(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Matt Mackenzie]

Political-party-opposes-lockdown shock:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54777346

Nigel has found his new grift, let joy be unconfined.

[NickFaulks]

Sorry Nick for reporting so many.

No, your reporting is valuable and welcome. Please keep up your work.

[Simon Rogers]

I find social media very difficult. I try my best to keep everyone happy and informed on the forum.
These people who I have reported, that have passed away did so much for their clubs.

[John Clarke]

These people who I have reported, that have passed away did so much for their clubs.

That's why I agree with Nick that you should go on reporting them. All over the country there's these modest hard-working types, often as not with no great prowess at chess but who nonetheless love the game and want to support it any way they can. Without their efforts there'd probably be fewer clubs and a good many less well-organised ones. The passing of any of these otherwise unsung heroes most definitely deserves to be noted.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"That's why I agree with Nick that you should go on reporting them. All over the country there's these modest hard-working types, often as not with no great prowess at chess but who nonetheless love the game and want to support it any way they can. Without their efforts there'd probably be fewer clubs and a good many less well-organised ones. The passing of any of these otherwise unsung heroes most definitely deserves to be noted."

Absolutely.

[Nick Grey]

Is the ECF Office going to stay open?

[Simon Rogers]

Thanks for your support. It's much appreciated.
I am very sorry to say, I have a further eight Deaths and Obituaries to report.
I'll start with the most recent first and will only post ones from this year.
I will gradually report the deaths over the next few days, I just need to check a few details.
Is it possible someone could post a couple of links for me on the Deaths and Obituaries?
For Bob Wildig (30th October), there is a lengthy and excellent Obituary on the Rugby Chess Club website.
I posted Graham Lightfoot (31st October), there is an Obituary and picture on the Rugby Chess Club website.
I reported John Mitchell on the 23rd October. There is an Obituary posted on the Leicestershire & Rutland Chess Association website a couple of days ago.

[David Sedgwick]

Edited to add - I had already looked on the ECF website and can not find any guidance anywhere.

See https://www.englishchess.org.uk/new-gov ... -covid-19/ for the ECF response to the new lockdown.

[Ian Thompson]

See https://www.englishchess.org.uk/new-gov ... -covid-19/ for the ECF response to the new lockdown.

Hopefully, something worthwhile will come out of:

We are also looking closely at guidance from HMG and the Sports and Recreation Alliance, with a view to to promoting a safe return to play protocols, event formats and best practices as this guidance develops with changing circumstances.

despite the incredible rejection of the AGM proposal:

Working Group on Safe Restarting of Chess - This proposal was to set up a (voluntary?) Working Group to work along the ECF Board, to provide support and advice for clubs that seek advice, on things related to restarting, i.e. risk assessments, etc. I had not read the motion until the meeting, but my instinct was in favour, as it is not clear *who* in the ECF should a normal club reach out to, for advice on responding to the pandemic in general. A group like this could provide good signposting, to provide examples of what other clubs/leagues are doing, and collect information all in one place.

[J T Melsom]

On the face of it the establishment of a working group might seem to be self evidently a good thing, but this is before you add the politics. The Board already have objectives which cover promotion of chess and has been active in fulfilling that objective during the pandemic. Why should it need to be told how to do that in a rather prescriptive way? I wasn't at the meeting, but pretty sure this will have been a consideration.

[David Blower]

So in answer to my initial question, what should chess clubs do if their local area is in tier 1, tier 2, or tier 3, did the ECF ever publish any specific guidance about what a chess club should do, if their local area is under each of these tiers. And if so where is it.

Prime Minster Boris Johnson announced the three tier system on 12th October, so any ECF newsletter on the 9th October could not have had this information accurately.

Not that I can not make a decision myself, and I have done.

[Ian Thompson]

On the face of it the establishment of a working group might seem to be self evidently a good thing, but this is before you add the politics. The Board already have objectives which cover promotion of chess and has been active in fulfilling that objective during the pandemic. Why should it need to be told how to do that in a rather prescriptive way? I wasn't at the meeting, but pretty sure this will have been a consideration.

The reason reported by someone who was there was:

Opponents, to this [motion], suggested potential legal issues if the group gave people the wrong advice!

[J T Melsom]

Ian

That's a reason mentioned in open debate, but not all reasons are openly declared, so I stand by my original point. I've also attended plenty of meetings where the acceptability or otherwise of a proposal depends not on its intrinsic merits, but who the proposer is. Indeed I represented the Students Union Finance Committee in one such meeting, but in the absence of the Labour Union Treasurer, another Labour hack had to indicate support for the motion as well.

[Mick Norris]

So in answer to my initial question, what should chess clubs do if their local area is in tier 1, tier 2, or tier 3, did the ECF ever publish any specific guidance about what a chess club should do, if their local area is under each of these tiers. And if so where is it.

Prime Minster Boris Johnson announced the three tier system on 12th October, so any ECF newsletter on the 9th October could not have had this information accurately.

Not that I can not make a decision myself, and I have done.

Latest from the ECF

On 31st October 2020, the Prime Minister announced that a new national lockdown is to come into effect for four weeks, starting on Thursday 5th November. This will mean that it will not be possible to run chess clubs or OTB events for the duration of the new lockdown period. The ECF is continuing to run a regular schedule of online competitions and events to support chess in England over the period of the pandemic, and given the lack of OTB chess at any scale.
We are also looking closely at guidance from HMG and the Sports and Recreation Alliance, with a view to promoting safe return to play protocols, event formats and best practices as the guidance develops with changing circumstances.

ECF previous advice

[Simon Rogers]

On the Stirling Chess Club website, there are pictures of members playing Chess outside during late summer. Some very picturesque views.