Eligibility Votes - March 2022

[hamish olson]

Thanks Ian.

Andy, I think you will find that your view is in a minority in this day and age, and not a big one.

Without commenting too much on the present case which clearly has stirred some debate and conflicting opinions around Matthew's eligibility, I think it is fair to say that the rest of your list are not even remotely controversial, and that the controversy around Matthew is not because of where he was born, but where he has lived.

I think the way to get new Scottish (not necessarily born)  IMs and GMs is to encourage (perhaps by finding sponsorship to increase prizes at congresses) our present ones to play more in Scotland (like Andrew Greet does very frequently) - if I couldn't afford to travel outside of Scotland I would have no chance rather than the low chance I currently have. 

That is a topic for another thread though - not this one.