ACF Bulletin No. 39 - October 17, 1999

RESTRUCTURING AUSTRALIAN CHESS - DRAFT
 
The draft document of a proposal to restructure Australian chess,
circulated last weekend, outlines fundamental changes. It must have taken
quite a bit of digesting because the only feedback I've had to date was a
comment from Jason Lyons at the end of an email on another matter
describing the proposed membership system as "superb".
 
I can't believe that we are going to get that easy a run and don't want to
believe that the lack of comment is caused by apathy. It's probably just
that nobody wants to get in first on either side of the debate.
 
GRAND PRIX
 
It's almost time to get down to sending out details of the 2000 Grand Prix.
We've had some interesting and constructive proposals. I'm keen to see the
Grand Prix show a little growth next year in preparation for upgrading it
as soon as we have obtained a sponsor and for this reason I'm not keen to
make too many radical changes. However, I welcome any final comments on the
format for the 2000 Grand Prix. May I appeal to all chess organisers to be
putting in place plans right now for your 2000 calendar of events
incorporating at least one Grand Prix event.
 
Upcoming tournaments for 1999 are:
 
Oct 31/Nov 1 Tasmanian Open
Nov 6/7 Maroochydore Open (Sunshine Coast)
Nov 20/21 Geelong Open (revised date)
 
Another upcoming event (not Grand Prix) is a Melbourne Chess Club weekender
on 30/31 Oct/2 November.
 
NATIONAL COACHES ASSOCIATION / ACCREDITATION SCHEME
 
Nik Stawski and Brett Tindall have sent out papers for discussion around
the coaching community. They are most keen to register all coaches from
around the nation and maintain a database. If you have not heard from them
please email your details to Nik Stawski at priorst@powerup.com.au.
 
NATIONAL OFFICIALS ACCREDITATION SCHEME
 
Ian Murray has kindly agreed to work towards setting up this scheme which
is also a prerequisite for recognition of chess as a sport. If you would
like to help Ian or register for his database please email Ian at
chessqld@gil.com.au.
 
NATIONAL SCHOOLS COMPS
 
Ian Murray is in the middle of trips to North Queensland centres to help
set up or advance chess competitions for regional schools. In Cairns he ran
a comp for 107 students from 14 schools, but was a little disappointed
because he chose a week when many of the students were on camps. More
importantly, he spent time with teachers showing them how to run
competitions etc. Well done Ian!
 
Whilst several of the states (especially NSW) aren't doing too badly in
promoting chess in the schools (including remote areas), a big effort is
required all around the nation to increase participation in the national
schools competition. The potential is huge.
 
ASIAN UNDER 10, 12, 14 BOYS & GIRLS, AHMEDABAD, INDIA 15 - 25 DECEMBER 1999
 
Robert Jamieson is trying to put together a team to attend this important
event. This is a fantastic opportunity for kids who haven't quite made it
to the World Juniors to represent Australia in an international
competition. Those who have expressed interest are Tomek Rej, Jade
Lauer-Smith and Juanita Lauer-Smith. Please have a good think about which
kids you think would benefit from this experience and let Robert Jamieson
know at auschess@iaccess.com.au.  Thank you Robert for taking over as
International Secretary. Gary Bekker continues looking after International
Ratings and Results.
 
SOME CALENDAR DATES FROM THE FIDE CONGRESS
 
71st FIDE Congress concurrent with the Olympiad in Istanbul 27 Oct to 13
Nov 2000
72nd FIDE Congress Hammamet, Tunisia 2001
73rd FIDE Congress concurrent with the Olympiad in Bled, Slovenia 2002
World Championships last week of November and first three weeks of
December, 2000 and 2001
World Juniors and Girls Armenia, 17 Sept to 20 Oct 2000 (Maybe an error
here, the period seems too long)
World Juniors and Girls possibly Reykjavik, Iceland 2001
World Youth U10,12,14,16,18 Oropesa del Mar, Spain 2000
World Youth U10,12,14,16,18 Spain 2001
World Youth U10,12,14,16,18 Yerevan, Armenia 2002
World Seniors Rowy, Poland 10 to 24 Sept 2000
World Team Championship, Yerevan, Armenia Sept 2001
Children's Chess Olympiad, Artek, Ukraine 2000
World Junior U20 Team Championship Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6 to 12 August 2000
World Amateur Championship Spain 2000
World Youth Rapid Championship, Euro Disney, Paris 1999 & 2000
 
CLUB KASPAROV
 
CHRIS DEPASQUALE has submitted this information.
 
