ACF NEWSLETTER
The newsletter of the Australian Chess Federation Inc.
an affiliate of the World Chess Federation (FIDE)
No. 398
17 January 2007
AUSTRALIAN CHESS
FEDERATION
Public liability insurance:
In 2001 the ACF introduced a Public Liability Insurance Scheme for Australian chess bodies. The scheme offers competitive rates of insurance for the ACF, ACF-affiliated State and Territory Associations and Clubs affiliated with those Associations. More details here. Clubs wishing to join should contact Ian Gammon of John Bernard & Associates Pty Ltd tel: (03) 9568 4822.
ChesSOS Correspondence Chess on the Web
Check out some sample issues. Daily Chess News – Annotated Games - Chess Lessons and Hints. Interviews, reviews and more. Trial
The Giant Games specialist selling life-sized Teak and Plastic chess and checkers sets. Set sizes up to a massive 2m in height.
Suncoast Chess Club Inc.
On the Sunshine Coast
Queensland's Leading Club for the past 20 years.
Host to - 26 Open Tournaments and The 1999 Australian Open.
While on the web visit our web page, http://www.sunchess.org.au
We invite all visitors to play in our club night events.
So why not come to The Sunshine coast for your next holiday? Email Bill Powell
Australian Junior Championships 2007.
The Championships began on Sunday 14 January with a record entry of 212 which, as it turned out, is being accommodated quite comfortably in the premises despite being about 40 more than the previous record. Five games are being displayed live on the website daily at http://www.actjcl.org.au/ausjuniors2007/live/tfd.htm . Games begin at 1.30pm, AEST.
There is still a long way to go with only 3 rounds played so far. Progress scores (leaders) are:
Open u18
1 Ikeda, Junta 2146 3
2 Schon, Eugene 1795 3
3 Wallis, Christopher 2127 3
4 Wei, Michael 2120 3
5 Van Dijk, Devrim 1750 3
6 Tse, Jeffrey 1730 3
7 Lin, Zhigen Wilson 2084 3
8 Harris, Benjamin 1843 3
9 Buda, Alexander 1555 3
10 Donaldson, Thomas 1944 3
U18 Girls
1-5 Yu, Sally 1551 2
Kinder, Jessica 1527 2
Ng, Deborah 1464 2
Oliver, Tamzin 1414 2
Eustace, Sophie 1427 2
U12 Open
1 Yuan, Yi 1712 3
2 Horton, Vincent 1386 3
3 Matheson, Laurence 1377 3
4 Zhang, Taiyang 1138 3
5 Wan, Kinto 847 3
6 Li, James 1116 3
U12 Girls
1 Simmonds, Leteisha Simone 499 2.5
2 Kanagarajah, Abbie 786 2.5
3 Byrne, Alannah 369 2.5
4 Shan, Caroline 880 2.5
5 Koh, Clarise 784 2.5
6 Mason, Joanne 313 2.5
The Tournament finishes on 26 January.
The Australian Junior Rapid Play Championship was held today, 17 January. Leading scores were:
1-2 Wallis, Christopher VIC 1932 6.5
Brown, Andrew ACT 1496 6.5
3-5 Ikeda, Junta ACT 2114 6
Donaldson, Thomas WA 1435 6
Schon, Eugene VIC 1546 6
6-10 Muthusamy, Reubban VIC 1642 5.5
Jule, Alexandra QLD 1491 5.5
Nakauchi, Gene QLD 1489 5.5
Muller, Jonas QLD 1381 5.5
Yuan, Yi ACT 1470 5.5
I had hoped to have a report on the Australian Open for this week but the author, Charles Zworestine, is an Arbiter at the Juniors so that will have to wait a little longer.
SELECTIONS: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - FIDE ZONAL
The Oceania Zonal Chess Championships are scheduled to be held from May 5th to12th at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, Grand Ballroom, Denarau, Fiji. There will be an Open Tournament of nine rounds and a Womens Tournament of nine rounds, or round robin, depending on the number of entries. Event details have been posted at http://www.chesschat.org/showthread.php?t=5079 . For enquiries regarding the event contact Dr Virgilio de Asa virgilio_de_asa@hotmail.com .
