04-03-2014, 03:31 PM
I was alerted to this thread by Andy Burnett, who invited me to participate, presumably to put forward my 'Scottish credentials' as I do indeed hope to represent Scotland at the Tromso Olympiad this year. Firstly, let me address one of Andy's early comments.
The assertion that a fee of 2000 Euros was paid to secure my transfer from the ECF is completely untrue, unless it was kept secret from me, which seems highly unlikely. My understanding is that such a fee may be applicable for a transfer of federation under certain circumstances, for instance if the original federation resists the request, but that was not at all the case when I applied to switch from England to Scotland.
With that out of the way, I will highlight the main factors that I took into consideration before making the decision to apply for a federation change with a view to representing Scotland:
1) I have been a permanent resident in Scotland since September 2008. I have been living, working and paying taxes in Scotland since that time. (For those who don't know, I have been working full-time at the publisher Quality Chess in Glasgow for almost five years now.)
2) Changing federations was not a decision I took lightly. I wanted to feel settled in Scotland and as confident as I could be that I would remain here for the foreseeable future, potentially even for the rest of my life. Scotland is now my home, and it feels right to me that I should represent this nation in competition.
I first enquired about switching federations in 2012, three-and-a-half years after moving from England. Even then, I made it clear that the first event at which I planned to represent Scotland (if selected) would be the 2014 Olympiad in Tromso. By the time that event occurs, I will have been a permanent resident in Scotland for almost six years!
3) The above points were by far the most important in my personal decision to switch federations. However, if being active on the Scottish chess scene is important to people, I could mention that I have participated in three Scottish Championships since moving here, including winning the tournament in 2010. I support my local team by playing for them in both the Glasgow and Dumbarton Leagues, and play in weekend/rapid events in Scotland when my schedule permits.
I hope that's enough to satisfy the sceptics. If further evidence of my 'Scottishness' is required, I could mention my whisky collection which now numbers in the early double figures. :-)
andyburnett Wrote:-I noticed IM Andrew Greet changed federation last year (at a cost of 2000 Euros) from England to Scotland. When does he become eligible for selection to represent Scotland in events such as the Olympiad/Euros?
The assertion that a fee of 2000 Euros was paid to secure my transfer from the ECF is completely untrue, unless it was kept secret from me, which seems highly unlikely. My understanding is that such a fee may be applicable for a transfer of federation under certain circumstances, for instance if the original federation resists the request, but that was not at all the case when I applied to switch from England to Scotland.
With that out of the way, I will highlight the main factors that I took into consideration before making the decision to apply for a federation change with a view to representing Scotland:
1) I have been a permanent resident in Scotland since September 2008. I have been living, working and paying taxes in Scotland since that time. (For those who don't know, I have been working full-time at the publisher Quality Chess in Glasgow for almost five years now.)
2) Changing federations was not a decision I took lightly. I wanted to feel settled in Scotland and as confident as I could be that I would remain here for the foreseeable future, potentially even for the rest of my life. Scotland is now my home, and it feels right to me that I should represent this nation in competition.
I first enquired about switching federations in 2012, three-and-a-half years after moving from England. Even then, I made it clear that the first event at which I planned to represent Scotland (if selected) would be the 2014 Olympiad in Tromso. By the time that event occurs, I will have been a permanent resident in Scotland for almost six years!
3) The above points were by far the most important in my personal decision to switch federations. However, if being active on the Scottish chess scene is important to people, I could mention that I have participated in three Scottish Championships since moving here, including winning the tournament in 2010. I support my local team by playing for them in both the Glasgow and Dumbarton Leagues, and play in weekend/rapid events in Scotland when my schedule permits.
I hope that's enough to satisfy the sceptics. If further evidence of my 'Scottishness' is required, I could mention my whisky collection which now numbers in the early double figures. :-)