Contribution to chess

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
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Francis Fields
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:50 am
Location: London

Contribution to chess

Post by Francis Fields » Sun Mar 01, 2020 9:40 pm

Under sporting law a player can be deemed to have made a contribution. A professional chess player told me that this only applies to professionals in chess.

I would like to know what other people think. A chess player can have published games, played for a long time or had enough results against professionals (40?).

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Contribution to chess

Post by Neil Graham » Mon Mar 02, 2020 11:00 am

Francis Fields wrote:
Sun Mar 01, 2020 9:40 pm
Under sporting law a player can be deemed to have made a contribution. A professional chess player told me that this only applies to professionals in chess.

I would like to know what other people think. A chess player can have published games, played for a long time or had enough results against professionals (40?).
It's an interesting question. First of all what is "a contribution", There are hundreds of unpaid administrators across the country who have made significant contributions to chess by giving up time, expertise etc. As well there are several people who have made substantial financial contributions to chess.

However I'm surmising Francis may be thinking about theoretical contributions. I don't believe there is any sporting law governing this but naturally if you're a grandmaster/titled player your contribution to theory is much more likely to be picked up in the era of mammoth databases/on line games and so on. If you are playing in the local chess league in a match between Nether Wallop "B" and Dangley End "C" even if you play a brilliancy that would astound the media, the liklihood of it being seen is remote.

Nevertheless there is hope for us all - I can remember in the early 1970s playing at the Luton Congress and finding I was stopping at the same hotel as Vernon Dilworth - the originator of a famous variation of the Ruy Lopez. Closer to home my ex-clubmate now well into his eighties is Janos Wagenbach who is responsible for a specific variation of the Kings Gambit. Although he might say differently, Janos is an ordinary club player like many of the contributors to this forum. I'm sure if Jon Tait reads this thread he'll be able to tell us more.

Finally I find that one of my games featured in a Nick Pert "Typical Mistakes" DVD and once Leonard Barden featured one of my games in the Evening Standard - unfortunately with the line "what did he miss in this position?"

So we all have the opportunity to make a contribution.

Roger Lancaster
Posts: 1906
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:44 pm

Re: Contribution to chess

Post by Roger Lancaster » Mon Mar 02, 2020 11:23 am

Francis Fields wrote:
Sun Mar 01, 2020 9:40 pm
Under sporting law a player can be deemed to have made a contribution. A professional chess player told me that this only applies to professionals in chess.

I would like to know what other people think. A chess player can have published games, played for a long time or had enough results against professionals (40?).
Whilst broadly agreeing with Neil above, I'd also wish to question what "sporting law" is being referred to. There are, of course, areas of law specific to sport but much of this is country-specific are thus of limited application to sports, including chess, in other jurisdictions.

Neil Graham
Posts: 1938
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Re: Contribution to chess

Post by Neil Graham » Mon Mar 02, 2020 1:16 pm

Roger Lancaster wrote:
Mon Mar 02, 2020 11:23 am
Francis Fields wrote:
Sun Mar 01, 2020 9:40 pm
Under sporting law a player can be deemed to have made a contribution. A professional chess player told me that this only applies to professionals in chess.

I would like to know what other people think. A chess player can have published games, played for a long time or had enough results against professionals (40?).
Whilst broadly agreeing with Neil above, I'd also wish to question what "sporting law" is being referred to. There are, of course, areas of law specific to sport but much of this is country-specific are thus of limited application to sports, including chess, in other jurisdictions.
There are so many sports/games that I doubt whether we can isolate this; those of you who are in "Premier Chess Fantasy Football" will know that players are awarded points for "assists" which would equate I think to contributions. This week we are kicking ourselves for not backing Watford to beat Liverpool.

*Incidentally the ECF issued badges (discussed in another thread) to those who had made contributions to English chess.

Nick Grey
Posts: 1838
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:16 am

Re: Contribution to chess

Post by Nick Grey » Mon Mar 02, 2020 10:31 pm

Make your nomination to ECF and get support with thanks to 2 forumnites for their help.

I am clear on why my football club got Awards through the Surrey County FA.

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