Glorney

[Alex McFarlane]

Hopefully it will be possible to play in all rounds of the Scottish and the Glorney next year.

But Andy (Muir) surely it is better for a promising player to challenge for FIDE titles and the Scottish Championship than play in the Glorney. 

It is unfortunate that Scotland has only one title norm tournament per year.  (If anyone can find a sponsor I would be more than willing to organise other title norm events.)

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I intend coming to watch next year in Scotland.

Well that's a fund raiser.  Entry fee for IMs £500, others free.

[amuir]

It is absolutely right to prefer winning the Scottish Championship over Glorney. 
However both could have been done this year, quick getaway from Scottish , drive to Wales.
Murad's quick last round draw would have helped.
Anyway, any help from Alex with dates in future years obviously helps the teams.

[Andy Howie]

It is absolutely right to prefer winning the Scottish Championship over Glorney. 
However both could have been done this year, quick getaway from Scottish , drive to Wales.
Murad's quick last round draw would have helped.
Anyway, any help from Alex with dates in future years obviously helps the teams.

Hardly, 

Prize giving didn't take place until 8pm due to the last game going 133 moves

8 hour drive arriving 4-5am in the morning.  Fantastic prep for a game

[amuir]

Declan managed to play Scottish + Glorney and scored 3.5/5.
Imagine if Lennart and Murad had played too!
My plan would have been for Glorney Cup squad to have left as soon as their game finished.
Prizegiving would be skipped, Murad could have got trophy at say AGM.
If he had played Glorney he could then have had two trophies on his mantelpiece instead of one !

[John Watkins]

Declan managed to play Scottish + Glorney and scored 3.5/5.
Imagine if Lennart and Murad had played too!
My plan would have been for Glorney Cup squad to have left as soon as their game finished.
Prizegiving would be skipped, Murad could have got trophy at say AGM.
If he had played Glorney he could then have had two trophies on his mantelpiece instead of one !

Well done Murad on winning the Scottish and FM title as well I presume?

Declan took a bye in the last round of the Scottish to travel to Wales on Sunday?

Lennart and Murad would have missed out on any potential uplift in their places if they similarly took a last round bye.  Who could predict when both of their games would finish?  Certainly looking at a very late post midnight arrival in Wales (8 hours by car excluding breaks) for a 9.15am kick off and a 2.30pm kick off (2 games on the Monday)?

The real question is the timing of the Glorney Cup.  Surely the early half of August would make much more sense as all schools across the UK would be off on holidays then?

If Murad had played the Glorney and skipped the last round he could then have had no trophy on his mantelpiece instead of one !

Well done to the Glorney Cup teams and their support people for all of their efforts.  Keep up the good work.

[Matthew Turner]

I made it down to the Glorney yesterday and just a few brief comments.
The first thing I should say is that Liz Sams did an amazing job getting the Scottish teams together and organising things; She deserves a huge amount of thanks from Chess Scotland.

Those of us involved with the Glorney in Ireland two years ago will remember that as a magnificent event.  However, to think that Scotland can somehow emulate that next year is simply pie in the sky.  The Irish Glorney was the culmination of three or four years' work behind the scenes, things cannot be magically put in place overnight.
Over the last few years David Congalton has contributed a huge amount to Scottish junior chess and Scottish chess more generally, but anyone with an ounce of common sense could see that was unsustainable in the medium term.  If Liz takes his place that will be equally unsustainable.  We really need three or four people working together.

Regarding the performance in wales, I only have a very hazy impression of how the teams performed, but my feeling is this.  The Glorney team did OK, there were some better performances and some less good performances, but they are a pretty solid group.  The U14's were the outstanding Scottish team and looked very talented.  Personally, I think the U12 are always going to find it hard competing against the likes of England and France, just because of sheer weight of numbers and geography, and so it proved.  There were very engaged and enthusiastic youngsters and the Stokes represented a steep learning curve for most of them, but that has to be seen as very much a work in progress.  The Gilbert was a great disappointment to me; The girls have often led the Scottish contingent and to only have one representative is a great shame.  I feel I have to say that the President responding to a parent of two of our leading female players in such a brusque manner at the beginning of this thread cannot have been helpful.  

The challenge for next year then is getting a team together to organise the Glorney in Scotland.  If the Dutch can be encouraged to enter the event, as seems possible, then this will be a considerable step forward.  I hope we will find a nice venue, the Irish and to lesser extent the other teams have upped the ante on what we should be looking to provide.  I am sure that Scotland will look to put on a range of events beyond the competition itself, the blitz tournaments and fun team events have been great the last few years (Scotland actually organised the fun team event in Wales) and personally I'd like to see the odd non-chess event too - football tournament perhaps?

The best Scottish Glorney team would have a decent chance of winning and if this happens it happens, but I don't really see this as a big deal in itself.  if Murad goes off somewhere else to pursue an IM norm then good luck to him.  However, I think we need to set an ambitious target for getting invites out to players.  Lets get the best teams we can and be fair to over-pressed parents.

Going forward the big challenge is how to turn the talented Robinson team into a winning Glorney team.  I think it is a big challenge to go from 1800 - 2200 in Scotland because there is simply a lack of tournaments.  How to address that one? I only wish I knew.

[PeterReidSmith]

Early squad selection and some proactive, focused and targeted coaching.

If a few (more advanced than me) are willing to help with that, then we could start early ; Skype is a wonderful thing. I have various techniques that can efficiently help the sub 2000s, but from 1900 up they are probably outgrowing me too quickly.

Re my girls, Sarah was exceptionally busy this year (DoE, work experience overseas, non-school exams, piano masterclass @conservatoire the same week, and more) and Rachel's schedule was equally hectic - the Glorney selections came too late to be prioritised over other equally high value (and selective) opportunities. There is life outside chess...well...sometimes.

I'd love to see them play next year, but 2018 isn't going to be much less busy, so let's plan early if we can - and we can.

Anyway, onwards and upwards...

[amuir]

International Director (Junior) & Home Director (Junior) positions
Ian Brownlee proposes me and Walter Buchanan seconds me for these positions. I consent to serve.

This has been sent to Andy Howie before tonight's deadline.

[Andy Howie]

International Director (Junior) & Home Director (Junior) positions
Ian Brownlee proposes me and Walter Buchanan seconds me for these positions. I consent to serve.

This has been sent to Andy Howie before tonight's deadline.

And has been received.  But should it really be in the Glorney thread??

[PeterReidSmith]

Deja vue, all over again.

I would strongly recommend a couple of key principles:
1) Selections made several months in advance and notifications sent out so people can plan
2) Selection criteria simple, objective and visible with as little subjectivity as possible (e.g. F(Activity, FIDE, Scottish Grade, basic national eligibility))