ACF Bulletin No. 54 - 20 February, 2000

PARKROYAL SURFERS PARADISE INTERNATIONAL 7-17 JUNE 2000

Grandmasters NIKOLIC, FTACNIK, ROGERS and JOHANSEN have now confirmed for
this international event at an excellent five star venue on the Gold Coast.
Ian Rogers advises that Nikolic, the current Dutch champion, may be the
highest rated player ever to play in a serious chess tournament in
Australia. Ftacnik is a world expert on Chessbase and won the Mercantile
Mutual GM tournament in Sydney in 1991 from Rogers, Johansen and Van Der
Sterren. Rogers has been trying to beat him for 20 years and only recently
succeeded in a rapid match. Full details and an entry form are given at the
end of this bulletin.

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LEADING AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR PLAYERS

MANUEL WEEKS advises that the selectors for Australian junior representation
this year have been organised. Selections for the World Juniors in Spain
late this year are expected to be announced in around four weeks. In the
meantime we would like to hear from any junior who would like to represent
Australia in the Asian Boys and Girls Under 10/12/14 Championships to be
held in Tehran, Iran from 25 March to 2 April. Please email Manuel at
manuelw@ozemail.com.au immediately.

All leading Australian juniors are asked to make themselves available if at
all possible for a week of intensive Grandmaster coaching at Somerset
College on the Gold Coast from 26 to 30 June. The Gold Coast Chess Club will
endeavour to provide billets wherever possible. Grandmasters Nikolic,
Ftacnik, Rogers and Johansen will provide our leading juniors with a
fantastic opportunity to advance their chess. Many thanks to JENNI OLIVER
whose generosity has made this possible. Those attending would be able to
participate in the Gold Coast Open 24/25 June and Noosa Open 1/2 July where
the GMs and many other top players will be competing.

The following juniors have been added to Manuel's list of players to be
considered for selection: Michelle Lee, Andjelica Zivanovic, Renishka
Sellayah, Melanie Chang, Jade Lauer-Smith and Juanita Lauer-Smith.

**********

APPLICANTS FOR ZONAL SEEDING AND AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIAD TEAM

As previously advised, the Australian selectors will be choosing the zonal
seeds and the men's and women's Olympiad squads soon after applications
close on 28 February 2000. Please register your interest now - don't leave
it too late. Email ROBERT JAMIESON on auschess@iaccess.com.au

**********

ACF WEBPAGE

ANDREW ALLEN has the new webpage relocated at http://www.auschess.org.au
There have been a few teething problems in the first few days. Please bear
with us and perhaps advise in a few days if you are having trouble accessing
it.

**********

ASIAN CITIES, 18-26 MARCH, BEIRUT, LEBANON

NICK KORDAHI wddc@tig.com.au is making a last minute effort to put together
a team for the Asian Cities. He, ILYA ILIC and TONY ABOUCHAAYA are looking
for another team member. You'll have to be quick because the official
deadline for entries was yesterday, 18 February.

**********

NATIONAL COACHES ASSOCIATION

BRETT TINDALL has put together a database of all full time, part time or
volunteer coaches that he can find in Australia. Please advise Brett
[brettt@lightstorm.com.au] if you would like to be added to this list or you
know of any other coaches or you can see errors on the list. Brett and NIK
STAWSKI [priorst@powerup.com.au] are putting together this important
national association. If you are involved in coaching please give them all
the support and assistance you can.

ACT

Butler, Geoff actjc@interact.net.au
Suptut, Geoff jeffs@dynamite.com.au
Reeves, Tristan

NSW

Allison, Brian baserv@firstnet.com.au
Broekhuijse, Paul rebpad@bigpond.com.au
Clarke, Rae Goldsmith
Coutts, Tama iliketora@rocketmail.com
Curtis, Ry
Drummond, Matthew matthew.drummond@hpa.com.au
Farrell, Keith kwarekf@optusnet.com.au
Feldman, Irina vlad@geko.net.au
Feldman, Vlad vlad@geko.net.au
Hanna, Peter rational@mpx.com.au
Harrison, Kevin
Jones, Brian acechess@ozemail.com.au
Klimenko, Veronica kli2v@yahoo.com
Kong, Holly
Laugery, Bernard
Lyons, Jason z2137288@student.unsw.edu.au
McDougall, William
Plaza, Francisco
Salter, Michael
Stead, Kerry curtin@enternet.com.au
Switzer, Tim
Rogers, Ian 100245.632@compuserve.com
Rippis, Theos theosr@mpx.com.au
Tarrant, Georgina
Tindall, Brett brettt@lightstorm.com.au
Tredinnick, Malcolm malcolmt@smart.net.au
Wallace, Ingela ingela_jp@hotmail.com
Walsh, Michael
Watermon, Chris
Weeks, Manuel manuelw@ozemail.com.au
Zworestine, Charles charlesz@ozemail.com.au

