English Chess Forum

The academics at Oxford Uni are apparently after some intellectual stimulation and have called in an World renowned expert in his field to validate their cutting edge research. The full story is here

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... study.html

The expert is using a very clever pseudonym, but I think I know who it is!

It's this, isn't it? Not sure either Manchester or Brunel are in Oxford, though Kieran used to be there.

I love that good old Gerry Wade? Who.

Anyway I'm desperately trying to find an article that had similar conclusions (from Oxford) about women and Michelin Starred Chefs. The best part is look at sports where women are allowed in the same high end events as the men: I know F1 has no restrictions on women but I think that Snooker and Darts are also clear of any boundaries. The same statistics keep coming through. I have never done a study on this, but I do know that this Wade chap is right about it being a level playing field at Primary School, not as many at Secondary and the stats speak for themselves for the over 16's.

What do you guys think of this?

Whats wrong with Brunel?

What is all this stuff about a pseudonym? Sorry, I don't understand the first two posts.

Jonathan Rogers wrote:What is all this stuff about a pseudonym? Sorry, I don't understand the first two posts.

The ECF President is Garry Walsh in the article he is called Gerry Wade.

Oh, I see. My mistake, I had thought that it was the author of the report who was supposed to be a pseudonym.

Still, at least the article shows that it is possible to get hold of Gerry Walsh for a comment, at any rate if it is not about certain matters of ECF business.

"At primary school level, when there are an equal number of boys and girls playing, there's a level playing field."

Whoever this Gerry Wade (Garry, Walsh, Welsh, Jerry...) chap is he obviously has little experience running chess clubs in primary schools. The above assertion is nonsense

Nick Thomas wrote:

"At primary school level, when there are an equal number of boys and girls playing, there's a level playing field."

Whoever this Gerry Wade (Garry, Walsh, Welsh, Jerry...) chap is he obviously has little experience running chess clubs in primary schools. The above assertion is nonsense

Nick, I agree with you. And how often have you come across a primary school with equal numbers of boys and girls anyway?

Gerry Wade? Garry Walsh? Don't they mean Bob Kasparov?

Richard James wrote:

Nick Thomas wrote:

"At primary school level, when there are an equal number of boys and girls playing, there's a level playing field."

Whoever this Gerry Wade (Garry, Walsh, Welsh, Jerry...) chap is he obviously has little experience running chess clubs in primary schools. The above assertion is nonsense

Nick, I agree with you. And how often have you come across a primary school with equal numbers of boys and girls anyway?

I have. In fact most of them apart from PRUs and Behaviour Units. But it kinda of would be as thats exactly what we ask for. 50% Boys 50% Girls, and 50% of them are Underachievers. I am following a mandate set down by ECM so most peoples experiences would be different where natural selection happens.

Richard James wrote:

Nick Thomas wrote:

"At primary school level, when there are an equal number of boys and girls playing, there's a level playing field."

Whoever this Gerry Wade (Garry, Walsh, Welsh, Jerry...) chap is he obviously has little experience running chess clubs in primary schools. The above assertion is nonsense

Nick, I agree with you. And how often have you come across a primary school with equal numbers of boys and girls anyway?

Gerry Wade? Garry Walsh? Don't they mean Bob Kasparov?

Can we just clarify - most primary schools have equal numbers of boys and girls. But many more boys than girls play chess.
So indeed the GW assertion is nonsense.

Neill Cooper wrote:

Richard James wrote:
Whoever this Gerry Wade (Garry, Walsh, Welsh, Jerry...) chap is he obviously has little experience running chess clubs in primary schools. The above assertion is nonsense

Nick, I agree with you. And how often have you come across a primary school with equal numbers of boys and girls anyway?

Gerry Wade? Garry Walsh? Don't they mean Bob Kasparov?

Can we just clarify - most primary schools have equal numbers of boys and girls. But many more boys than girls play chess.
So indeed the GW assertion is nonsense.[/quote]

I agree; most coaching is done to an imbalance with boys being the higher number, the only instances where I have found things to be equal is when someone states they want equality or in the case of John Hipshon where girls have been targeted that balance goes the other way, but what would Gerry know about coaching on the ground.

I can't say I've ever come across equal numbers at Primary School.

For example, when I was at Cantrell Primary School, we had 2 girls out of 30 - both the daughters of the chess coach.

I also recently coached students at William Howitt, and there were no girls in the group of 15 students I was coaching.

Also liaising with other schools in Derbyshire (when I was working in schools and actively working in chess) indicated that hardly any girls were interested at all.

The stats I've come across in my experience would be more at home in secondary schools.

Women realise at about 4, they usually have better things to do than play chess. Some play for a giggle though.

I could mention quite a few females that don't play for a "giggle"!