WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, SPAIN

Final scores (11 rounds):

Ruperto Lugo 5.0 67/96

Michelle Lee 5.5 31/62

Peter Jovanovic 5.0 67/101

Richard Machet 4.5 82/101

Jade Lauer-Smith 4.5 48/66

Justin Tan 7.0 22/109

Zong Yuan Zhao 5.5 48/109

Catherine Lip 6.0 28/76

David Smerdon 6.0 34/101

Laura Moylan 6.0 22/63

Sasha Soloveychik 3.5 82/90

Jasmine Lauer-Smith 5.0 43/64

David Smerdon came 2nd= in his lightning section out of approx 50 players

The stand out result appears to be that of Justin Tan who was not

originally selected. Well done Justin.

ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, UDAIPUR, INDIA 1-12 DECEMBER

TIM REILLY and NARELLE SZUVEGES will be Australia's representatives.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, MINGARA 28 DECEMBER to 9 JANUARY

Australian Championship News - MAL MURRELL, Mingara Chess Club President

murrell@bigpond.com (02) 4392 3873

Greetings from the Mingara Chess Club in Tumbi Umbi NSW - the home of the

2000 Australian Championships.

THE CUT OFF DATE FOR ENTRIES TO THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP (all divisions)

IS DECEMBER 3 - LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY SO GET YOUR ENTRIES IN SOON!!!

We can not stress strongly enough that the NSW Central Coast is a very

popular tourist destination and if you do not book early you will be unable

to find accommodation. You can find some accommodation options by visiting

the Mingara site at http://www.mingara.com.au/chessmain.htm or by ringing

Central Coast Tourism on 1800 151123 or (02) 43854430

We posted out 1100 entry forms to chess players all over Australia and 600

entries to major clubs. Please note there is a typographical error in the

earlier forms U1600 $100/$50 should read U1500 $100/$50. If there is a

surplus then some ratings prizes in the Minor may be increased dependent

upon the number of entries. We have a new Chief Arbiter in the form of

SHAUN PRESS. JASON LYONS has asked if he could step down due to other

commitments. The Venue is "The Showroom" Mingara Recreation Club except for

Fri Dec 31 when round 4 will be held in the "Tasman rooms".

Schedule

Tues 28/12/99 Opening Ceremony 11:00am-12 noon

Tues 28/12/99 Round 1 12 noon start

Wed 29/12/99 Round 2 12 noon start

Thur 30/12/99 Round 3 12 noon start

Fri 31/12/99 Round 4 12 noon start

Sat 1/1/2000 Rest Day

Sat 1/1/2000 Aust Rapid Play 11.00 am start

Sun 2/1/2000 Round 5 12 noon start

Mon 3/1/2000 Round 6 12 noon start

Tues 4/1/2000 Round 7 12 noon start

Wed 5/1/2000 Round 8 12 noon start

Thur 6/1/2000 Rest Day

Thur 6/1/2000 Aust Lightning 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Fri 7/1/2000 Round 9 12 noon start

Sat 8/1/2000 Round 10 12 noon start

Sun 9/1/2000 Round 11 12 noon start

Sun 9/1/2000 Prize Presentation 7:30pm

Where is Tumbi Umbi?

Tumbi Umbi is on the NSW Central Coast approximately 100 KILOMETRES North

of Sydney CBD, between Wyong and the Entrance.

How Do I Get There?

By car - Mingara Recreation Club is easy to find, just turn of the F3

expressway at the Wyong exit and turn towards Wyong. Continue on that road

for approximately 8 kilometres and the large curved roof of the Mingara

Recreation Club can be seen on the right hand side of the road. By Public

Transport - Catch a train to Wyong then a bus to Mingara Recreation club.

To find connecting buses ring The Entrance Red Bus Services on 02 43328655.

If you ask them politely they may fax you a time table. The present time

table is due to be changed in November to add additional services. I have

been asked to set up a list of car-poolers travelling to Mingara from

Sydney. The list can be found at

http://www.users.bigpond.com/murrell/carpool.htm .If you want to be

included on this list you will need to email me at murrell@bigpond.com with

the following information - name, telephone number, suburb, email address,

whether you have a car. These details will be published on the net at the

above address and it will be up to the car-poolers themselves to contact

each other to arrange groups and pickup times and payment for petrol by non

car owners.

Looking forward to seeing you at the last Australian Chess Championships of

the century/millennium

NOTICE OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MINGARA, 6 JANUARY 2000

The Annual Conference of the Australian Chess Federation will be held at

the showroom, Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi, NSW commencing at 10am

on Thursday 6 January 2000. (The conference is expected to finish around

1pm on the same day.)

BUSINESS

To confirm minutes of previous national conference

Matters arising

President's Report

Deputy President's Report

Treasurer's Report to include audited financial statements for the year

ended 30 September 1999

Report from FIDE delegate

To approve the budget for the year ending 31 December 2000

Appointment of Honorary Auditor

Motion 1:

Constitution - Clause 11b (Finance) Add "In the case where President and

Secretary reside in different states to the Treasurer, the ACF Council may

authorise an additional signatory residing in the same state as the

Treasurer".

Motion 2

Restructure of Australian Chess

"That the ACF Executive be authorised to work on the changes required to

give effect (by 1 January 2001) to the proposed restructure of Australian

chess (as circularised) including the setting up of a constitutional

sub-committee".

General Business

Closure

It is hoped that the meeting will finish by 1pm whereupon the meeting will

break for a barbeque lunch. It is then hoped to convene the quarterly

council meeting at 2pm and finish by 4pm at the latest so that those who

wish to play in the Australian Lightning Championships can do so. We may

have to move from the showroom for the council meeting because the showroom

will be required for the lightning tournament from 3.30pm.

States are requested to notify the secretary (Andrew Allen) in writing of

those holding votes at the national conference. Also, to advise who will be

representing the state at the council meeting if the President is unable to

attend.

CORRESPONDENCE

PETER HANNA - NATIONAL COACHING PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION / ACCREDITATION

SCHEME

As an non-competitive, unrated keen social player, at the request of the

principle at my son's primary school, I took on being the school chess coach.

Just using what I thought was a logical order of material and using simple

and amusing techniques for children the Chess Club built up to an

overwhelming number. Within a short period all members became competent

and some outstanding. It was a very satisfying experience and I know those

students now have chess for life.

While I fully support the proposal for a National Professional Coaching

Association etc. I don't think that amateurs like myself, doing it for

free, should be excluded or undervalued. I did graduate to paid teaching

positions at evening colleges and received excellent assessments, basically

because I kept it in a language and at a level which did not alienate or

intimidate the learner -- and most of all interesting -- and I taught a

methodology. A methodology which would have eventually even corrected any

weak advice on my part. Whereas the high school up the street employed a

national player/coach who only survived one lesson due to alienation of

students.

So maybe an accreditation scheme should also rate which coaches are

user/friendly for schools. The snobs may scoff at amateur coaches but

someone has to successfully get the young player behind the board and happy.

STEWART REUBEN:

DAVID MCKINNON asks why not include rapid play games in the normal ACF

Rating System.

This was done in London when it had a separate list from the BCF that

appeared monthly. Really slow games had a weighting of 3, adjudicated and

about 4 hours 2, rapid play 1. This worked well enough. I think the USCF

treats rapid play and standard play identically.

The usual objection is that rapid and standard are too different, they are

not from the same population. This has some truth and can only be countered

by statistical data.

Some find the idea abhorrent and such objections are so great that probably

it makes the idea not worth pursuing.

It is at its most valuable when players are not very active. Then any

information to get an idea is better than none.

******************

Best wishes to all

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!