QLD

Allen, Andrew aallen@somerset.qld.edu.au
Broadway, Remi remi@broad.net.au
Corker, Kerry kppc@ausinfo.com.au
Duxbury, Craig eco_friends@one.net.au
Edwards, Jacob s321029@student.uq.edu.au
Hart, Nikoli
Jones, Evan
MacLennan, Henry
Murray, Ian chessqld@gil.com.au
Stawski, Nik priorst@powerup.com.au

SA

Flitney, Adrian
Goldsmith, Alan agoldsmith@nexus.edu.au
Lauer Smith, Jasmine
Nutu-Gajic, Daniella vladimir@txc.net.au
Sarma, Venu
Sheldrick, Kevin
Tanti, Joseph jtanti@adelaide.dialix.oz.au
Thorne, Richard bthorne@chariot.net.au

TAS

Ferris, David dcfer@netspace.net.au
Sturgess, Tony

VIC

Cordover, David chesskid@iaccess.com.au
Mcdonald, Joel
Meydan, Arie Arie_Meydan@vrnotes.roads.vic.gov.au
Rutherford, Simon
Speck, Nick bdr@labyrinth.net.au
Szuveges, Grant nevermice@hotmail.com

WA

Dwyer, Danny djdwyer@tartarus.uwa.edu.au

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GLOBAL YOUTH TERTIARY INSTITUTES CHESS CHALLENGE 22 to 28 JUNE - SINGAPORE

First Prize $3,000 + many other prizes and trophies. Six people in each team
including at least one female. $250 entry fee per team. Free food and
accommodation. Seven rounds Swiss. Two hours a side.
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/studorgn/ntuchess/mainpage.html
Contact WESLEY KWON k3107267@ntu.edu.sg

It would be nice to see an Australian University team in this!

See PIERRE CHU'S comments re University chess in the Correspondence.

**********

INTERNATIONAL MASTER TITLES

I understand from GARY BEKKER that VLADIMIR FELDMAN and LEONID SANDLER have
received their IM Titles/Certificates. The other outstanding titles are
being actively chased.

The rating of the SANDLER/KAGAN match caused some debate. The ACF Council
decided that it could be construed that its policy in the past on the rating
of matches was, at best, inconsistent. A draft policy will be put to the
next ACF Council meeting which will be clear cut and (if passed) will then
be well advertised. It should be said that FIDE does not have an official
policy on the rating of matches and leading experts on such matters from
around the world provide widely differing opinions.

**********

ACF RAPID RATING LIST

PHIL O'CONNOR and DON MACIULATIS (both Vic) have been added to the list of
interested parties. We will soon be commencing a discussion group on the
whole question of ACF Adult, Rapid and Junior ratings.

**********

GRAND PRIX - UPCOMING EVENTS

* LABOUR DAY OPEN, 4 to 6 March 2000, Hobart Migrant Resource Centre.
Contact DAVID FERRIS 03 6225 1523; <dcfer@netspace.net.au>

* SOUTH WEST OPEN, BUNBURY CHESS CLUB, 18 & 19 March 2000 at Bunbury Bridge
Club, 49 Balgore Way, Bunbury

ALAN PHILLIPS reports:

Bunbury Chess Club in Western Australia is finalising preparations for the
2000 South West Open Tournament.

This Grand Prix event, which has been running every year since 1992,
attracts many Perth players and has become one of the most popular
tournaments in Western Australia. It is run as a six-round Swiss. It
incorporates the Western Australian Country Championship, open to all
non-metropolitan based players, and, when there are sufficient young
entrants, a junior division. All players affiliated with the ACF or state
associations are eligible, and can enter before midday on the day, if not
before.

This tournament has earned the respect of the Chess Association of Western
Australia, which fully commends its members to enter. Any rated player
visiting the area at the time and interested in this event can obtain
details ALAN PHILLIPS [08] 9725 4843, DAVID PIKE [08] 9791 3127 or e-mail
alanglo@tpg.com.au.

