English Chess Forum

Alex: of course I allow en passant! This is about the difference between, as an arbiter, stepping in when neither player has summoned you or noticed anything, and stepping in when a player calls you to enforce the rules. My simple question for you now: would you double default a pair of 7 year olds ...

Alex: In the part of the chess world which involves counting out 75-move-rule draws for K+Q vs K endgames, I don't think it helps to notice every irregularity officially. What purpose is served by standing over a game between two beginners, taking official notice of every irregularity, and then decl...

This is an interesting question which I think comes up a lot in junior rapidplays, particularly at the lower end of the playing ability spectrum. My general approach is not to intervene when both players miss the fact that a move is illegal, unless failure to intervene would gratuitously distort the...

As I mentioned to the journalist, (I sent him the relevant scans as well), Rachel Reeves was just outside the top 20 girls in the country in both the 93/94 and 94/95 books (the no. 20 girl was about 115 in old money). Readers may remember the 'top 20 in age group' lists that would appear at the star...

The PC I was running UTU Swiss on was already old and creaky. I cannot justify buying a new PC solely to run Swiss Manager and so needed something that would work on a Mac.

(As I understand it, Swiss Manager is not available on Macs)

I recently ran a tournament using Tornelo (switching from UTU Swiss now support for it has ceased). Is there an easy way to create an ECF rating file from Tornelo results, that I can submit for rating?

I'm so sorry to hear that Harriet. I have many wonderful memories of Adam from our times as junior chess contemporaries. I will gather these and send to you.

Oxfordshire Junior Chess would like to invite expressions of interest to run and coach 'Ojays' from September 2024, taking over from Andrew Varney as he stands down after many years hard work (thank you Andrew!). Ideally, this would involve regular (weekly? fortnightly?) in-person group coaching ses...

Joseph, This was obviously at the recent junior jamboree at Twickenham, and apologies that this happened. I was the Chief Arbiter, but I don't recollect being called for this one; with my other hat as organiser there are always a lot of things going on at the same time, so perhaps I had been called...

This situation arose in an U11 county event at Richmond a few weeks ago; I've never seen something like it before and doubt I will again. Interested in what people think. The situation is a lower board in a 20 board U11 event. The time control is 25 + 5. Nothing out of ordinary is picked up until la...

Late to this one, but it seems that if the arbiter is watching, the arbiter should step in immediately the flag is down. If the arbiter watches the flag fall, and then allows play to (apparently) continue, it is a mistake of the arbiter.

The allegations here involve sexual abuse or assault of a minor and are not suitable for this sort of innuendo, willing to wound but afraid to strike. If you have seen this in action firsthand, report it to both the police and the ECF because safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If you haven’...

Well it should be brought to light but to consider it as an isolated incident is a mistake I think. There's plenty of things going on behind closed doors. Like I said, the tournaments where people take holidays too are often classic examples. I've seen people fly half way round the world and not ev...

But if we are being honest, what are the chances of him being the only titled player guilty of that charge. What is your point? I can think of a certain English GM with a far worse reputation than him, I'm sure you know who I mean. Unfortunately, some of us have seen him in action firsthand on that...

..... What do other people think? I agree with you; while the first case in the article seems a straightforward decline, the second seems bizarre and wrong. Even ignoring the counter-intuitive aspects, its not what the Laws themselves say: article 4.3 refers to "if the player having the move touche...