01-09-2012, 03:16 PM
I also believe (and have long advocated) that the Scot Champion be offered a spot in the Olympiad team ... unless, of course, as in Jacob's case, he or she's opted under FIDE rules to play for his or her's "other" country - an ongoing debate for elsewehere.
On the main issue: I'm afraid I just don't understand this business of it being a case of "hanging down a head in shame" to permit a player (Jacob's a case in point again), who's as Scottish by adoption ("residence" suitably defined) as the rest of us to play for the full Scottish title.
The key issue here is whether FIDE (or perhaps ECU) has rules covering this sort of thing. Currently it looks 100% clear to me that FIDE / ECU are quite happy if a player in one country wins that country's national title (if suitably qualified by "residence"), yet plays for a second country (usually that player's "birth" country).
If FIDE / ECU were to change on that, I'd change CS rules accordingly. Those who want to disbar players like Jacob (who is only abiding by FIDE / ECU rules after all), should really first lobby FIDE / ECU to change their rules and seek to obtain a ruling that applies to all FIDE member countries.
Pester FIDE / ECU not CS in the first instance. Our rules are perfectly good and indeed exemplary in their national / international inclusiveness, just as they are. And, as a player, I don't find the slightest problem in Jacob playing for Denmark against Scotland. Nor do I think he should be concerned in the slightest about doing that. Like Tony Miles, I believe that unless the rules are actually being broken you should just play the little wooden things without whingeing.
On the main issue: I'm afraid I just don't understand this business of it being a case of "hanging down a head in shame" to permit a player (Jacob's a case in point again), who's as Scottish by adoption ("residence" suitably defined) as the rest of us to play for the full Scottish title.
The key issue here is whether FIDE (or perhaps ECU) has rules covering this sort of thing. Currently it looks 100% clear to me that FIDE / ECU are quite happy if a player in one country wins that country's national title (if suitably qualified by "residence"), yet plays for a second country (usually that player's "birth" country).
If FIDE / ECU were to change on that, I'd change CS rules accordingly. Those who want to disbar players like Jacob (who is only abiding by FIDE / ECU rules after all), should really first lobby FIDE / ECU to change their rules and seek to obtain a ruling that applies to all FIDE member countries.
Pester FIDE / ECU not CS in the first instance. Our rules are perfectly good and indeed exemplary in their national / international inclusiveness, just as they are. And, as a player, I don't find the slightest problem in Jacob playing for Denmark against Scotland. Nor do I think he should be concerned in the slightest about doing that. Like Tony Miles, I believe that unless the rules are actually being broken you should just play the little wooden things without whingeing.