This is to advise that Chris Depasquale has been appointed Regional Editor,
Oceania, for the new Club Kasparov Internet chess site scheduled to be
launched in December.

Club Kasparov is a global company dedicated to creating the ultimate
on-line chess resource. The fundamental elements of the project are: News,
Magazine, Playing Zone, On-line Training, Tournament Coverage, Event
Organising, On-line Chess Shop, Kid's area and a Community area.

A worldwide network of analysts, contributors, editors and journalists is
being formed to feed and manage the site.

For individuals, Club Kasparov will be a source of anything needed, whether
the latest news and tournament scores, a recent book, a place to talk chess
with other chess enthusiasts, or simply an opponent.

For administrators and tournament organisers, it will provide an
unprecedented opportunity to publicise their activities and events. It is
hoped that, starting with the 1999/2000 Australian Championships, every
major event held in Oceania will have daily reports posted to the Club
Kasparov site.

Planned activities at Club Kasparov include a Grand Prix series of on-line
tournaments starting in December, and hosting the World Scholastic Chess
Championships next year.

Internet chess has been a major growth industry over the last five years
but, until Chris Depasquale's ground-breaking "View From Down Under" column
started appearing at The Chess Cafe (www.chesscafe.com) in August, this
part of the world has been largely ignored. Club Kasparov's appointment of
a Regional Editor for Oceania demonstrates that they wish to change all
that, and give us the same status as Europe, America, and every other part
of the world.

Hopefully our chess administrators and organisers will grasp this
opportunity with both hands. The happy incidence of the timing of the
launch of the new Club Kasparov site, and the timing of our national
championship, gives us the opportunity to lead the way; ours could be the
first major tournament in the world to be reported daily at Club Kasparov.

If you believe you may be able to help contribute to the Oceania pages at
Club Kasparov in any way, be it advertising upcoming events, writing
articles, annotating games, whatever, please email Chris Depasquale at
agechess@ozemail.com.au.
   
CORRESPONDENCE
 
JONATHAN PAXMAN:

I find Aleks Wohl's attitude to the "no prizemoney" tournament quite
surprising.

By far the largest contingent of chess players in Australia are people who
play for the love of the game, and have little or no chance of picking up a
minor prize when they fork out $50 to compete in a chess tournament.  It is
to these players that the chess elite should be thankful for their more
considerable prize takings.  A large number of chess players may be
thankful for a large tournament which will cost them $20 rather than $50.

Nobody is suggesting that all tournaments should be without cash prizes,
and indeed there will always be demand for elite level chess tournaments
with substantial prizes.  Equally, there is a demand which is seldom met
for cheap entry tournaments.

The perceived decline in the prizemoney of elite tournaments is an
altogether different issue.

With or without cash prizes, chess is still chess.  I wish the organisers
of the weekender every success.

IA GARY BEKKER, ACF Deputy President, gbekker@mira.net:

October FIDE News Brief

Obituaries:

A one-minute silence was observed at the FIDE Congress in honour of Garry
Koshnitsky, Ortvin Sarapu, and several other friends of FIDE who had passed
away recently.

FIDE Titles:

The results of the Oceania Zonal Championships were considered at FIDE
Congress in Qatar. The ACF has been assured by the FIDE Ratings
Administrator, Casto Abundo, that the automatic titles arising from the
event are going to be registered by the FIDE Secretariat and will be
recorded in the Congress Minutes. Other Australian title applications are
subject to further consideration.

It has been agreed that the IM title will be awarded to winners of the
Commonwealth Chess Championships from 1999 onwards.

New FIDE member nations:
Re-admission of the PNG Chess Federation was agreed to, subject to the
payment of 1600 Swiss Francs in settlement of arrears and this year's dues.
All those chess players either born in PNG, or with PNG citizenship or
residency, who are willing and able to represent PNG in international chess
events, should e-mail gbekker@mira.net with their details. Information
regarding chess activities in other Pacific nations should also be
forwarded to the ACF. FIDE also confirmed the admission of Burundi and
Rwanda as members of FIDE.

