Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.

Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Fenella Headlong
23
56%
Aga Milewska
16
39%
None of the above
2
5%
 
Total votes: 41

Paul Cooksey
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Paul Cooksey » Wed Sep 15, 2021 7:52 pm

Twitter:
Malcolm Pein @TelegraphChess wrote: Election News. I have decided to stand for the post of Chief Executive of the @ecfchess I feel a change of direction is needed. Manifesto to follow. #ECFChange #MalcolmandAga #Peincampaign

Bob Clark
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Bob Clark » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:04 pm

As Paul said above the statements are now on the website, so I now know a little about Fenella.
There is also as Paul stated very little difference regarding policy / ambitions. Both ladies state a desire to build on the success of the Queens Gambit, but I’m unsure as to how they intend to achieve this.
A question for Fenella would be Why Now?
Why not two years ago when the post was vacant?

J T Melsom
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by J T Melsom » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:10 pm

Bob

People's circumstances change, especially working mums - changing circumstances being a topic covered quite well in Fenella's statement in my view. You could ask the same question of the other candidate as well.

[This is of course speculation on my part, but I'm wary of the narrative Bob seems to be constructing here.]

Matt Bridgeman
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Matt Bridgeman » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:35 pm

Bob Clark wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:04 pm
As Paul said above the statements are now on the website, so I now know a little about Fenella.
There is also as Paul stated very little difference regarding policy / ambitions. Both ladies state a desire to build on the success of the Queens Gambit, but I’m unsure as to how they intend to achieve this.
A question for Fenella would be Why Now?
Why not two years ago when the post was vacant?
Two years ago both Fenella and Agnieszka had competed in the 2019 English Woman's Championship, which had bloomed that year into a popular and exciting chess event, with the young guns giving the established Woman's Olympiad old guard plenty of trouble. It had pretty much one of the most tense finishes anyone could ask for at a chess championship. It's a shame Covid robbed us of the 2020 and 2021 events. Perhaps this was the catalyst for positive action? The majority of those junior girls are still active and improving, and there could be good times ahead.
http://chess-results.com/tnr467011.aspx ... NG&flag=30
Last edited by Matt Bridgeman on Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Bob Clark
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Bob Clark » Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:55 pm

J T Melsom wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:10 pm
Bob

People's circumstances change, especially working mums - changing circumstances being a topic covered quite well in Fenella's statement in my view. You could ask the same question of the other candidate as well.

[This is of course speculation on my part, but I'm wary of the narrative Bob seems to be constructing here.]
I’m not constructing any narrative except perhaps in your imagination.

If you read Aga’s address she states that she has been shadowing the role and attending board meetings over the last year, so I don’t need to ask her why now.

As you said your speculating, and you may be right regarding changing circumstances, but she has been active in organising events for many years according to her statement, so the question Why now and not two years ago seems relevant.

J T Melsom
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by J T Melsom » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:01 pm

Isn't it enough that she and Aga are excellent candidates available to undertake the post now, rather than why neither was able to do so in 2019?
I think you see Fenella as somehow in Mike Truran's camp in this election and I just don't see the evidence for that at all. Not every aspect of this election comes down to this binary division of the candidates.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:05 pm

I remember once saying that political parties tended to be an emergent phenomenon of democracy. These elections, and this forum's coverage of these elections, are doing nothing to shake my belief in that hypothesis.

NickFaulks
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by NickFaulks » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:13 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:05 pm
I remember once saying that political parties tended to be an emergent phenomenon of democracy.
Did anyone say you were wrong?

The current state of the ECF Member Reps exemplifies the early stage where only one party has noticed this fact.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

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Chris Goodall
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Chris Goodall » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:14 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:05 pm
I remember once saying that political parties tended to be an emergent phenomenon of democracy. These elections, and this forum's coverage of these elections, are doing nothing to shake my belief in that hypothesis.
Agreed, although the votes are 3:1 for Mike, 2:1 for Fenella and over 5:1 for Robert, so at least some split-ticket voting is going on.
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Nick Grey
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Nick Grey » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:15 pm

Too few women in ECF so vote for both. A female CEO by 2030 as well?

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Chris Goodall
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Chris Goodall » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:20 pm

Nick Grey wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:15 pm
Too few women in ECF so vote for both. A female CEO by 2030 as well?
A female CEO by 2001, in fact.
Donate to Sabrina's fundraiser at https://gofund.me/aeae42c7 to support victims of sexual abuse in the chess world.

Northumberland webmaster, Jesmond CC something-or-other. Views mine. Definitely below the Goodall Line.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Roger de Coverly » Wed Sep 15, 2021 11:50 pm

I'm not sure I was aware of this. Others may have known already.

From the CSC webpage
https://www.chessinschools.co.uk/staff

Three of the five named as "Head Office" are involved as candidates in the ECF elections.

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Chris Goodall
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Chris Goodall » Thu Sep 16, 2021 1:01 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 11:50 pm
From the CSC webpage
https://www.chessinschools.co.uk/staff

Three of the five named as "Head Office" are involved as candidates in the ECF elections.
But of course. "In Schools and Communities" can also be translated "Literally Everywhere". Why would they consider it out of scope to spend all the ECF's money in addition to their own?
Donate to Sabrina's fundraiser at https://gofund.me/aeae42c7 to support victims of sexual abuse in the chess world.

Northumberland webmaster, Jesmond CC something-or-other. Views mine. Definitely below the Goodall Line.

John Foley
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by John Foley » Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:22 am

Jonathan, I know you take pride in the accuracy of your pronouncements. Therefore could you check your comment about me. The link seems to be a circular reference.
Jonathan Bryant wrote:
Wed Sep 15, 2021 5:57 pm

Now, these results weren't necessarily as a result of seeing the people concerned as part of a 'CSC Block', but there does seem to have been a certain lukewarmish response to CSC candidates at times. E.g. the following year John Foley lost a NED election getting only 31 of around 500 votes cast

posting.php?mode=quote&f=25&p=271702

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Michael Farthing
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Re: Director of Women’s Chess 2021

Post by Michael Farthing » Tue Sep 21, 2021 10:03 am

Yesterday evening , following a period of careful thought, Fenella Headlong decided to withdraw her candidature from the election for Director of Women's Chess. She has made a statement about this which is being placed on the ECF website where the Election Addresses have been published. Her own address has been taken down. I would ask forumites to read it before making further comment here.

I'm sure members of the forum will be wishing her well for the future.

Carl, Might it perhaps be appropriate to close the poll early?

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