* THE 34TH BALLARAT BEGONIA OPEN - (a category 3 grand prix event) from
Saturday 11 to Monday 13 March 2000

KEVIN PERRIN, BAS VAN RIEL & PATRICK COOK - Ballarat Begonia 2000 Tournament
Committee - have provided the following details.

The planning and preparation of the traditional Ballarat Begonia (long)
Weekend Tournament (11-13 March 2000) are currently in full swing.
Please feel free to contact any of the committee members for further
details. We are prepared to move mountains to try and even improve on last
year's record-breaking and successful 33rd (!) edition of the Begonia
Tournament. You only have to come to Ballarat, enter, play and enjoy....!
Or, perhaps you could spread the 'word' and/or bring some chess-friends?

Venue: Amenities Centre, Old Goal Building, School of Mines, Lydiard St
South, Ballarat.

You are invited to the 34th Ballarat Begonia Open conducted by the Ballarat
Chess Club on the Labour Day weekend. Excellent playing conditions exist in
the regular venue located in the centre of town and close to all facilities.

Schedule:  The tournament will be a 7 round Swiss starting 1.30 Saturday
with the final round on Monday 2.00 pm.

Entries: $60.00 full and $50.00 concession

Prizes: $3,050 total prizes guaranteed. There will be four outright prizes
(guaranteed) totalling $2,000. First $1,000, Second $500, Third $300, Fourth
$200.

Additionally, there will be three ratings groups with prizes of $250 and
$100 for first and second places.

General: Neat casual dress is considered desirable.

The organising committee has pre-booked some budget accommodation.

Call PATRICK COOK  03 53316658 or BAS VAN RIEL 03 53316439 for bookings,
further details or a brochure. Postal address PO Box 1242, Ballarat Mail
Centre; E-mail: vanriel@netconnect.com.au

**********

CORRESPONDENCE

STUART REUBEN - who notes that his comments can only be of interest to
people using DGTs is responding specifically to DENNIS JESSOP's points:

You seem to have spelt out precisely why FIDE chose 30 seconds for the
add-on. Bob Wade and I decided it was unfair on wrinklies like ourselves to
have to keep score if the add on was less than 30 seconds. With an add-on of
30 seconds, players are required to keep score throughout and Article 10
about quickplay finishes is totally unnecessary. This simplifies the
arbiter's job substantially.

When you say manual set, I presume you realise the clocks can be set by the
arbiter at the beginning of the session to most of these variations, but not
sadly say 40/2, 20/1, all in 10 minutes add-on 30 seconds per move solely in
the third section of play. I presume you also realised the clock can be
turned off, then turned on the following day and when you put it on the
required mode, it has retained the manual set.

Presumably you have also realised with cumulative modes it is highly
desirable for the arbiter to start the clock. If the wrong clock is started
or the lever is up the wrong way, then the clock "thinks" the wrong number
of moves have been made.

Although the FIDE Rules Committee strongly favour adding on 30 seconds in a
standardplay game, it is not for FIDE to say, "this is how you should play
chess". However, it does seem perverse to use less than 30 seconds.

For rapdiplay or speed games we have encountered problems with the clock
when the add-on is very low, less than 5 seconds. Sometimes the addition
does not register.

>From time to time we have had problems with a player's clock continuing to
run despite his having depressed the lever. I thought this was due to
banging the lever too close to the fulcrum. In the Hastings Premier Murray
Chandler pressed his clock perfectly satisfactorily. He had 3 seconds left
for one move. His clock continued to run and not Jon Speelman's. No harm
done as I was there and there was no dispute - but what about under less
controlled conditions? We were able to replicate the fault once.

No digital clock can be perfect unless it displays both the time and number
of moves made.  Chronos does this. I was unable to determine whether it has
the Fischer mode in slowplay because the manual is incomprehensible. The
USCF clock shows all data, but does not have the Fischer cumulative mode,
only the Bronstein one. Oh well.

**********

DAVID WATERHOUSE, Suncoast Chess Club:

Re: GST ADVICE TO STATES AND CLUBS - ADRIAN CHEK

Let's get this into simple language.  I believe the situation is that if a
club does not register for GST (which, if their turnover is less than
$100,000 is their right) then they will be required to pay GST on everything
that they buy and will get no recompense. On the other hand they will not be
required to charge GST on their membership fees or Tournament entry fees, or
anything else.

