I can't remember getting as far as issue 'j' in a month before, but it has been a busy time, trying to catch up from March, the Welsh Championship and the arrival of our new Director of Information, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf. Pontypridd's rookie of the year, Phil Griffiths, is quite gutted that we wont be holding next years Welsh in Baghdad. He go involved in a rather shady business deal from which he hoped to make enough to retire. See a copy of his email below.

I am deeply upset about the Baghdad bubble bursting, I was hoping to make a killing selling these to other chess players!!!!!!

Seed

Player

Club

Rating

Total

G Rees

Caerphilly

1972

5 1/2

C Woolcock

Barry

1856

5 1/2

D Spencer

Abergavenny

1847

4 1/2

P Tew

Barry

1723

4 1/2

C Arnold

Newport

1619

4 1/2

K Thomas

Monmouth

1823

A Haigh

Cardigan

1755

D Parri

Caernarvon

1700

A Wood

Barry

1777

3 1/2

J Bowers

Caernarvon

1745

3 1/2

S Sienczyk

Bridgend

1711

3 1/2

C Evans

White Knights

1596

3 1/2

Joseff Thomas

Monmouth

1574

3 1/2

Jac Thomas

Monmouth

1406

3 1/2

KAB Downey

Carmarthen

1882

S Williams

Cwmbran

1691

2 1/2

RAJ Hurn

Caerphilly

1711

N Stuart

Bridgend

1714

D Gwynne

Merthyr

1785

Mark Adams sent me a copy of the following as long ago as 7th March. It should really have been published immediately, but unfortunately it arrived at a time when Butterfly was going into temporary hibernation due to illness. However, with the AGM coming up shortly, its a good time to let you know the proposals on which you'll be voting. I've deliberately stayed out of the debate as being editor of 'Butterfly' I'm in rather too strong a position to put my point of view forward and its just as likely to be wrong as anybody else's. However, I will allow myself two comments. Firstly (and I'm not talking about club events which are a separate issue), if the team that represents Wales at international events such as the Olympiad, is not made up of players who are either Welsh or have earned the right to be considered to be full participants in the welsh game, then we may as well abolish the WCU and rejoin England. Secondly, whatever is decided at the meeting regarding the qualification criteria (unless its really against the interests of Welsh chess), I hope we'll stick with it for at least three years to see how it works out.

please find enclosed the selection sub committees recommendation to the management board.

The proposal was based on the following reasoning. After reading the many e-mails received on the subject, we believe that we have taken on board many of the good ideas presented to us. The proposal places more emphasis on the Welsh Championships as a means of qualification for the Olympiad. A major change is the introduction of a qualifying competition for the final places in the team. Qualification for this event depends on weighted ratings and final placings in the Welsh and Grand Prix events.

This whole system takes most of the burden of selection away from the selectors. It is proposed that all calculations and current standings are made visible through e-mail, internet and distribution to the clubs throughout the year.

Regarding eligibilty. We have made minor changes to the spouse rule and the residency rule to produce a number of variations. You will have the chance to vote on any of these at the AGM.

Selection Criteria for the Open Olympiad Team

Working Practices

1) Current Welsh Champion.

1) Position in Welsh Championships: if there is a tie on points in the Welsh Championships, then placings will be decided by an appropriate tie-break.

2) Excluding the Welsh Champion – the next 3 players with the highest weighted grades.

2) For calculation of weighted grades see Appendix 1

3) 1 place to be decided by means of a 6 player, all play all, play off competition. Qualifiers are selected by:

a) After those chosen from 2), the next 3 players with the highest weighted grades.

b) The winner of the grand prix event.

c) The second and third placed players from the Welsh Championships.

3) The play off place will be given to the winner of the all play all. If the player declines, then it is offered to the second placed player, and so on. If all players decline, then the selection committee will select the player with the next highest weighted grade.

a) If a player declines, or is already selected, then the place will be offered to the player with the next highest weighted grade.

b) If the winner of the Grand Prix declines, or is already selected, then his/her place will be taken by the second placed player and so on.

c) If the second or third placed player in the Welsh Championships declines, or is already selected, then the place will go to the next placed person and so on.

