Welsh Chess Union (Undeb Gwyddbwyll Cymru)

Appointment of Non-Playing Captains/Coaches for the Welsh Teams In the Open And Women’s Sections

Expressions of interest, together with details of previous experience and/or other qualifications, are invited for one or other of the two posts – by 5 May to Howard Williams, Chair WCU Selection Committee, chairmanofselectors@welshchessunion.uk.  The Committee will meet in mid May to take the matter forward.

Applicants will be informed of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Background

The event is an eleven-round Swiss held at a rate of one round per day over four boards (though, like other teams, we shall be sending squads of five plus a non-playing captain). Unlike the European Team Championships there will be plenty of teams weaker than Wales taking part and we do not expect to be outclassed in many matches.

Captains’ Duties

1. Helping as required with players’ opening etc preparation immediately before the event.
2. Input (via the Chairman of Selectors) on team board order (which is finalised for all teams on arrival in Chennai).
3. Dealing with team administration, including the duties and responsibilities (and restrictions) set out in FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022 – Main Competition.   The selection of the team for each round is an important element here.
4. Helping as required with preparation for each game and going over the games after their conclusion with the players.
5. Supplying a report on his/her team’s performance to the Chairman of Selectors (by the end of October 2022).

Captain’s Objectives

To ensure –

    1.  that the team does as well as possible in relation to its seeding;

    2. that individual players do as well as possible in relation to their expected score (based on ratings);

    3. that they learn as much as possible from the experience.

Captains’ expenses and remuneration

The organisers are supplying full board gratis for each team and its captain in 2 single and 2 double rooms. The WCU team captains will each be entitled to one of these single rooms.  The reasonable cost of the flights to and from Chennai will also be reimbursed, at least up to E750.  Captains with suitable chess qualifications will be offered a fee.  Applicants should give some indication of the level of fee they would expect.  

WORLD SENIORS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS (‘WSTC’) 2022

Acqui Terme, Italy 19-30 June 2022

Expressions of interest

Deadline for responses: 30 April 2022

This announcement invites WCU members, registered as Welsh with FIDE, to contact Peter Bevan (internationaldirector@welshchessunion.uk) by 30 April if they are interested in taking part in one or other section of this event.  

As usual the WSTC will be a nine-round Swiss with standard FIDE time limits and one round a day (from 20 to 29 June inclusive).  And there will be separate events for teams of players all over 50 and all over 65 at the end of the calendar year.  Teams of four play in any one round but that team may be chosen from a squad of five.  All the players in a squad must be registered with FIDE as representing the same country but they need not form a national representative team: a squad may represent ‘any regional structure of a federation’ or this time ‘simply 4 friends’.  There is no limit to the number of teams a federation may enter.

The organisers neither meet accommodation nor transport costs.  More details of these costs, the location and its hotels and also the playing rules and timetable are to be found here World Senior Team Chess Championship – Acqui Terme Giugno 2022 (scaccomattissimo.com). Please note the Covid protocol.

Welsh Participation

Players responding to this note should state for which event they would like to be considered and, if they are over 65 (or will be by 31/12/22), in which section they would prefer to play.

As in the past the WCU wish to give as many players as reasonably feasible a chance to participate in these events.  Players in our national representative squad must meet the WCU’s own eligibility rules for international representation but those in club etc squads need only be registered with FIDE as Welsh.

The WCU is unable to contribute to players’ costs of participating in these events.

As of 12/4/22, two teams have expressed an interest in going, one of which still needs a fifth player.

On March 12th, Imogen Camp competed in the annual Varsity match between Cambridge and Oxford Universities.

A full report by GM Jonathan Speelman can be viewed here.