Press / Admin Comment
Apologies to Bernard and especially Brian for Brendan's no-show.
Martin Stewart
Penalty for Lewisham Club for Over-Grading
Sorry Lewisham Club, but only three Lewisham players turned up, and all were graded over limit for Tom Fuller tournament.
Average grade for three Lewisham players who turned up was 124.67
Half point penalty for every 4 points or part thereof by which average grade of Lewisham team exceeds 110 Limit for Tom Fuller
Average grade of Lewisham team exceeded 110 Tom Fuller Limit by 14.67 points so 2 point penalty applied
Revised match score is a draw by score 1 v 1.
This is strictly in accordance with Kent Rules
DOUGLAS SMITH (KENT CHESS TOURNAMENT SECRETARY)
Douglas smith
Penalty for overgrading
Sorry Douglas, but your ruling is incorrect. The rule you should refer to is:
KCCA Tournament Rules: General Section: 7. Grading Limits: 4. Defaults:
"Defaults: if a player who is named on the team list defaults, whether through absence or ineligibility, his grade will count towards the mean grade of the team. Where an unnamed player defaults, the mean grade will be the mean grade of the named players."
Brendan McGill no-showed but his grade MUST be counted in the team grade total.
Please reverse your decision and reinstate the match result as per the rules of the competition, thank you.
Martin Stewart
Defaults etc
Hi,
I think Martin is correct about the rule, although the board 4 must be put down as 60 for grade average purposes (see another rule, just before the one quoted). This would not take the team above the 110 average. However, there are two issues that concern me: one is that a player who gave up an evening and turned out in this weather gets no reward (correct me if I'm wrong) whereas the person who did not turn up goes 'unpunished'. I think the players should receive grade addition / loss as per a normal game.....or does this happen?? More seriously, and I am on NO way suggesting Martin would do this, as he is a great guy and an asset to Lewisham and the Kent scene, the rule mentioned by Martin could allow an unscrupulous captain, who only has three relatively highly graded players available, to record a low graded player on board 4, this avoiding a penalty, and probably winning the match. If this is a possibility, then I think the rule mentioned by Martin should be scrapped and the average of those playing be the grade of any defaulting player, named or not.
Cheers, Dave, not directly involved in that match, but interested in rule details!
David Clear
Re defaults etc
Hi Dave, to answer your question, no, players who default are not penalised by the loss being applied to their grade.
I certainly agree it is unsatisfactory that a player can make a slog to a match in poor weather conditions, etc, only to find no opponent when he gets there and get no reward for his efforts. But is it right to penalise a player who can't make a scheduled match for last-minute unforseen circumstances? I actually made a match at Gravesend last season despite being involved in a Road Traffic Accident 3 hours before the match. I just made it before the default time, but had I not should I have been punished by having my grade sanctioned..? I think most people would say probably not. It's a very thorny issue, but I don't think there's an easy answer, unfortunately.
That said, had I found out early that Brendan couldn't make it I would have been able to call ahead and hopefully give Bernard enough time to cancel his player. I would still have been able to include Brendan on the team sheet which then puts us right in the territory of was he genuinely on the team sheet or did the captain just shove him in to keep the team grade down? I'd like to think there isn't a captain in the League who would do that. I'd also like to think captains and clubs don't 'cheat' in other ways as well, estimated grades etc. By and large I think I am right in my assumptions in this regard. I'd also like to point out that personally there have been times when I have had to put out teams where one of my players has cried off early and I haven't been able to find a replacement. On those occasions I have defaulted the board and taken the grading penalty.
Martin Stewart
NO MORE NOTES TO BE ADDED TO THIS FIXTURE PLEASE
Everyone
This matter is under review. KCCA Committee are considering. Emails are going back and forth.
Please join in email trail discussion if you wish, but please do not keep adding long notes to this website
Result of review will of course be added to notes on this fixture in due course.
DOUGLAS SMITH (KENT CHESS TOURNAMENT SECRETARY)
Douglas smith