Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Liverpool Quadrangular

Some of you may have seen this listed on the Calendar. Some details

Dates: December 12 to 14 2008.

Under 12 team (born after 1 September 1996) 10 players
U14 team (born after 1 September 1994) 10 players
U16 team (born after 1 Sept 1992) 6 players

Three games against teams from
Wales/England North/England Midlands

Accommodation has been reserved at the Nightingale Lodge in Liverpool (I'm told its 1.7 miles away from the venue).

This is dormitory style accommodation has been booked for – 6 rooms which hold , 4,8,2,6,2,14 people. That is accommodation for 26 juniors and 10 adults. If necessary this could be increased to accommodate extra parents.

Saturday and Sunday breakfast will be provided by the Nightingale lodge.

Transport – currently looking at prices to hire a coach from the Glasgow area.

Cost – My aim is to match or reduce last year’s cost. In order to reduce cost there will be no travelling paid coaches. Instead we will try to give players free coaching and training games against suitably graded opponents in Scotland.

Selection process
(a) To help prepare the Scottish teams the obvious and non controversial selections will be made by myself and published here in the next few days. Possibly before I have contacted all of the players families.

(b) The more difficult selections will be made later in order to give increased opportunities to rapidly improving players. I have not decided yet but I may require myself to have these later selections ratified by the junior board. These selections I wish to be finalised and invitations issued by early October. (EDIT 11 October ... just read this mail and have realised that I typed an unrealistic date. Optimum date for this looks like Mid November with any replacements necessary to cover unavailable players by end November)

© Replacements for unavailable players I hope to complete by mid November.

I draw everyone’s attention to the published rules for selection especially the following extracts

Additionally to the below extracts performance in recent representative international events will be taken into account.

EXTRACT FROM CS SELECTION CRITERIA FOR JUNIOR INTERNATIONALS
• Published CS grading
The Current CS grading will also be taken into account, as will the rate of progress over the preceding couple of years.
Rating will be considered in the light of the individual's age as an indication of potential.
• Activity
The Selection Committee will consider the level of participation in local and national events. The strength of the events entered, as well as the results obtained, will be taken into account. Participation in stronger events will be looked on favourably - ambitious juniors are encouraged to enter the strongest events possible.
For younger age-groups, participation in national events, such as the Primary Individual Championships, is recommended.

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Initial selections for the Quadrangular in Liverpool are given below. I will try to make contact with all families involved in the next few days. If you see your son or daughters name below feel free to make initial contact with me.

Travel arrangements and costs have not yet been finalised –I’ll distribute details as soon as I know.

All juniors playing in these three teams will have to complete an “in loco parentis” form – as has always been standard for CS teams travelling abroad.

These selections are intentionally made very early, to help in the final selections to be made in November I have to set a deadline for acceptance or otherwise of the offer to play. This deadline is Weds 12th November.

Under 16
6 Boards
McClement Andrew
Hookham Jamie
Hughes Rhian
Wright Jonathan A

Under 14
10 Boards
Roy Ali
McDonald Ian
Scott Jonathan
Murdochy Shivan
Devenny Peter
Jordan Scott
Lampard Alice

Under 12
10 Boards
Thomas Daniel R
Sanders Peter
Roy Kiron
He Ben

Although I won't in general enter public debates about selection decisions I wish to point out that

(a) Kiron Roy is the current primary Individual champion.
(b) Ben He scored 4.5/5 in the trinations at Liverpoool in July.

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Phil,
I have forwarded an email to you with Ben's cntact details as neither he nor his father appeared to be aware that he had been selected. This was probably just a misunderstanding on our part about which event we were talking about but just in case...

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Mike,
thanks for that. Ben might actually hear by two routes - better twice of course than not at all. As things stand I won't be able to receive e mail by the normal route until tomorrow.

Phil

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

I am pleased to confirm that the coach has now been booked & the pick up times & possible pick up locations are as follows:-

2pm Dundee Railway Station

poss pick ups if required Broxden services at Perth & Stirling services.

3.30pm Bothwell Services

Gretna services.

The return journey leaves Liverpool approx 1.30pm on Sunday 14th Dec.

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Phil,
Can you ink in the stirling stop - there probably is not much in it distance wise but the M9 tends to be a lot quieter and less hassle than the M8 when coming from Edinburgh.

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

I have decided to reverse an earlier decision of mine.

Alan Tate the current Scottish Champion will be joining the group making the trip to Liverpool.

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

My intention is to announce remaining selections on 16 November or perhaps the 15th after close of play in the Edinburgh Chess for Kicks qualifier. And at the same time name a first and second reserve for each team.

Then I will set about contacting all the families directly. Sadly it is not as simple as sending a single e mail to a set of contacts in my address book. I will certainly need to ask for contact details for a number of those selected.

Phil Thomas
International Junior Director
Chess Scotland

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Firstly a reminder to all those offered a place by e mail on or soon after October 9th. I need to know soon if you wish to accept.

For those still thinking here are a few extra details that have been finalised recently.

Alan Tate, current Scotish champion is the offical squad coach.

Chaperones will be myself plus the other CS junior directors Jacqui Thomas and Andy Howie plus CS president Donald Wilson

There will be a training day organised the weekend before (Sun Dec 7)- details to follow soon. Coaches for that day will be Alan Tate, Andrew Green, Daniel Rocks.

I will spend more than half of my remaining budget to get the cost down to £75 per player. This includes all food apart from Friday evening on the southbound motorway.

We plan to supply supper soon after arrival on Friday evening.

Remaining selections will be announced this weekend including 1 or 2 reserves.

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

UPDATE

Training day coaches have changed to

Tom Donohue
Andrew Green
Daniel Rocks
Phil Thomas

Cost will be £10 per head
Invitation only but including all players from the Liverpool teams.

Selections will be published very shortly - separate threads for U16, U14, U12 teams

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

Training day coaches have changed again to

Tom Donohue
Daniel Rocks
Phil Thomas
a.m. other

Andrew Green and Alan Tate will both be playing in Italy on that date.
Much respect to both of those guys for contacting me before entering the Italian event.

e mail invitations for the training day will follow within a few days. All 26 players going to Liverpool are invited - so no problem if you accept before the official details are released.

Training day will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

The following adult will be travelling with the teams going to Liverpool Dec 12 - 14 2008

Phil Thomas
Andy Howie
Alan Tate
Jacqui Thomas
Donald Wilson
Stuart Lampard
Bappa Roy
Hilary Clark
John Sanders
Sandra Sanders
Plus the two elder sisters of Peter Sanders

Phil Thomas · King Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 758

LIVERPOOL QUADRANGULAR TRAINING DAY Decemebr 7th

Thanks to the U14, U12 teams and the even younger ones for your willingness to learn and your exemplary behaviour.

And thanks to the parents who gave up their time.

Thanks to all my fellow coaches Graeme Kafka, Daniel Rocks and Tom Donohue. A pleasure to work with you in a real team effort.

Phil

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Many thanks to Phil, Tom, Graeme & Daniel - the effort and time put in to organising and running the event was much appreciated.