25-03-2022, 03:31 PM
I was chairman of the Eligibility Working Panel (EWP) panel set up to examine CS eligibility rules and to try and find resolution of the difficulties of the 2019 Scottish Championship. I'll address some of the points raised in the Forum.
The eligibility rules are largely unchanged from what has been established practice. They clarify various issues in particular that the possession of a Scotland SCO code gives you all rights to Championship titles and international representation. In the years before the 2016 AGM motion restricted eligibility to titles there were separate rules required to cater for foreign registered players resident in Scotland who had title rights.
The proposals in the motion make it one source document to be consulted with associated links. The first motion asks if members want to place the Eligibility section into the Constitution. "If the rules are in the Constitution it should minimise divergence from established procedure..". Any change to the constitution requires a 2/3rds majority.
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In general we don't want any exceptions from the eligibility procedure but we do have to deal with the historic circumstances which exist now even if it means addressing the issues can be seen as a contradiction between the motions.
MT is the highest rated active player with a SCO code. The history of why uniquely this code did not have full rights is in the motion details https://www.chessscotland.com/wp-content...y_2022.pdf
One of the tasks set for the EWP was to get outcomes - ie fix the problems. It's a big problem if arbiters have their declaration of a champion challenged and then adjusted. Even worse when that adjustment leads to a "result" where two players on different scores are considered to have "tied".
The 2nd motion seeks to establish if GM Matthew Turner should have the full normal rights of a Scotland registered player based on his existing SCO code.
The member vote at the 2019 AGM decided on the compromise that the title be shared between MT and the next highest scorer. Since there was now a member endorsement of at least a share of the title does that mean MT would be fully eligible at the next Scottish Championship or to represent Scotland internationally? The EWP found it impossible to make a definite ruling either way and the EWP suggestion is to pass the issue back to the membership to see if they can resolve.
Members voted in favour of a MT Scotland registration back in 2011. Members can now clarify that status.
The eligibility rules are largely unchanged from what has been established practice. They clarify various issues in particular that the possession of a Scotland SCO code gives you all rights to Championship titles and international representation. In the years before the 2016 AGM motion restricted eligibility to titles there were separate rules required to cater for foreign registered players resident in Scotland who had title rights.
The proposals in the motion make it one source document to be consulted with associated links. The first motion asks if members want to place the Eligibility section into the Constitution. "If the rules are in the Constitution it should minimise divergence from established procedure..". Any change to the constitution requires a 2/3rds majority.
***
In general we don't want any exceptions from the eligibility procedure but we do have to deal with the historic circumstances which exist now even if it means addressing the issues can be seen as a contradiction between the motions.
MT is the highest rated active player with a SCO code. The history of why uniquely this code did not have full rights is in the motion details https://www.chessscotland.com/wp-content...y_2022.pdf
One of the tasks set for the EWP was to get outcomes - ie fix the problems. It's a big problem if arbiters have their declaration of a champion challenged and then adjusted. Even worse when that adjustment leads to a "result" where two players on different scores are considered to have "tied".
The 2nd motion seeks to establish if GM Matthew Turner should have the full normal rights of a Scotland registered player based on his existing SCO code.
The member vote at the 2019 AGM decided on the compromise that the title be shared between MT and the next highest scorer. Since there was now a member endorsement of at least a share of the title does that mean MT would be fully eligible at the next Scottish Championship or to represent Scotland internationally? The EWP found it impossible to make a definite ruling either way and the EWP suggestion is to pass the issue back to the membership to see if they can resolve.
Members voted in favour of a MT Scotland registration back in 2011. Members can now clarify that status.