The Right Move, Coaching, Certificate of Merit Feedback

[andrew martin]

I am looking for constructive feedback on all of the above topics. I'd like to improve the Right Move if I can, so has anyone suggestions about the way to go on this?

For newcomers to this free ECF magazine, all previous editions can be downloaded in one file here:


http://www.andrewmartinchessacademy.com ... /index.php


I would like all ECF Accredited Coaches to check the list at this site and tell me if there are any omissions. It could be that we have missed someone out.


Meanwhile, we are nearly ready to go live with COM levels Two and Three. The bank of practice and exam questions is growing steadily and you may take a look here:


http://www.certificateofmerit.org.uk/main.php

An announcement will be made shortly about the new levels


I would like to thank all those who are giving ongoing help with these projects.

[David Shepherd]

Maybe do special features in the right move on the UK chess challenge and get one page adverts to at least the gigafinals if not the megafinals so that a wider audience become aware of the publication - also the ECF could offer discounts on membership to those reaching megafinals/ gigafinals etc - it would be a way to promote ECF membership to players at a young age. Why not give free membership to the top placed finishers in each age group at the terafinal. The cost is relatively low but will alert all players to the existance of the organisation and membership possibilities. In return the ECf would be promoted in the UK chess challenge. This could be done for example by giving £2 off junior membership when joining at a UK Chess challenge event and £1 or £2 to the UK chess Challenge organisers for each form they collect.

[Alex Holowczak]

Why not give free membership to the top placed finishers in each age group at the terafinal.

I would imagine the vast majority of those players, if not all (barring the under 12s or so) already happily paying for ECF membership, and have FIDE ratings to boot.

[David Shepherd]

Alex of course it would be an ECF hand out to the top players, who would otherwise have paid anyway. But the point is that by publishing the membership as a prize it increases the awareness of the mebership for the others that play in the competition. My idea is to use the UK chess challenge in some way to promote ECF membership to the tens of thousands of juniors that compete in it but are not ECF members. As part of the promotion they would also be made aware of other items such as the right move and the certificate of merit.

Perhaps an alternative would be a random prize draw in the gigafinal/megafinals giving say 1 free membership at each megafinal and 5 at the gigafinal.

[Alex Holowczak]

Well, I suppose that depends on two things:

1) Would Mike Basman be willing to offer those prizes?
2) Would the people who win the prize of membership be keen to renew it when the time expires?

I would have thought the answer to both of those was more leaning towards the negative side of the spectrum.

We're still in the situation where the vast majority of ECF members are either:
a) Forced to, to play in FIDE-rated events.
b) Part of a membership scheme (e.g. NCCU).
c) Play in lots of Congresses to make it financially beneficial due to the discounts on entry.

a will include most of the strongest juniors anyway.

b is obviously not beneficial for the ECF's finances.

If the players fell into c, the parents who filled the forms in would probably already have asked about the "£2 member discount" they read about on the entry forms. If not, then the ECF is making more money from Game Fee than they would be from a membership, so it'd be better for the ECF's finances if they didn't become members.

The underlying problem with the current membership system is that unless you're good enough to play FIDE-rated chess, there's no benefit worth the money to become a member. Most League-standard players are only interested in their grade, and they get that by default anyway.

[David Shepherd]

The benefits of ECF membership is another matter but for example free COM test could be given to members as a benefit or 1 free test a year for example.

Sorry Andrew not really answering the question you asked but Alex raises interesting points.

[Scott Freeman]

QUOTE
Maybe do special features in the right move on the UK chess challenge

At the risk of being accused of being predictable , I must also mention the English Chess Challenge (which has grown significantly this year) and the Champions' League Chess event (which includes around 50 schools from 4 counties in the south east.

We would be delighted to assist with a special feature of either or both of those events.

[andrew martin]

The ECF supports all schemes that benefit young chessplayers. I have been asking junior organisers and players to submit material for the Right Move in every single issue.

So please do supply me with details/results of your tournaments and we will see what we can do.

[Sean Hewitt]

We're still in the situation where the vast majority of ECF members are either:
a) Forced to, to play in FIDE-rated events.
b) Part of a membership scheme (e.g. NCCU).
c) Play in lots of Congresses to make it financially beneficial due to the discounts on entry.

b is obviously not beneficial for the ECF's finances.

I'm obviously thick Why is b obviously not beneficial for the ECF's finances when most MO's pay more under the MO scheme than they did under game fee? Indeed, I don't know of one which pays less, although I accept some might.

[Alex Holowczak]

We're still in the situation where the vast majority of ECF members are either:
a) Forced to, to play in FIDE-rated events.
b) Part of a membership scheme (e.g. NCCU).
c) Play in lots of Congresses to make it financially beneficial due to the discounts on entry.

b is obviously not beneficial for the ECF's finances.

I'm obviously thick Why is b obviously not beneficial for the ECF's finances when most MO's pay more under the MO scheme than they did under game fee? Indeed, I don't know of one which pays less, although I accept some might.

b is obviously not beneficial, because if they weren't in the MO, they'd probably not be members at all. I mean, it is not beneficial for the ECF to be awarding free memberships to people who have to pay for it anyway.

[David Shepherd]

Andrew, yes I think you have been doing a good job promoting the junior tournaments, but have they been doing an equally good job promoting the right move and junior membership of the ECF and the ECF in general?

I think the publication is good but maybe the audience it reaches could be increased, together with junior membership of the ECF.

Scott yes sorry comments apply equally to English Chess challenge, or I guess and other large junior event.

[andrew martin]

I think there is a LOT of rivalry and politics in junior chess, which has somehow to be put to one side to look at the bigger picture. It's a minefield and it shouldn't be.

I have been very surprised that despite repeated invitations, very few junior organizers and players have submitted stuff to me for publication. I would have thought they would be keen to show their acheivements. It is mostly the same people each time. Nevertheless, we get out a good magazine.

I'll repeat here that the Right Move is for everyone and we are keen to support junior chess in all forms.

[Alex Holowczak]

I have been very surprised that despite repeated invitations, very few junior organizers and players have submitted stuff to me for publication. I would have thought they would be keen to show their acheivements.

This doesn't surprise me.

I asked the same of the University players for BUCA (particularly regarding how they did in their various leagues), and have received only one correspondence.

[andrew martin]

This is an overall question of vision.