Winter Butterfly  -  20c    16/5/03

Dear Friends 

Just a quicky before the AGM. 

Mark Adams has sent me the following email which answers most of my concerns regarding the selection procedure. 

Dai, 

although it's a bit late in the day to be discussing the selection proposal (this has been out in the public domain for a long time with an invitation for discussion with a view to fine tuning) I would just like to respond to your concerns about players 'sitting on grades'. Firstly, however, while appreciating that we will never find a solution to please everyone, the proposal is based largely on feedback from the members. Sitting back on grades will be dangerous (especially for the third highest rated player). We are trying to encourage players to compete for higher ratings. The fact that we will, hopefully, be using ratings for half of the selections could indeed have the opposite effect to your suggestion. I have tried to design the proposal to encourage those players interested in playing for Wales, to compete in more Welsh events. There is also a wild card available for the committee to include a rapidly improving player. On the question of development, the development of chess in Wales is a major concern to all board members. The development post on the committee has never been more important. As a foretaste, we hope to be announcing the creation of a new major annual chess event in Wales soon. If it comes off if will be as a result of many months of planning and work by committee members. There are also plans to re-vamp the Welsh Championships, especially after this years dreadful turnout by the top players. 

hope to see you at the AGM! 

Mark

Many thanks Mark. 

Afraid I wont be at the AGM.  To be honest I hate meetings and if I started attending them I'd probably get frustrated and end up giving up Butterfly.  But good luck and I hope you come up with all the right decisions. 

Can I remind you of the Rapidplay on Sunday.  Still not too late to enter, so I hope to see lots of you there. 

Dai James.