ACF NEWS

OLYMPIAD SELECTIONS: 38th FIDE Chess Olympiad, Dresden, Germany

from Kevin Bonham, ACF Selections Director

Applications are now open for the Australian Open and Womens Olympiad Teams for the 38^th Chess Olympiad to be held in Dresden, Germany from 12 - 25 November 2008. (Event website: www.dresden2008.org)

An Open team and a Womens team, each consisting of five players and a non-playing captain, will be selected to represent Australia at this event. Players and captains are entitled to full board from the host organisation (two double and two single rooms per team) and travel subsidies from the ACF's Olympiad Appeal fundraising efforts (see www.caq.org.au/olympiad/index.htm for current progress.)

APPLYING FOR SELECTION

Those wishing to be considered for selection as players must apply, by email or in writing (email strongly preferred) by 20 June 2008. Please refer to item 5 of the ACF Selection By-Laws before applying, and for details of material required in an application (item 5.4). The full Selection By-Laws are available online in PDF form at www.auschess.org.au/constitution/Selection%20Procedures%20after%2012%20Feb%202008.pdf. A text copy will be emailed on request.

Please send all applications by email, and any queries about the selections process, to Kevin Bonham (k_bonham@tassie.net.au). If an emailed application has not been acknowledged as received within seven days, please phone (03) 6224 8487 or 0421 428 775. Written applications signed by the applicant may be posted to 410 Macquarie St, South Hobart, Tas 7004.

The names of known applicants will be released progressively on the Olympiad Appeal website as applications are received. Applicants' supporting statements and results summaries, and ratings and results information to be made available to the selectors, will be published online at an address to be announced, and available for public scrutiny, after applications close. Any corrections or additions to this material must then be made by 1 July 2008. Provisional selection results will be advised to all applicants and made public shortly after selections are finalised, on or about 15 July 2008.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR APPLICANTS

1. Please, if possible, provide an email address that you will check regularly (preferably at least weekly) from the time of your application until the end of July. If at all possible, please send your application from this address.

2. All applicants should keep a copy of their application. Any claims for late application on the grounds of email transmission problems will not be accepted unless accompanied by a copy of the application and a letter from the sender's ISP confirming that the application was sent.

3. Activity Rule: All applicants must have completed 20 games that have been, or will be, rated by the ACF, FIDE or another approved organisation, in the time period 20 June 2007 - 20 June 2008 and at a normal (non-rapid) time limit. However, it is not required that all 20 games have been rated or even submitted for rating by 20 June, so long as they will be rated at some stage. If you have not yet reached your 20 games when you submit your application, please say so, and advise which events you intend to play in to reach 20 games by the deadline.

CAPTAINCIES

Applications for captaincies will be called for in June with a closing date a few days after selections are made public. Unsuccessful applicants for the teams are entitled to apply for a captaincy. Team captains will then be selected by the ACF Council, taking into account (but not necessarily bound by) the preferences and comments of team members. Exact dates and processes for captaincy applications will be announced closer to this stage.

SUMMARY OF DATES

14 April Applications Open
20 June Applications Close
1 July Deadline for Corrections / Material to Selectors
15 July Deadline for Selectors' Votes - provisional selection results advised ASAP to all applicants and published.

This notice also appears online at chesschat.org/showthread.php?p=170639 and has also been sent to the ACF Selections Email List. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who may be interested.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2008-2009

from Gary Wastell, ACF President

The ACF Council has extended to 30 June 2008 the deadline for offers to conduct the 2008-2009 Australian Open Championship on behalf of the ACF.

