English Chess Federation
Encyclopedia
The English Chess Federation (ECF) is the governing chess
organisation in England
and is affiliated to FIDE
. The ECF was formed in 2004 and was effectively a re-constitution of the extant governing body, the British Chess Federation (BCF), an organisation founded in 1904. The BCF had been set up to replace the non-functioning British Chess Association (BCA) and initially, not only governed chess in England, but also included Wales and Northern Ireland in its region of activities. Nowadays however, Scotland
, Wales
, Ireland
and the Channel Islands
are all governed by their own chess federations and English chess administrators agreed in 2004 that it would be appropriate to replace the BCF with the ECF, the change to be effective from the start of the 2005/6 season.
is run under the auspices of the ECF, and has been held annually since 1904, apart from during world wars. In recognition of the change from BCF to ECF, the Championship now awards the additional titles of English Champion and English Ladies Champion.
The ECF publishes grades for those players that compete in affiliated competitions in England (see ECF grading system
). There are currently two ways to qualify for an ECF grade. For a yearly flat fee players may become a member of the ECF either directly or, since 2005, through a local Membership Organisation (MO). In areas of England where MO's do not exist or are not mandatory (much of the South) non-members must pay a Game Fee for each competitive game they play and are not considered ECF members. This three-pronged system of affiliation has been the subject of much debate in recent years.
All officials of the ECF are elected annually and may serve unlimited terms. The current CEO is Andrew Farthing who took over in October 2010 while CJ de Mooi was elected President of the ECF in October 2009.
It is the role of the Federation to select and finance the English teams for international team competitions such as the Chess Olympiad
and European Team Chess Championship. By invitation, individuals may also receive support when competing overseas in events of national importance, such as the World Junior Chess Championship
.
The ECF publishes the magazine ChessMoves, free to members. As of the May/June 2010 issue, this is an electronic publication (PDF) distributed by email, unless members opt-in for a printed copy and contribute to the postage costs
. The main counter-argument was that the BCF did in fact have a British dimension, since it administered the British Chess Championship
. From the 1990s there had also been a campaign for the BCF to acquire the status of a company limited by guarantee
, as part of a drive towards generating more sponsorship money
, increasing membership and limiting the liability
of its members.
It was decided to 'kill two birds with one stone', and at the start of the 2005/6 season the English Chess Federation was created, inheriting the BCF's assets and personnel. The former BCF still exists for legacy purposes, and their website remained for a time at www.bcf.org.uk (now defunct) when it was inherited by the ECF.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
organisation in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is affiliated to FIDE
Fédération Internationale des Échecs
The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
. The ECF was formed in 2004 and was effectively a re-constitution of the extant governing body, the British Chess Federation (BCF), an organisation founded in 1904. The BCF had been set up to replace the non-functioning British Chess Association (BCA) and initially, not only governed chess in England, but also included Wales and Northern Ireland in its region of activities. Nowadays however, Scotland
Chess Scotland
Chess Scotland is the governing body for chess in Scotland. It was formed in 2001 with the merger of the Scottish Chess Association and the Scottish Junior Chess Association.It is one of the oldest national chess associations in the world...
, Wales
Welsh Chess Union
The Welsh Chess Union is the national chess federation for Wales. Formed on 19 June 1954 as a Union of Associations in South Wales and Monmouthshire, it was originally a part of the British Chess Federation . The Union established the Welsh Championship in 1955...
, Ireland
Irish Chess Union
The Irish Chess Union , formed in 1912, is the governing body for chess in Ireland and a member of FIDE since 1933 and the European Chess Union. The ICU promotes Chess in the Republic of Ireland and maintains the chess rating for players in the Republic of Ireland, which are published three times a...
and the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
are all governed by their own chess federations and English chess administrators agreed in 2004 that it would be appropriate to replace the BCF with the ECF, the change to be effective from the start of the 2005/6 season.
Activities
The British Chess ChampionshipBritish Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
is run under the auspices of the ECF, and has been held annually since 1904, apart from during world wars. In recognition of the change from BCF to ECF, the Championship now awards the additional titles of English Champion and English Ladies Champion.
The ECF publishes grades for those players that compete in affiliated competitions in England (see ECF grading system
ECF grading system
The ECF grading system is the name given to the rating system used by the English Chess Federation. A rating produced by the system is known as an ECF grade...
). There are currently two ways to qualify for an ECF grade. For a yearly flat fee players may become a member of the ECF either directly or, since 2005, through a local Membership Organisation (MO). In areas of England where MO's do not exist or are not mandatory (much of the South) non-members must pay a Game Fee for each competitive game they play and are not considered ECF members. This three-pronged system of affiliation has been the subject of much debate in recent years.
All officials of the ECF are elected annually and may serve unlimited terms. The current CEO is Andrew Farthing who took over in October 2010 while CJ de Mooi was elected President of the ECF in October 2009.
It is the role of the Federation to select and finance the English teams for international team competitions such as the Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
and European Team Chess Championship. By invitation, individuals may also receive support when competing overseas in events of national importance, such as the World Junior Chess Championship
World Junior Chess Championship
The World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament organized by the World Chess Federation ....
.
The ECF publishes the magazine ChessMoves, free to members. As of the May/June 2010 issue, this is an electronic publication (PDF) distributed by email, unless members opt-in for a printed copy and contribute to the postage costs
British Chess Federation
The British Chess Federation (BCF) was the governing body of chess in England from 1904 until 2005. It had long been argued in some quarters that the BCF should change its name to reflect the fact that only England came under its jurisdictionJurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
. The main counter-argument was that the BCF did in fact have a British dimension, since it administered the British Chess Championship
British Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
. From the 1990s there had also been a campaign for the BCF to acquire the status of a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
, as part of a drive towards generating more sponsorship money
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
, increasing membership and limiting the liability
Legal liability
Legal liability is the legal bound obligation to pay debts.* In law a person is said to be legally liable when they are financially and legally responsible for something. Legal liability concerns both civil law and criminal law. See Strict liability. Under English law, with the passing of the Theft...
of its members.
It was decided to 'kill two birds with one stone', and at the start of the 2005/6 season the English Chess Federation was created, inheriting the BCF's assets and personnel. The former BCF still exists for legacy purposes, and their website remained for a time at www.bcf.org.uk (now defunct) when it was inherited by the ECF.
See also
- Fédération Internationale des ÉchecsFédération Internationale des ÉchecsThe Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
(FIDE) - International Correspondence Chess FederationInternational Correspondence Chess FederationInternational Correspondence Chess Federation was founded in 1951 as a new appearance of the ICCA , which was founded in 1945, as successor of the IFSB , founded in 1928....
(ICCF) - ECF grading systemECF grading systemThe ECF grading system is the name given to the rating system used by the English Chess Federation. A rating produced by the system is known as an ECF grade...