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[TimWall]

Matthew, as you are a strong chess player and therefore presumably quite intelligent, I hesitate to try to correct you - even when you seem to be overlooking the equivalent of mate in one.

(I also think that it's great that you are so interested in an organisation - the ECF - that you are not actually a member of.)

The July 2 EJCOA Board statement concentrates exclusively on setting out a positive policy agenda, and stresses the need for a team of people to work together to achieve these goals.

Here it is again, just so that you can actually read it:

'Why EJCOA is Standing for ECF Director for Junior Chess and Education
2 July 2021

The English Junior Coaches and Organisers Association (EJCOA) is putting forward a candidate for the post of English Chess Federation Director of Junior Chess & Education at the October 2021 AGM with the following objectives:

- To restore English junior chess to the position of one of the world’s leading chess nations, with the goal of producing 5 new GMs and 10 new IMs over the next 10 years;

- To develop junior chess at all levels, from junior clubs and schools all the way up to national level, with equal opportunities for all girls and boys, regardless of gender, ethnicity, social and educational background or any other circumstances;

- To develop high-quality coaching and chess education for juniors and adults at all levels, and provide professional training for coaches, working closely together with the European Chess Union and the FIDE Trainers Commission.

- To provide all girls and boys with the opportunity to play and study chess to the level that suits them.

To achieve these goals, we propose that the Directorate be run not solely by a single Director, but by that person working together with a professional team of coaches, players and junior organisers, with first-hand experience of playing and coaching at an international level.

We also pledge that the Junior Chess and Education Directorate will be run transparently and fairly for all involved in junior chess, with any potential conflicts of interest referred to an Independent Junior Chess Oversight Committee, elected directly by ECF members annually.

We invite all ECF members and chess organisations represented on the ECF Council to support our campaign, and are happy to send a speaker to your meeting (either online or in person) to explain why we are standing and to answer your questions.

The EJCOA Board
July 2, 2021'

[J T Melsom]

Tim,

I'm a weaker player than both yourself and Matthew, so perhaps the debate is way over my head, but can you clarify why the alleged conflict of interest cannot be dealt with by existing ECF governance structures?

Thank you.

[TimWall]

I don't know. When was the last time the ECF Governance Committee took any action regarding a potential conflict of interest? Perhaps that will answer your question.

[J T Melsom]

Are you saying the Governance Committee had no locus or that it found there was no case to answer? Surely if the ECF process is flawed then you should seek to revise that for the benefit of all chess players, rather than introduce another committee?

[Roger de Coverly]

to explain why we are standing and to answer your questions.

The obvious question would be as to why it's necessary to throw the existing Director out of office to implement the proposed ideas,

[Matthew Turner]

Tim,
I am a member of the ECF
https://www.ecfrating.org.uk/v2/new/pla ... de=120691G

I have also supported the organisation in numerous ways over the past couple of years, seeing first hand the tremendous amount of work that Alex Holowczak (amongst many others) puts in.

Thank you for your contribution to the debate, it certainly helps illustrate the EJOCA's position

[TimWall]

I see that you are a Supporter, not a Member, Matt. Just to be technically accurate.

In which ways have you been supporting the ECF? Do they involve serving on certain committees? Do tell (if it's not a secret).

[Matthew Turner]

Tim,
I prefer to work away in the background and hopefully get things done. If you are surprised that I would be doing that, then perhaps you should reflect that it is testament to Alex Holowczak and others within the ECF that I have been brought on-board.

The divisive language used by the EJOCA to date doesn't appear designed to achieve such a broad coalition.

[Joseph Conlon]

Tim,

I have already said that I think the penultimate paragraph of the statement is at best unhelpful, and should either be elaborated or withdrawn. I see no problem with contested elections, and most of the statement offers a defined positive vision, which I read in terms of an approach towards coaching development - but not this paragraph which (to me) can only be read as negative campaigning focused on the incumbent.

Let me ask some questions which I'm sure many people will have (and as these boards have a wider readership than simply those who post here, I think it would be helpful to many to clarify these)

1. What does it in practice mean for the Directorate to be run by a team of people? The buck has to stop somewhere. For sensitive policy questions (e.g. how and how many juniors get selected to play for England), who decides this policy? Someone has to take the decision, own it and be responsible for it.

2. In terms of accountability, what does it mean for the EJCOA to stand a candidate? Isn't the nature of someone being Director of Junior Chess that - in terms of the role - they are *not* accountable to another junior chess organisation?

Structurally I am also not convinced - referring conflicts of interest to a separately elected conflict of interest committee just seems to invite the question of who deals with conflicts of interest on the conflict of interest committee.

[TimWall]

Joseph, I'd be happy to talk to you off-forum and answer your questions. Drop me an email on [email protected] or call me on 0750 3722366.

[Paul Cooksey]

I'm assuming that somewhere someone has their head in their hands, and is ordering Tim a copy of how to win friends and influence people.

[TimWall]

Paul, it's clear that I made a mistake in reading this forum. I think I'll just go back to real life, and ignore it in future.

[NickFaulks]

Paul, it's clear that I made a mistake in reading this forum. I think I'll just go back to real life, and ignore it in future.

That's a shame.

[J T Melsom]

Its not as if the questions are trivial. Really not sure why an organisation committed to transparency has to take the debate off line or into other meetings. Early days but hard to see how I could recommend Bucks voting for change.

[NickFaulks]

The EJCOA will of course control a lot of Direct Member Reps votes.