Chess Moves The newsletter of the English Chess Federation | November/December 2010 World Youth Chess Championships 2010 The redoubtable Anna Wang - be afraid ... We met at Gatwick Airport at 6.45am on Tuesday 19th October and checked in for our BA flight to Thessaloniki. Once we landed we were taken to our hotel by coach. On the coach we were informed that we are not actually staying in the playing venue but 10 km away. This was disappointing for all of us as we all thought we were staying in the main chess venue. We reached the hotel at about 5 pm and settled into our rooms and met for dinner – as soon as we entered the hotel restaurant we realised that the variety of cooked food, salads and range of fruit and desserts were going to be enough to cater for all dietary requirements! This was good news. After an enjoyable dinner, most of us went to bed reasonably early, but Lawrence Cooper was busy as he attended the technical meeting at 10 pm ... now read on [continued on Page 7] Editorial Report on Annual General Meeting ‘I Like to Move It Move It’ FEAT. Left Hand Down by Andrew Farthing a Bit - the ECF Office Trio - a shoo-in for the Christmas No.1, get your copy now ... The Annual General Meeting of the English With the reduction of the staff at the ECF Office Chess Federation took place in Birmingham on from five to three, a move to smaller and more Saturday, 16 October 2010. In the absence of reasonably-priced premises seemed favourite, the Non-Executive Chairman, who was unwell, so with steely gaze and iron thew, we moved Chief Executive Chris Majer took the chair. ourselves, five PCs, desks, tables, filing cabinets, Full Minutes of the meeting will be published in printers, files, chairs, wiring, telephones ... twen- due course. What follows is a summary of the ty yards across the hall and into one office main decisions taken. instead of two. With first-class help from local network company Terinea and slightly less than Applications for Membership first-class help from our friends British Telecom, Three applications for membership were this was achieved over the weekend and week approved: following the 12th November. Northamptonshire Chess Association (County Association) As we approach the festive season, the office British Universities’ Chess Association (Other staff would like to wish all chess players, the Organisation) old, the young, the in-betweeners, good luck for ChessPoint Services (Other Organisation) the coming year. Christmas brings with it the The last of these is particularly interesting. Cruse Charity Christmas Chess Congress, the ChessPoint Services has established a number 86th Hastings International Chess Congress, the of public venues in Northamptonshire (for exam- London Junior Chess Championships, the ple, at cafés and libraries) where equipment is London Christmas Congress and many more provided for chess to be played for free. Along playing opportunities before and after, so gird with weekly coaching sessions and tournaments your loins and get your grades up! at a central venue, the ChessPoint Academy, the organisation enters teams in the Junior 4NCL. ‘I have always thought of Christmas time, when This innovative approach to bringing chess to it has come round, as a good time; a kind, for- the local community is quite striking and one giving, charitable time; the only time I know of, wishes it every success. Those interested in in the long calendar of the year, when men and finding out more can do so at women seem by one consent to open their shut- www.chesspoint.co.uk/index.html. up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to Recognition the grave, and not another race of creatures Reports were received and approved from mem- bound on other journeys’ - Charles Dickens bers of the Board and other Officers. Following - Tina and the team this, ECF President CJ de Mooi proposed a vote of thanks to outgoing Officers: Make your presence felt - write to Chris Majer (Chief Executive) Alan Martin (Non-Executive Director, Manager the ECF of ICT, Member of Finance Commitee) We’d like to get a regular letters page going in John Paines (Non-Executive Chairman) Chess Moves, so we’re inviting reader e-mails David Thomas (Manager of Grading & Rating) and letters. You can email us on Mike Adams (Chairman of Finance [email protected] or send a Committee) good old-fashioned letter to The ECF, The Watch Ljubica Lazarevic (Manager of Women’s Oak, Chain Lane, Battle, East Sussex TN33 0YD Chess) (please mark your envelope ‘Chess Moves’). Any It is no exaggeration to say that the ECF would chess-related subject matter is OK - we’ll for- be unable to function without the services of ward any questions you have to the relevant par- those who volunteer their time and effort, and ties and see if we