Other aspects of the call for bids published in email newsletters 417 and 418 are unchanged:
  - ACF by-laws and resolutions governing the conduct of Australian Championship tournaments, including the Australian Open Championship, may be seen on the ACF web site at www.auschess.org.au via the link to Constitution and By-laws;
  - Under current by-laws, the 2008-2009 Australian Women's Championship is to be incorporated in the Open Championship;
  - The chosen organiser must endeavour to conduct the tournament in compliance with all ACF Council resolutions and by-laws not suspended for the purpose;
  - Normal time is a starting date in late December or very early January and a finishing date towards the middle of January;
  - An expression of interest in having the title decided by results in a tournament that is currently scheduled to be held in NSW in a later month remains under consideration;
  - ACF will provide the organiser with a guarantee against loss of an amount not exceeding $2000, receipt of which would be conditional upon presentation of a financial statement acceptable to the Council;
  - Bids should contain the information required by the By-laws for ACF Tournaments, which are at www.auschess.org.au/constitution/index.html;
  - Bids should be submitted to the ACF Secretary Jey Hoole at jeydh4@hotmail.com with a copy to ACF President Gary Wastell at gwastell@netspace.net.au.

An application form covering matters in the by-laws may be obtained by contacting either of the above.

RESEARCH STUDY ON CHESS SKILL

Do you have a FIDE rating?

Dr. Robert Howard of the University of New South Wales in Australia is carrying out a study of chess skill in internationally rated players. The study looks at effects of amount of practice, coaching and age of starting chess on chess skill and at chess players' views about chess skill. The study involves a short online survey. The survey is for anyone who has, or who ever has had, a FIDE rating.

The survey takes only about 5-10 minutes to complete. All responses are completely confidential. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Russian, and German.

To take part, you must know your exact FIDE ID number, which will be something like "14200887". ID numbers are posted on the FIDE website at www.fide.com.

A summary and analysis of the study findings will be posted here when it is complete and will be emailed to any participant who requests it.

If you would like to participate, please go to this website:

For any queries, please contact Dr Robert Howard, University of New South Wales, on rwh@unsw.edu.au.

MYER TAN AUSTRALIAN CHESS GRAND PRIX

http://www.chessaustralia.com.au/index.cfm?site=grandprix

Coming Grand Prix Events

EVENTS CALENDAR

Gardiner Chess Gold Coast Open

Venue Carrara Community Centre, Nielsens Road, Carrara.
Format Three 7 Round Swisses.
Entry fee Open $90 ($60 J/P/S); U/1600 $60; U/1000 $50. $10 discount for entries paid by 26/6/08.
Prizes Open: $1500, $1000, $750, $300, $250, $200 (U/2000 $100). U/1600: $400, $200, $100 (Rating groups $100, $60). U/1000: Trophies & Medals.
Registration 8.30 to 9.00 a.m., Saturday, 28 June.
Enquiries outreachchess@bigpond.com or Peter Bender 07 5556 0434
Flyer here.

Malaysian Chess Festival 2008

ASTRO Merdeka Rapid Team Event, August 15-17.
IGB-5^th Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open Chess Championship 2008, August 18-24.
ASTRO Merdeka Rapid Team Event, August 30 - September 1.
Enquiries Some financial assistance may be available for interested players. Contact Brian Jones for more information.

IGB-5^th Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open Chess Championship 2008

Venue Ballroom, 5th Floor, CitiTel Mid Valley Hotel, Mid Valley Megamall, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 KL.
Format 11 Round Swiss.
Entry fee Unrated US $200, 1600-1999 $150, 2000-2199 $125, 2200-2299 $100, 2300-2399 $75, 2400-2499 $50.
Prizes See flyer.
Registration 7.30 to 8.30 a.m., Monday, 18 August.
Enquiries aham@pc.jaring.my
Flyer here.

Surfers Paradise Open

Venue Quality Hotels, Mermaid Waters, cnr Markeri Street and Sunshine Boulevard, Mermaid Waters, Gold Coast, QLD, 4218.
Format Three 6 Round Swisses. 'Paradise' August 30 - September 1. 'Surfing' August 30-31. 'Fun' August 30.
Entry fee 'Paradise' $90 (GMs free), 'Surfing' $60, 'Fun' $30.
Prizes 'Paradise' $2000, $1000, $500, $200, $100. 'Surfing' $500, $200, $100 (& rating group prizes). 'Fun' $100 (& runnerup medal).
Registration Entries and payments closing on Monday, 25 August 2008. Player registration 8.30 to 9.15 a.m., Saturday, 30 August.
Enquiries info@kingsofchess.biz or (0061) 07 5578 5872
Flyer here.

TAILPIECE