21-07-2015, 10:09 AM
If it helps....
I 'agreed' to the CS statement as it restores my actual achievement as 'Scottish Senior Champion', having finished a half-point ahead of all other 50+ players, which was my main aim. I don't really think it solves 'everything' but it will do for 2015, as far as I am concerned, in a situation in which the other parties insist that there must be two 50+ and 65+ 'winners' of 'something'.
It does, however, leave two clear issues, in my view, that will still need review by CS / organisers / anonymous sponsor for the future:
1. should the S50 (or S65) winner, if they are NOT the overall 'Scottish Senior Champion', receive either a separate 'title' and/or a 'money prize?
If a 'title', that might draw undue public merit from the (new) Scottish Senior Champion title - perhaps especially if the champion is a 65+ player, who outdistanced all other 50+ players, as happened this year. There is clearly room to debate whether there should be such S50/S65 titles, and if so, how to describe them correctly to avoid that problem.
I don't think anyone would object to there being a money prize - described perhaps as (not drafting) 'prize for best 50+/65+ player placed behind the Scottish Senior Champion'.
2. should the winner of the Scottish championship (if 50+) also be awarded any 50+ title(s) and/or money prize(s) for which they may be age-qualified (such as happened in 2013)? This question is closely related to the question whether the 'Scottish Senior champion', if 65+, should be eligible for the 50+ title/money prize (as well as the 65+ awards).
If the 2013 precedent (Scottish champion, who was a 'senior', also took the seniors title and money prize) is to prevail, Walter Buchanan cogently argued that logic suggests that the Scottish Senior Champion, if 65+, must surely be awarded both 50+ and 65+ titles/money prizes .... unless, of course, the 'main' champion was a senior and scooped one or all of the senior title/money prizes!!
I suggested to CS that they therefore also needed to clarify the position of any 50+ or 65+ player who wins the Championship, vis a vis whatever they are awarded, and ensure that there is a logical fit with any decision to award any (remaining) seniors title/money prize.
This is tricky! As chess is a competitive sport, however, I probably tend to the view (as in 2013) that any age-qualified player should be duly awarded all age-related titles they are qualified to receive (it's on merit, after all) ... BUT I don't think that they should receive more than one money prize... in other words there is plenty of room to award a range of money prizes to others, which I think is probably good for chess and the game in Scotland.
In summary, I agree completely with Alan Borwell that much still needs to be clarified for the future.
I 'agreed' to the CS statement as it restores my actual achievement as 'Scottish Senior Champion', having finished a half-point ahead of all other 50+ players, which was my main aim. I don't really think it solves 'everything' but it will do for 2015, as far as I am concerned, in a situation in which the other parties insist that there must be two 50+ and 65+ 'winners' of 'something'.
It does, however, leave two clear issues, in my view, that will still need review by CS / organisers / anonymous sponsor for the future:
1. should the S50 (or S65) winner, if they are NOT the overall 'Scottish Senior Champion', receive either a separate 'title' and/or a 'money prize?
If a 'title', that might draw undue public merit from the (new) Scottish Senior Champion title - perhaps especially if the champion is a 65+ player, who outdistanced all other 50+ players, as happened this year. There is clearly room to debate whether there should be such S50/S65 titles, and if so, how to describe them correctly to avoid that problem.
I don't think anyone would object to there being a money prize - described perhaps as (not drafting) 'prize for best 50+/65+ player placed behind the Scottish Senior Champion'.
2. should the winner of the Scottish championship (if 50+) also be awarded any 50+ title(s) and/or money prize(s) for which they may be age-qualified (such as happened in 2013)? This question is closely related to the question whether the 'Scottish Senior champion', if 65+, should be eligible for the 50+ title/money prize (as well as the 65+ awards).
If the 2013 precedent (Scottish champion, who was a 'senior', also took the seniors title and money prize) is to prevail, Walter Buchanan cogently argued that logic suggests that the Scottish Senior Champion, if 65+, must surely be awarded both 50+ and 65+ titles/money prizes .... unless, of course, the 'main' champion was a senior and scooped one or all of the senior title/money prizes!!
I suggested to CS that they therefore also needed to clarify the position of any 50+ or 65+ player who wins the Championship, vis a vis whatever they are awarded, and ensure that there is a logical fit with any decision to award any (remaining) seniors title/money prize.
This is tricky! As chess is a competitive sport, however, I probably tend to the view (as in 2013) that any age-qualified player should be duly awarded all age-related titles they are qualified to receive (it's on merit, after all) ... BUT I don't think that they should receive more than one money prize... in other words there is plenty of room to award a range of money prizes to others, which I think is probably good for chess and the game in Scotland.
In summary, I agree completely with Alan Borwell that much still needs to be clarified for the future.