Applications to represent Australia at this Zonal are now open. One male and one female player, selected by the ACF as its official representatives,will be provided with free entry into the Oceanic Zonal Chess Championship, and will receive accommodation for the event from the Fiji Chess
Federation. Airfares and other costs are to be borne by the selected representatives.
Those wishing to be considered for selection as official representatives must apply, by email, as per the ACF Selection Procedures By-Laws, by Friday 2nd February 2007. Please read item 5 of the ACF Selection Procedures By-Laws thoroughly before applying and ensure that all applicable details required in item 5.4 are supplied (5.4.13 does not apply). Additionally candidates may submit tournament results and/or a candidates statement if desired - see items 5.6 and 5.7. The Selection By-Laws are available at http://www.auschess.org.au/constitution/Selection_Procedures_By-law.txt .
Applications by email to k_bonham@tassie.net.au by February 2 2007. If an application is not acknowledged within 7 days, please call 6224 8487 or 0421 428 775.
February 2: Applications close
February 9: Corrections to applications close
February 23: Selections finished, applicants advised of results by email
Selections will be publicly announced in the ACF Newsletter as soon as possible after selections finish.
(Dr) Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Co-Ordinator (Senior Events)
MYER TAN AUSTRALIAN CHESS GRAND PRIX 2007
Calendar
Here is a list of the events for the early part of 2007. The full list and details can be seen at www.chessaustralia.com.au/grandprix2007/index.cfm?p=calendar&CFID=16556099&CFTOKEN=60151945
Australia Day Weekender VIC Melbourne 26/01/07 28/01/07 1
Australia Day Weekender TAS Launceston 26/01/07 28/01/07 1
Australia Day Weekender NSW North Sydney 27/01/07 28/01/07 2
Newcastle Open NSW Newcastle 17/02/07 18/02/07 1
Begonia Open VIC Ballarat 10/03/07 12/03/07 5
Tasmanian Championship TAS Hobart 10/03/07 12/03/07 1
Toukley White Knight Open NSW Toukley 10/03/07 11/03/07 1
March Madness Open up QLD Brisbane 17/03/07 18/03/07 4
Dubbo RSL Open NSW Dubbo 24/03/07 25/03/07 1
Doeberl Cup ACT Canberra 06/04/07 09/04/07 5
Queensland Open QLD Brisbane 07/04/07 09/04/07 2
North Queensland Open QLD Townsville 07/04/07 09/04/07 1
Sydney International Open look NSW Parramatta 10/04/07 14/04/07 5
Gufeld Cup WA Perth 14/04/07 16/04/07 1
Here are some details of two Grand Prix events coming up soon.
2007 Australia Day Weekender (NSW)
The NSW Chess Association invites your participation in this Class 2 Grand Prix event with $2,330 in prizes.
Where: Norths (formally North Sydney Leagues Club)
12 Abbott Street
Cammeray NSW 2062
When: Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th January 2007
Schedule: Saturday Sunday
10am – 10:45am Registration
11am Round 1 11am Round 5
1:30pm Round 2 1:30pm Round 6
4pm Round 3 4pm Round 7
6:30pm Round 4 6:30pm Prizegiving
You need to register and pay by January 24th to be eligible for the early entry fee.
All entries received after 10:45am at registration will incur a $10 additional late fee
Players are eligible for 1 prize only.
All NSW resident players must be members of (or join) the NSWCA or the NSWJCL
For further information contact Brett Tindall by telephone on 8756 5974, email tournaments@nswca.org.au or visit the NSWCA website: www.nswca.org.au
Melbourne Chess Club Australia Day Weekender
26th, 27th and 28th January
A 7 round Swiss
Where: Melbourne Chess Club, 66 Leicester Street, Fitzroy 3065 ( Melways map 2C, A5 )
Estimated prize fund ( based on 40 entries)
1st $300
2nd $200
3rd $100
and at least two rating group prizes of $100
and a junior prize of $100 in the event of at least 10 juniors entering
NB Prizes will be increased in the event of an increase of entries over 45
Time control: 60 minutes + 30 seconds\move
* Friday 26th January
*
* Entries close 1.00 pm,
* Round 1: 2.00 pm,
* Round 2: 6.00 pm
* Saturday 27th January
* Round 3: 11.00 am,
* Round 4: 3.00pm,
* Round 5: 7.00 pm
* Sunday 28th January
* Round 6: 11.00 am
* Round 7: 3.00 pm
* prize giving after round 7
Entry fee: $55 full, $45 concession, $25 u/18, less $10 MCC Members.
