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Sorry Robin, Sean told me that this was the cost for a single player travelling to take part in the Edinburgh Congress from the Orkneys.

Andy,

Thank you and fair enough but I hope I highlighted family considerations to be considered by the working party. Every chess playing individual throughout Scotland is important as are families.

I feel this is an incredibly important topic for CS. There is a good blend of "auld heids" geographically spread throughout the country on our working party. They have a tough task but all CS members, I am sure, will be awaiting their conclusions and recommendations with great interest.

Should Richardson matches be played remotely ? eg Hamilton v Dragons on ICC
Similarly all Hamilton players could enter the Edinburgh FIDE rated congress or Inverness congress by booking our club premises for the weekend. This would save us a lot of expenses. I can bring along chess books and Chessbase and use it as a weekend long training event. Michael Hanley could be the arbiter and enter lots of juniors.

As someone who was state educated, but now works in private education I found Andy Muir's comment highly offensive

"I learnt that public schools cheat when playing online"

I have given Andy time to revise his comments and I have asked to do that privately. Sadly he has not taken that opportunity.
It doesn't do ChessScotland any good to have a Director making such ridiculous comments. One wonders, for example, how Lathallan School would react to such a comment after they had provided a marvellous venue for a ChessScotland event.
Hopefully, Andy will consider things again and change his comments.

Matthew
Robert Gordon's cheated when playing St Aloysius in 1974. This was a telephone match which was played online. I shall not retract this comment. It is not offensive, in fact I might report it to the Standards Committee for action against these players.

IMarks Wrote:

Andy Howie Wrote:I think Sean said it best at the meeting on Sat. Why should someone pay 1200 pounds to play in a congress just because they live in one of the islands. We should be trying to help them take an active part in the congress scene

£1200 to play in a congress!?!? =o You don't even pay anything like that to play 11 rounds + hotel + full board + air fares + transfers on the continent. What island is it? Tristan da Cunha?

Flight prices from Shetland are £222 return for the dates of the Edinburgh Congress. Flights from Kirkwall are around £194 return. Not sure how £1,200 was arrived at but it's still a fair sum just to start with for five games of chess.

amuir Wrote:..all Hamilton players could enter the Edinburgh FIDE rated congress or Inverness congress by booking our club premises for the weekend. This would save us a lot of expenses.

Not sure it would. It depends how much you pay for your club over the weekend. Megabus to Inverness can be had for £2 return. You can book a campsite at £8 per person for the two nights. You do need to bring your own tents though. £10 in total for the weekend.

amuir Wrote:St Aloysius College vs Robert Gordon's (both public schools) Sunday Times British Schools' championships Zonal preliminary played in 1974 or 1975:result of match 3-3 . Robert Gordon's win on age handicap.

St Aloysius College vs Robert Gordon's Scotsman Scottish Schools' championships final. Played over the board. St Aloysius win .

And in the Scotsman Cup final 2007 Robert Gordon's beat St Aloysius played over the board, and I am very proud to have been on b1 for that game.

As you label my old school as a bunch of cheats, I really hope you have hard evidence for this. Presumably if such evidence exists then appropriate action was taken. It would also be useful to know if this did take place the context, such as if it was known that reference material was not allowed. I should also add that during my time, we won multiple events through hard work, and certainly no cheating existed in any form.

Also, in no way is it correct to generalise a school, or indeed an entire group of schools based on something that allegedly took place 40 years ago. The only people involved in the incident, ie the players of the teams, are the only people you could ever draw valid conclusions about. You said that public schools (plural) cheat (present tense), and that is highly offensive to me. In your position as a CS director I cannot believe that you are actually getting away with saying this, and if anyone needs referring to a standards committee, it is you.

amuir Wrote:Robert Gordon's cheated when playing St Aloysius in 1974. This was a telephone match which was played online. I shall not retract this comment. It is not offensive, in fact I might report it to the Standards Committee for action against these players.

You know St Aloysius is also a private school, right?

Regardless, as has been said others, it's a ridiculous generalisation to say that public schools cheat.

I am not generalising, just giving a high profile example. I am sure most public school pupils are very honest.
No hard feelings to Matthew & Adam.
Also Matthew, given the vote on the Olympiad was so tight, why not put in a motion for the August AGM for a revote as a future wildcard ? I couldn't possibly pick you this time round with the possible nightmare scenario of all 4 of your teammates not wanting you there.
There was no standards committee in those days - I was too shy in those days to complain too.
Anyway a couple of points on chess : How on earth did Robert Gordon's beat St Aloysius ( with superstars Sreeves, Rocks etc) ?
Matthew, how did you beat Eddie Dearing in SNCL with Eddie's connected pawns on 6th ?

Just out of interest

isn't this now just way, long way, off the topic