ACF Bulletin # 147 - 30 December 2001 IN THIS ISSUE Australian Championships, Bulletins over the next month, Australian Junior Championships, Asian Girls Under 16s, FIDE Ratings, Correspondence. AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS The Australian Championships have got off to a strong start with an optimum field of 32 participating in the main event, 114 in the Reserves and an encouraging 21 in the Seniors. To see the results or watch some of the games go to http://www.auschess.org.au/oceania/ausch.htm BULLETINS OVER THE NEXT MONTH During the holiday period, I hope to send out the next email bulletin on Thursday 10 January and then Sunday 27 January. Thereafter it should be back to the regular Sunday evening bulletin. AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS COMMENCING 12 JANUARY 2002 AT THE CRANBROOK SCHOOL, SYDNEY Full details at: www.auschess.org.au/nswjcl/nswjcl.htm. ASIAN GIRLS UNDER 16s I have been able to get some sketchy information about Catherine Lip in the Asian Girls Under 16s. Apparently there are around 18-20 girls in the field. Catherine drew with the number one seed and beat the number two seed rated 2290 to briefly lead the field before falling to the number 8 seed. Her final result is not yet clear. FIDE RATINGS - GARY BEKKER The following tournaments will be included in the January 2002 FIDE Rating List: North Sydney Club Champ's Sydney Box Hill May FIDE Rated Melbourne Australian Masters Melbourne Box Hill July FIDE Rated Melbourne Perfect 10 Invitational Tourn. Sydney Melbourne Rating Tmnt II Melbourne Victorian Championship Melbourne Victorian Ch Reserves Melbourne NSW Championship Sydney CORRESPONDENCE JASON GRAHAM Dear Graeme, ACF Ratings Officer Bill Gletsos made some strident remarks in defence of the Glicko system in last week's ACF Bulletin. The objectives of this new measure of rating players seems a good one: it seeks to provide an accurate reflection of current player strength. Under the old system a 2100 player who had not played in many years, returning and playing at 1800 standard, would take many tournaments for the old system to accurately reflect his current playing strength. Bill does an awesome job with the ratings, and in my own experience Nick has often been full of hot air, however I think Nick makes some pertinent comments which Bill subjectively overlooks on personal grounds. First, Nick's concerns about the transperancy of the rating system are shared by many. Players like to know how ratings are calcualated, however all most of us understand about Glicko is that it is volatile. Bill refutes this, writing that the Glicko system approximates the old rating system with a K factor of 30. This is plainly not true. Worse than not knowing how the Glicko system works is being mislead by our ratings officer. There are numerous examples of inactive players competing in Grade matches and dropping 100 points and more per losing game. Bill is also aware of a 2100 player, long inactive, who recently played at 1800 strength on his return and received a new rating in the 1600s. This is nonsense and shouldn't be swept under the carpet. Bill apparently claims there was a "fault" which he has corrected. How many other "faults" have caused players to lose hundres of rating points? We don't know because there is no transperancy; we have no idea how it works. It reminds me of the Duckworth-Lewis system used in One-Day cricket: we're told its fair but no-one can explain in less than a novel [or Glickman's "30 pages"] how it works. What Bill fails to grasp is that we don't want to read Glickman's 30 pages on how the system works, and we don't want to be insulted for our seeming ignorance. We want a rating system that's fair and comprehendible. The ACF needs a rating system that is not only just, but perceived to be just. Jason Graham With very best wishes to all. Graeme Gardiner President Australian Chess Federation 11 Hardys Road Mudgeeraba Queensland 4213 Phone +61 7 5530 5794 Mobile 0438 305797 Fax +61 7 5530 6959 Email ggardiner@auschess.org.au Chess - the Clever Sport!