I have a few (a lot!) of questions...hopefully someone will have the time, knowledge and forebearance to answer them

...If someone were to lodge an official complaint (let's say, for example, about decisions pertaining to a recent Richardson Cup match) who would deal with this within CS? The Standards Committee? An arbiters committee? Someone else?

-Would the complaint be made 'public' or would it be kept internal?
-Would the other team involved be told exactly what the complaint was even if the complaint wasn't specifically against them?
-Would the other team have to comply with any questions asked of them pertaining to the complaint if they weren't told what the complaint was?
-Would there be any way of annulling/reversing/or in some other way re-determining the result of the match in question if a decision was reached upholding the complaint?

-Does anyone have a copy of (last week's?) Scotland on Sunday column by Dougie Bryson? Apparently the column mentioned the match/complaint?!

Could Dougie or someone else post the text of it here perhaps (if I promise to be more religious about buying the paper in future! (I actually stopped buying it because every week I 'had' to read how great hunting/fishing/shooting is by some bloodsport enthusiast

Any help or answers would be much appreciated,
Cheers,
Andy Burnett
(Wandering Dragons CC)

...and preventing further discussion is worse than the subject matter.

I'm sure we would all have kept it all above board and clean.

Now we will have to restrict it to PM's or are those too subject to Big Brother.
My Dad fought in a world war for freedom of speech.
(OK he ended up being on the losing side but that is another story.) =)

Kevin gives a link to Chess Scotland from his site.
Maybe this is what Andy meant (but never got the chance to explain.)

I agree with you Andy, some bits are unchess like, He gives an email address.
Perhaps we can ask him to post a polite warning on his site that some of the contents may offend.

I would just like to thank the individual who has allowed Edinburgh University to defend the BUCA title this year by donating the entry fee... It's really appreciated. The event takes place next weekend (16th-17th).

The team we're sending is: Boris Mitrovic, Gabriel Petesch, Clément Sreeves, Jonathan Edwards, Hamish Olson. Each team member will play four out of the five rounds.

On another note... I was wondering people's opinions on us all being forced to become ECF members in order to participate in the event. We almost boycotted the event on the basis that in order for it to be ECF rated we each have to pay £12 (so £60 for the team). Well, we don't want it ECF rated! British Universities??? More like English Universities.

I meant to write/ask about this a while back but got side-tracked. Another topic referencing his blog reminded me of it just now.

Am I alone in finding half of Spraggett's blogs just plain offensive (pornographic/ foul language/etc.)? Should CS be advertising this site with a direct link? I know the internet has infinitely worse things floating around, but we wouldn't link to those either!

Hi, if you want to enter there are still a few places left.

Either e-mail or phone me, only 5 entries have come by post the rest either e-mail or phone.

Michael.

Just wondering what peoples favourite chess games/puzzles/whatever were - doesn't have to be anything amazing or anything flashy (although I wouldn't complain!)? Also curious as to how much of peoples reason for playing chess is the aesthetics and how much is competition or other stuff? For me a huge part of the game is about the beauty of it (although I am also pretty competitive about it).

Been advised of an event in Grantham for secondary schools.

ECF Secondary School Rapidplay Chess Tournament

Venue: The King’s School, Brook Street, Grantham, NG31 6RP. Play in the main School Hall, team rooms in the Tower Block

Time: Registration from 10.15am (Tower Block Foyer), play starts 11am, finishes about 5pm

Event Format: 5 round Swiss rapid play tournament. Chess clocks will be used in all games, 25 minutes for all moves. With digital clocks: all moves in 20 minutes + 5 sec/move. All games will be ECF graded

Teams: Teams will consist of 4 players in school years 7 to 13. Schools can enter one or two teams. We have space for a maximum of 24 teams, allocated in order of application

Cost: Free

We will need some schools to bring chess equipment. Please let me know if you can. We are very grateful to The King’s School for providing their facilities free of charge. We expect all teams to treat the buildings with respect, in particular leaving the team rooms in the condition they were on arrival. Please bring a packed lunch – although ASDA and Grantham town centre are a few minutes walk. If you have any queries please feel free to contact me.

- Phillip Beckett Email: <!-- e --><a href="mailtohillip.Beckett@kings.lincs.sch.uk">Phillip.Beckett@kings.lincs.sch.uk</a><!-- e -->

With a lot of talk on the site about Fide ratings, I was wondering when some comment on FIDE's latest scheme would be forthcoming from CS. I notice that Alex McFarlane has posted about this on the ECF, but nothing here.

Quoted from the English Chess Forum.

"REGULATIONS ON REGISTRATION & LICENSING OF PLAYERS
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS">http://www.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS</a><!-- m --> ... layers.pdf

Approved by 2013 Presidential Board

1. All Players shall be required to register with their National Chess Federations (NCF). The
FIDE Regulations on Registration, Transfers and Eligibility shall apply.

2. The NCF (or FIDE) shall issue the FIDE ID Number if the Player does not have one at
the time of registration. NCF will register the Player with FIDE by providing
information containing the Player’s Name, Gender, Place & Year of Birth, Photo,
Passport Number; FIDE ID Number (if any).

3. FIDE/NCF shall issue the Player with a Player ID Card bearing the information from
Rule 2 above.All information shall be maintained in the List of FIDE Licensed Players.

4. A Player who registers to compete in any FIDE rated competition shall be required to
provide his FIDE ID Number.

5. An Organizer receiving any registration must refer to the List of FIDE Licensed Players
before accepting the registration.

6. If an Organizer inadvertently accepted a Player without a valid License, the Organizer
shall be penalized 50 Euro for every infringement. Such Players shall not have a FIDE ID
Number and shall have no Federation Flag.

7. Games played by Players without a valid License shall not count for rating for
themselves. Games played against them by Licensed Players shall be counted.

8. A NCF may subsequently (during or after the competition) register the Player mentioned
in Rules 8 & 9 above provided a Late Payment Fee of 50 Euro is paid.

9. Players without a License cannot play in any official FIDE or Continental competition.

10. For each time a player who has been delisted by his NCF and subsequently re-listed, the
payment is 20 Euro."


Is this an attempt at a money maker, or are we going to see the removal of the licence of players who play in 'unauthorised ' events?

I see on the home page there is an announcement from last week for the 2013 Scottish, to be held in Helensburgh.
I see there is an entry form, but i'm surprised nobody has mentioned it in the forums...

Just one little niggle... how many rounds for the U1750 and U1500 events?

can anyone help? I am currently teaching primary kids the basics of the game and some of them are progressing nicely. However can anyone point me in the right direction as I need materials to teach the basics and a little further. I have chessbase and would ideally like materials though this medium. Does chessbase sell anything targeted towards kids and beginners