David Shepherd]

I would just like to thank Ljubica for taking on the role when no one else stepped forward. Undoubtedly she has done some good work and will have had other plans for the future had she carried on in the role. Also one must give much credit to her for the reason she stepped down and hopefully she will have a bright future in womens chess.

I am sure that the two new managers will be good for the future of women's chess, and whether the past was good or bad we should focus on the future and build on what we have (whilst learning from past mistakes). There seems in general to be a lack of depth in the girls game in the 7 to 12 age range which needs addressing. Even in the age ranges above this
there are not huge numbers.

PS The role that Loz plays in womens chess should not be overlooked and he is doing much behind the scenes to develop it so thanks to him too.

[Sabrina Chevannes]

Hi All

I thought I would post on this thread as it seems relevant! I am not sure if it is official yet, but yes Jovanka and I put our names forward to go for the position as Manager of Women's chess.

I do think that Jovanka and myself do have experience in this field and we can achieve some of our aims. I hope that Matthew can refrain from being too negative about us (well me it seems from the comment about me selling my books) and support us in this role.

This post has appeared to be a difficult one in the past as there is a lot of negativity towards women in chess and there isn't much budget at all. Saying there is no budget is incorrect as I know Ljuba supported Sarah Hegarty and Hannah Dale in the University Championships which is great. I really do hope that we can get some support this year as it would be nice to have people on our side.

I know Jovanka is now very busy training for the World Chess Championships so she will not be commenting much so any ideas and comments can come through me.

I would like to thank Ljuba for giving us this opportunity as she did not have to step down and I know she had some nice ideas for women's chess and given the opportunity to carry on for another year, she surely would have carried out these ideas and achieved some great things.

I just hope Jovanka and I fulfil the role to peoples expectations.

Sabrina

[Matthew Turner]

The Zurich event was very well organised by Alex Horowczak. I am delighted that the ECF supported it, but frankly it didn't need a Manager of Women's Chess in order for them to do so. Ljubica might have had some good ideas, but not a lot happened. This is absolutely not her fault, with no budget what was going to happen? I think Ljubica can do a lot more for Women's chess just getting on and doing it and not bothering with the bureaucracy of the ECF. I hope she will.
I am not sure how Sabrina and Jovanka will get on. It seems slightly strange that two people would share this post. Either they will both have expenses for attending meeting, phones calls etc and any budget will disappear instantly or they will have to put some of their own finances into the role (as most volunteers who work for the ECF do). I don't whether Sabrina and Jovanka are able (or want) to do this. I wish them luck.

[Alex Holowczak]

The Zurich event was very well organised by Alex Horowczak.

He received a lot of support from myself.

with no budget what was going to happen?

Once again, she had a budget.