Enquiries: Malcolm Pyke on (03) 9789 9727 or 0408 150196
or at the clubrooms on (03) 9416 3149
I am planning that this will be my last issue. Arrangements are being finalised for a new regime details of which will be announced in the next issue.
As a parting gesture and, I hope for some useful information, I have written the following piece on the ACF.
THE ACF – A SNAPSHOT
Introduction
From time to time in recent years calls have been made for change to the ACF, the most recent in an article by matthew Sweeney in the latest issue of “Australian Chess”.
The purpose of this note is not to answer those calls or propose changes. It is to set out a brief view of the structure and role of the ACF in Australian chess at present.
Many readers may wonder just what the significance if the ACF is. I hope that this will be answered here. Moreover, any talk of change cannot make sense unless it is considered against the background of the current situation.
I should make it clear that any opinions expressed in the following note are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the ACF.
Equally, I make it clear that what I am setting out is the position as it is, not necessarily as it ought to be.
History
The ACF was formed in 1922 as a loose grouping of State Chess Associations for the purpose of conducting Australian Chess Championships which had fallen into decay for lack of proper organisation. FIDE was formed in 1924.
For many years the ACF maintained the same structure without even a President or an Executive committee. Over the years its functions changed little, being mainly organisation of Australian Championships and representation of Australia on FIDE.
The first significant changes from this model came with the attendance of the first Australian team at the Chess Olympiad in 1964 and, not long afterwards, with the advent of computers, even in their early form, and the establishment of a national computer-based rating list.
Then, on 12 February 1987, the ACF was incorporated as a non-profit Association under Australian Capital Territory law. While this may not seem to be of great significance at first sight, it symbolised a change in character of the ACF that I feel has not yet been fully appreciated. No longer was the ACF merely a loose grouping of State Associations. It was now a separate legal entity established to perform certain specified functions relating to chess in Australia. Moreover, although its governing body comprises State delegates, it is strongly arguable that the primary legal duty of these delegates is to act in the best interests of the corporate ACF, not their State Associations. That is unquestionably so in the case of the elected executive officers.
Structure
The ACF is governed by a Council comprising 6 elected office bearers and 7 State and Territory Association delegates. An annual National Conference is held, in effect the ACF's Annual General Meeting, attended by delegates representing the affiliated State and Territory Associations in proportion to their State's population under the most recent Australian Census. For reasons not clearly apparent, the elected office bearers have no vote though they have a right to attend.
Objects
The ACF's objects are set out in 2.a. of its Constitution which can be read on the ACF website www.auschess.org.au . They are very broadly expressed but they must be read subject to the overall structure of Australian chess administration. It is erronoeous to believe that they give the ACF the overall contrlo of Australian ches that, at first glance,they may appear to do.
The Place of the ACF in Overall Australian Chess Administration
The vast majority of Australian chess players have no direct interest in the ACF except for its national rating list. So much so that the administration fee, payable by affiliated Associations and calculated by reference to the number of rated games played, is commonly called a “rating fee” despite its being a fee for general ACF administration and the cost of ratings to the ACF being nil.
Organised chess begins in local clubs, most of which are affiliated with their State Association. State Associations in turn organise chess in their State including State Championships and other important events above club level. Not all State Associations are structured in the same way.
The ACF is the peak body for Australian chess. But, in practice, and, in my view, legally, its powers are limited to matters affecting the whole of Australia. These include organising Australian Championships, selecting players to represent Australia in overseas events, being the national federation affiliated with FIDE and carrying on activities that can only be carried on conveniently or practicably at the national level. An example is the Ergas Elite Junior Development Squad made up of top juniors from all over Australia.
It is not necessary or practicable, nor is it within power, for the ACF to involve itself in the affairs of State Associations. Reciprocally, neither are the affairs of the ACF matters in which the State Associations may, or should, be involved except to the extent that the ACF Constitution permits, such as the appointment of delegates. This reciprocal aspect seems not to be fully understood in some quarters.
Denis Jessop
Acting Editor and ACF President
E-mail: denis.jessop@netspeed.com.au
Post: 33 Cargelligo Street, Duffy, ACT 2611
Phone: 02 6288 1935
0418 278 324
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