Drugs in Chess:

FIDE amended its statutes and agreed to be bound by the International
Olympic Committee rules on the prohibition of drugs in sports. A commission
will be appointed to work in close collaboration between FIDE and the IOC
on this issue. Australia's GM Ian Rogers has reported that players were
drug-tested at the end of a recent Open tournament in Europe.

Increase in Fees:

FIDE has resolved to increase the fees for title applications and
tournament ratings. Numerous official FIDE tournaments are now open to the
inclusion of additional national representatives, upon payment of specified
entry fees.

Rule Changes:

FIDE has agreed to standardise the use of DGT clocks at all official FIDE
tournaments. Scheveningen matches, with the participation of unrated
players, will no longer be rated. FIDE is planning to introduce a new
pairing system for future FIDE events, based on the Dubov system.
Regulations relating to the three year residency requirement, before being
eligible to represent a nation at international chess events, were clarified.

1999 World Championship Cycle:

The General Assembly congratulated the 14th World Chess Champion, GM
Alexander Khalifman of Russia, for his victory in Las Vegas. It was noted
with regret that GM Anatoly Karpov had decided to sue FIDE on the alleged
grounds that FIDE did not agree on the dates of the event with him,
claiming the sum of SFr. 2,000,000 and USD 100,000 as damages. The General
Assembly directed that every step should be taken to defend FIDE's position
in this dispute. Representatives from Syria and Iran, who were unable to
secure visas to participate in the Las Vegas World Championship event, will
be seeded directly into the next World Championship. The 2000 and 2001
World Championship events are also due to be held as knock-out events,
using the same regulations as were used in Las Vegas. They are due to be
held from the last week of November through to early December. Likely
bidders for the events include Beijing, Hong Kong, Sun City, and Dortmund.
The qualifiying 2000 Oceania Zonal Championship will be held in New Zealand
during May and June. Details will be released soon.

The General Assembly congratulated GM Xie Jun of China on becoming the new
Women's World Champion, after winning her match in Kazan and Shenyang
during August. FIDE waived the minimum venue and prize fund conditions,
normally required for the event, after several attempts to obtain bids that
conformed to these minimum conditions had failed. Former Women's World
Champion Zsuzsa Polgar declined to defend her title, allowing Alisa
Galliamova to replace her in the final match. The 1999 World Women's
knock-out Championship, initially due to be held in Kishinev Moldova, has
been postponed until December 2000. Laura Moylan, of Australia, earned the
right to compete in the event by winning the 1999 Oceania Women's Zonal
Championship. The 2000 World Women's knock-out Championship will possibly
be held at the same time and venue as the men's World Championship event.

75th Anniversary of FIDE:
The 75th Anniversary of FIDE is scheduled to be held at the Hotel Concorde
Lafayette and the Palais des Congrès, Paris, on 20th November 1999 and that
many distinguished personalities and important members of the chess
fraternity have been invited to attend. This includes representatives for
Cecil Purdy, Garry and Evelyn Koshnitsky and Graeme Gardiner from Australia.

2000 FIDE Championship Events:

World Juniors - Armenia, 17 September - 20 October
World Youth - Spain, Oropesa del Mar, dates TBA
World Seniors - Poland, Rowy, 10 - 24 September
World Amateur - Spain, dates TBA (1999 event starting in Britain soon)
34th Olympiad - Turkey, Istanbul, October - November
Children's Olympiad - Ukraine, Yalta, dates TBA
World Junior Teams - Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, 6 - 12 August

FIDE also thanked the Government and people of Qatar, and Mr. Khalifa
Mohammed Al-Hitmi, for their generous hospitality during the Congress.

With best wishes

Graeme Gardiner


 
-------------------------------------------

Graeme Gardiner
President, Australian Chess Federation
C/- Somerset College, Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba Q 4213
Phone 07 5530 3777 (w) 07 5530 5794 (h) Fax 07 5525 2676 (w)
Email: ggardiner@somerset.qld.edu.au   http://www.somerset.qld.edu.au/chess/

Chess - the clever sport!