Chess Scotland Noticeboard

[DMB]

The ECF noticeboard has a thread by a "Dave Roberts" in which it is claimed the player was defaulted by the arbiter a "John something or other" when his insulin pump indicator beeped. http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1241

The game took place in Bon Accord club 10 years ago.

Many sympathetic responses ensued.

Can anyone from Bon Accord confirm this happened?

The grading system retains the name of every player to record a gradeable result since 1991 - no player called Dave Roberts appears.

Of course these could have been non graded friendlies but the impression taken on the ECF site is otherwise. Or perhaps the ECF site allows registration under fictitious names.

[Carl Hibbard]

[Alex McFarlane]

Carl,

I thought you were on to point out that it isn't the ECF noticeboard. That organisation disowned you over a year ago. (And arguably you've gone from strength to strength .)

At least in Scotland we have a more civilised view to criticism.

[Carl Hibbard]

[Robert Lothian]

This is before my time at BA. However, having read the posts on the ECF forum:

Note that the arbiter may not have been from BA at all. 'Playing for Bon Accord' covers a lot of different circumstances and does not strongly suggest a BA arbiter.

I find it regrettable that John Clifford's name is mentioned at all. (Many prominent ECF figures would sue for less.)
I am 100% certain that John would not have made the decision stated in the circumstances described. This leads me to conclude that one or more of the following is true:

(A) It wasn't John Clifford.
(B) The actual details of the incident are very different from those given.
(C) The whole thing is a fabrication.
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Robert Lothian is actually Dr Bob

[Robert Lothian]

I have made enquiries about this and here is John's response. perhaps somebody with an account on the ECF board could post it there?


'1. I have been on the Bon-Accord Chess Club committee since 1985 and do not remember anyone called Dave Roberts.
2. I believe I am the only arbiter called John in the Aberdeen area and I do not recall any such occurrence and would certainly not have made any such ruling.
3. Rules involving mobile phones have only been in effect for a small number of years and in North-East Scotland chess a ruling was made on them no more than three years ago as I was at the meeting that made that decision.
4. I have at home every single SCA/Chess Scotland grading book since 1985 which I will happily scrutinise tonight but I quite confident of not finding a 'Dave Roberts' listed under Bon-Accord.

I believe that the poster 'Dave Roberts' has made an error of memory in most if not all of his post on the ECF forum.

Please feel free to repost this in any forum that you see fit as I am very confident of its accuracy.

John Clifford
Secretary
Bon-Accord Chess Club'
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Robert Lothian is actually Dr Bob

[Alex McFarlane]

Done!!

I believe I was the person who used John's suname but only to try to clarify the situation.

John was the only person in the area who could fit the description so anyone reading it would immediately 'blame' him. Mr Roberts could not confirm the identity.

[Geoff Chandler]

I suspected it was all nonsense.

I've been waiting with my

"People believe anything..." response in a post I made in another thread.

[Carl Hibbard]

There is a follow (on this one..) on the ECF thread!
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Cheers
Carl Hibbard

[admin]

Ok, this has kicked off a bit and people are being forced to defend themselves over something which has grown arms and legs.

It is unfortunate that names were mentioned at all on either board. But we are now at a situation where people feel aggrieved at being perceived to be liars or defending themselves.

I have attempted to defuse the situation but I am going to ask that we close this discussion and move on. Enough damage has been done already.