can’t publish answers concur- Council unanimously supported the President’s rently or in the following issue expression of appreciation. Copy deadline - 10th January 2011 Council was also reminded that with the retire- 2 ment of Office Manager, Cynthia Gurney, the Clark, John Philpott and Ian Reynolds ECF had lost the services of one of its most loyal Chairman of the Governance Committee – John and valuable contributors. In recognition of Philpott what Cynthia and husband Bob had given to Members of the Governance Committee – English chess over so many years, Council unan- Richard Haddrell, Andrew Leadbetter and John imously approved the appointment of Cynthia Paines and Bob as Honorary Life Members of the Federation. Other Business Other Awards: This report cannot cover all of the business of President’s Award for Services to Chess – the AGM in detail, but I should like to highlight Julie Johnson four specific items. Each, in its way, marks an Club of the Year – Horsham Chess Club important change. Small Chess Club of the Year – St Helens Future funding: Currently, the ECF’s activities are Chess Club funded through a complicated combination of Chess Website of the Year – the website of Game Fee (payment per player per game) and the Kingston Chess Club Membership (various forms). In the light of the (www.kingstonchess.org.uk) ending of the Government grant to the ECF, the Congress of the Year – e2e4 Board was seeking to create a simpler solution, British Chess Educational Trust – two awards easier and cheaper to run, so that the highest this year, to Homefield School and St Teresa’s possible percentage of the money paid by Primary School English chess players and organisations is avail- There was no award for Chess Magazine of the able to support chess activities. Year (no nominations). Council debated four options. These were: (1) No change; (2) Using Game Fee only, i.e. no Appointments and Elections membership schemes; (3) Membership only, i.e. There were no contested elections at this year’s everyone becomes a member and there is no AGM. Only one candidate prompted significant fee for playing a graded game; (4) Retaining discussion (Malcolm Pein, who was standing for both Game Fee and Membership, but simplify- one of the two Non-Executive Director positions), ing them, e.g. fewer membership categories. At following which Malcolm was not elected. this stage, the Board sought a steer from Regrettably, this particular election featured a Council as to which options were clearly unac- number of procedural errors. See my separate ceptable, so that the focus could shift only to statement on this matter elsewhere in the those options which might prove worthwhile. newsletter. In the event, options (1) [No change] and (2) As a result of the elections, the Board is now as [Game Fee only] were eliminated. Work will follows: now begin on detailed proposals for the remain- President – CJ de Mooi ing options, ready for a decision at the Finance Chief Executive – Andrew Farthing Council meeting in April 2011. Director of Finance – Gareth Caller Improved online grading information: The Board Non-Executive Director – John Wickham updated Council on its plans to enhance the Director of Home Chess – Adam Raoof information available on the ECF online grading Director of Junior Chess & Education – Peter database. The intention is to give everyone Purland access to detailed game data, so that you will Director of International Chess – Lawrence be able to check throughout the year what Cooper results have been submitted for grading. This in Director of Marketing – Stewart Reuben turn means that corrections can be advised and In accordance with the Federation’s procedures, made during the season, rather than in one go the Board exercised its right to make appoint- at the end. For ECF members, there will be ments to the two vacant Board positions at its even more information available – not yet meeting on 1st November as follows: finalised but likely to include access to prior-year Non-Executive Chairman – Mike Gunn game details among other things. Non-Executive Director – Jack Rudd These changes are a win-win: better for players, Other appointments made at the AGM included: who receive more information, more frequently FIDE Delegate – Nigel Short updated; better for the ECF’s grading team, who Members of the Finance Committee – Ray no longer have to undertake a frenetic end-of- 3 season process to identify errors and omissions and the organisation but, unfortunately, the in the submitted results. Department has had to make a number of diffi- More frequent grading lists: Council approved cult choices in order to meet our contribution to the idea of more frequent standard play grading the Government’s plan for fiscal consolidation lists.