If, however, they do register for GST they will be required to pay GST on
all their purchases but will be able to claim a refund from the Government
for all the GST they have paid out.  On the other hand they will have to
charge GST on all membership fees, meeting fees, sales of chess equipment,
Tournament entry fees, etc.  They will also have to keep detailed books of
all transactions and will incur extra work and extra audit fees as they will
be responsible for passing all GST collected on to the Government and will
be subject to regular examination of their books.

Therefore I agree with Adrian Chek, My recommendation is also that the
associations and clubs should choose NOT to register for GST.

**********

PIERRE CHU, who attends the University of Technology Sydney, comments:

I'm not a very good chess player (just below 1500).  I'll be interested in
playing in some sort of national university chess competition but I don't
know many people in my uni that play chess (because there is not a chess
club). Unfortunately due to work commitments I'm unable to organise a chess
club in my uni but I'll be very interested in playing in the UTS team if the
opportunity arises. Please advise as to how we can make it possible.

PS: please cc replies to chupierre@hotmail.com and seow88@hotmail.com

**********

Very best wishes to all

Graeme Gardiner

**********

PARKROYAL SURFERS PARADISE INTERNATIONAL DETAILS

2000 PARKROYAL Surfers Paradise International Chess Tournament
at the PARKROYAL Surfers Paradise - a luxury 5 star hotel at 2807 Gold Coast
Highway, Surfers Paradise, Queensland (in the air-conditioned Waratah Room)
from Wednesday 7 June to Saturday 17 June 2000

Chief Arbiter: IA Gary Bekker, Organiser: Graeme Gardiner [FIDE Zone
President]

The brochure will be available in PDF format on the Australian Chess
Federation Web Page http://www.auschess.org.au

Prizes: 1st $1,250; 2nd $1,000; 3rd $750; 4th $500; 5th $250

Entry Fees are based on FIDE Ratings: IMs and GMs are free of charge; 2300+
will pay $150; 2200+ $250; 2100+ $350; 2000+ $450; Overseas players half
price; Players without FIDE Ratings* $600

Discount for payment by 15 March 2000 $50
Discount for payment by 15 April 2000 $25

* Players without FIDE ratings will only be considered to even up numbers,
to balance a budget deficit, or to give an opportunity to an outstanding
junior.

Playing  Schedule:

Wednesday 7 June 12.30 pm Reception
2.00 pm Round 1
Thursday 8 June 2.00 pm Round 2
Friday 9 June 2.00 pm Round 3
Saturday 10 June Rest day
Sunday 11 June 2.00 pm Round 4
Monday 12 June 2.00 pm Round 5
Tuesday 13 June 2.00 pm Round 6
Wednesday 14 June Rest day
Thursday 15 June 2.00 pm Round 7
Friday 16 June 2.00 pm Round 8
Saturday 17 June 10.00 am Round 9
6.00 pm Presentations

Format: 9 Round Swiss

Start times: Play will commence at 2 pm daily, except on the final day when
play will commence at 10 am.

Time controls: 40 moves in 120 minutes; 20 moves in 60 minutes; Remaining
moves 30 seconds per move.

Tie Break: In the event of ties, cash prizes will be shared.

Title Norms: These may be available, dependent upon the final composition of
the field.

Confirmed Entries: GM Ian Rogers, GM Darryl Johansen, GM Predrag Nikolic, GM
Lubomir Ftacnik

Acknowledgements: We acknowledge very gratefully the generous support of the
PARKROYAL Surfers Paradise, the Gold Coast City Council and the Richard
Pratt Foundation, all of which have ensured the financial viability of this
event.


**********

ENTRY FORM:

Family name___________________Given name__________

Address
__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________


State___________ Postcode______________________

Country____________________________________________

Phone_______________________ Fax___________________

Email______________________________________________

Accommodation requirements at PARKROYAL Surfers Paradise

Date in ____________________ Date out______________

Single at $75 per night
Twin share at $37.50 per night
(sharing with_______________________________)

[These accommodation rates are NOT available by contacting the hotel
directly - normal rates are $125 - $200)

Entry fee of $_________ in Australian dollars, payable to Australian Chess
Federation is enclosed.

I agree to abide by the decision of the Arbiter.

Signed___________________________ Date______________

Please mail to:
Graeme Gardiner, FIDE Zone President
C/- Somerset College, Somerset Drive,
Mudgeeraba,  Queensland 4213
Phone: (+61 7 international) or (07) 5530 3777 (w);
(07) 5530 5794 (h);  Fax: (07) 5525 2676;
Email: ggardiner@somerset.qld.edu.au