4) A wildcard place decided by the selection committee.

Selection Criteria for the Womens’ Olympiad Team

Working Practices

1) The current Welsh Ladies Champion, providing she has a weighted rating greater than 1799.

1) Position in Welsh Championships: if there is a tie on points in the Welsh Championships, then placings will be decided by an appropriate tie-break.

2) The players with the two highest weighted ratings, excluding the Welsh Ladies Champion.

2) For calculation of weighted grades see Appendix 1

3) Final places to be decided by means of a 6 player, all play all, play off competition. If the Welsh Champions’ weighted rating is less than 1800, then two players will qualify through the play-off, otherwise just one place will be awarded. Qualifiers are selected by

a) Highest placed female player in the Grand Prix

b) Current Welsh Ladies Champion, if her weighted rating is lower than 1800.

c) After those chosen from 2), the next 3 highest rated weighted grades.

d) The second placed player in the Welsh Ladies Chess Championships. If 3b doesn’t apply then the third placed player will also qualify.

3) The play off place will be given to the winner of the all play all. If the player declines, then it is offered to the second placed player, and so on. If all players decline, then the selection committee will ask the player with the next highest weighted grade.

a) If the winner of the Grand Prix declines, or is already selected, then her place will be taken by the second placed player and so on.

b) If the player declines, then her replacement will be decided by the selection committee

c) If a player declines, or is already selected, then the place will be offered to the player with the next highest weighted grade.

d) If the player(s) declines, or is already selected, then the place will go to the next placed person and so on.

If the qualifying competitions, stated above, do not take place or produce a qualifier, then the selection committee reserves the right to select players by appropriate means.

Note: this system selects the squad. The team captain will decide the board order.

2. Spouse of a person who was born in Wales, provided the spouse possesses a current British passport and both are resident in Wales.

d) 1. 2 years continual residency in Wales (registered on local electoral role), but excluding students, prior to the selection meeting for the event. The period of qualification begins from the first occasion a home address in Wales is supplied at the time of registration with the Welsh Chess Union. After this period, the player can be selected for Wales but has to remain resident in Wales. To continue to be eligible, a player has to remain resident in Wales for a further 4 years. After this period the player will remain eligible for as long as that person is registered with the WCU.

2. 2 years continual residency in Wales (registered on local electoral role), but excluding students, prior to the selection meeting for the event. The period of qualification begins from the first occasion a home address in Wales is supplied at the time of registration with the Welsh Chess Union. After this period, the player can be selected for Wales but has to remain resident in Wales. To continue to be eligible, a player has to remain resident in Wales for a further 6 years. After this period the player will remain eligible for as long as that person is registered with the WCU.

3. 2 years continual residency in Wales (registered on local electoral role), but excluding students, prior to the selection meeting for the event. The period of qualification begins from the first occasion a home address in Wales is supplied at the time of registration with the Welsh Chess Union. After this period, the player can be selected for Wales but has to remain resident in Wales. To continue to be eligible, a player has to remain resident in Wales for a further 8 years. After this period the player will remain eligible for as long as that person is registered with the WCU.

FIDE Rating: 50% of current rating plus 30% of previous rating plus 20% the rating before that .

National Rating: 75% of current rating ⁽¹⁾ plus 25% previous years rating.

The final selection grade is 60% of National weighted grade plus 40% of FIDE weighted grade.

If there are fewer than 4 FIDE rated games played in the 12 months prior to selection, then the National Rating only will be used.

Players must have played at least 24 games over the qualifying period (2 years). A qualifying game (excluding rapid play) is defined as any game that is rated by the WCU.

1) This current rating is not necessarily the published rating. This should be a recalculation, based on games played so far during that grading period. This will ensure that rapid grading changes (e.g. in the case of juniors) are captured.

Those were the proposals as forwarded to me by Mark in March. Could somebody confirm that these are the proposals that will; be laid befor the AGM? I have deliberately not read them until now, so as not to form an opinion. I will now be reading them in detail.

Keep Sunday the 18th May free. Its the date of the Welsh Rapidplay Closed Championship in the heritage Park Hotel, Trehafod. For full details and a downloadable entry form go to: