I don't know at the moment if 'sale' prices will apply to Dundee hotels, but have a look. These prices are available from 06:00 Thursday 8 September. Terms are:

The Travelodge autumn sale starts 6am Thursday 8 September 2011 at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.travelodge.co.uk">http://www.travelodge.co.uk</a><!-- m -->. At the start of the sale, there will be 75,000 £12 rooms available for stays between 11 September 2011 and 31 January 2012 at selected hotels on selected nights. Sale and saver rate rooms can only be booked online at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.travelodge.co.uk">http://www.travelodge.co.uk</a><!-- m --> and are available on a first come, first served basis. Rates must be paid for by a credit card or debit card at the time of booking; sale and saver rate rooms cannot be refunded. Booking fee applicable for credit card payments, no charge for debit card payments

I simply don't feel that the existing poll reflects or even implies this question (it rather serves to put another nail in the coffin of anonymous posting), so I'm setting up a new one.As long as posters' real identities are published and freely available to other noticeboard users, should initials and shortened names be allowed?
I am here suggesting a system whereby, as long as Andrew and Andy are aware of who the user is upon their registration (including a PNum, both to verify identity and facilitate correspondence with grading data), and as long as a 'key' of usernames to identities is located somewhere on the forum to enable other users to identify them (the 'Forum Usernames' announcement thread could be easily adapted for this purpose), the likes of AWIC, JR, AWT and SRB can continue posting under their current handles.
If you think that this is an acceptable compromise, please vote 'Yes'. If you disagree with this idea, please vote 'No'.

Good premises? Well Organised? Nice equipment? Yes yes and yes. I have come across another important one this year already at my team Greenwood....competition for places. There are 7 of us trying all avenues at home and abroad to get 1 of the 6 places available in the 1st team, take a look at them on the grading section. So what other factors make a good team? Persons willing to drive, make tea....awright, that's Pat McGovern spoken for. What about other club members? Tell us all what you like (and dislike!) about your club.

Robin.

The September 1 file which includes all FIDE Rated events outside Scotland over the last two months was imported today and processed for domestic CS rating. All CS members had their results updated. Any player who is not a member as of today and subsequently joins or rejoins can request that their results are retrospectively included. The full result data for all SCO players is retained but edited to delete non-members.

There were two errors on player identity, one set of duplicates with slightly different names and one set where two players were wrongly assumed to be the same player. These errors occurred when FIDE officials added new SCO players from the Glorney junior event and the Czech Open.

There errors could be all but eliminated if individual players or junior organisers requested a FIDE pnum is generated in advance of an event. The CS grader has access to the FIDE player database where new players can be added. You can check if a player already has a FIDE pnum by looking up the database <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://ratings.fide.com/">http://ratings.fide.com/</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://chessscotland.com/grading/displayLatestFide.php">http://chessscotland.com/grading/displayLatestFide.php</a><!-- m -->

After suggesting the naming convention of Forename Surname, it would appear that some are unhappy about this. Can we please use this topic to discuss the reasons for and against, and vote on the issue.

Just wanted to draw everyone's attention to this event happening in Khanty-Mansiysk. There is an excellent live video which includes commentary from the players.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://chess.ugrasport.com/">http://chess.ugrasport.com/</a><!-- m -->

The provisional pairings for round four of the Lanark Open are now on Lanark Chess Club's website.

Can anybody who was at the AGM tell me whether Andy Muir's proposal was carried or not?

I know the main news of the AGM is the anonymous donation to the Scottish Championship fund but I would have expected something on this board or the old board as to whether the proposal was carried or not given the number of posts on the topic before the AGM

Chess Scotland are getting 8 sensory boards in the near future. A number of donations towards these have already been secured.

To pay the balance of these 8 boards and to increase the number and eventually replace the boards will require continuous fund-raising.

These will be wifi boards not requiring the 'wiring' in of the current ones. As such they would be available for any game in a congress simply by placing them where needed (sort of drag and drop).

Any other ideas will be considered.

You may vote for more than one option.

I was pleasantly surprised today to find myself joint top of my section of the Chessbase.com (always mention the sponsor) Scottish Grand Prix.
But, at the risk of costing myself GP points, should the East Dunbartonshire Congress be counting for double points as a "large weekend congress" ?
I recall a discussion on the old board where it said the cut-off between 'large' and 'small' weekenders was 50 adult players.