2008 ACF Olympiad Selections Notices

[Kevin Bonham]

Email below was just sent to the ACF Selections Info Mailout List and will also be submitted to the ACF Newsletter once a new Editor is appointed.
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Dear all,

I am writing to advise strong players intending to apply for the Olympiad teams for Australia for 2008 of the expected date on which applications for selection will close. This will have a bearing on any intending applicants who are short of game practice and need to get rated games played by that deadline to meet the new 20 games rule which comes into effect at this Olympiad.

The intended selection deadline is Friday 20 June 2008. If any change to this is expected I will notify it to this list, but I do not expect it to change.

The 20 games rule, adopted a few years ago but only now coming into effect, requires each applicant for the Olympiad to have played 20 rated games in the previous year by the selection deadline (ie 20 June 2007 - 20 June 2008). The definition of a rated game includes any game rated by the ACF and/or FIDE that is not a rapid play game. A game rated by another federation (eg BCF) will also count where requested, provided that an adequate formula for converting that federation's ratings to either ACF or FIDE ratings exists. Of course, any game can only be counted once.

I expect to declare applications open around early April.

Best regards, Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Co-Ordinator

[Kevin Bonham]

OLYMPIAD SELECTIONS: 38th FIDE Chess Olympiad, Dresden, Germany

Applications are now open for the Australian Open and Womens Olympiad Teams for the 38th Chess Olympiad to be held in Dresden, Germany from 12 -25 November 2008. (Event website:
http://www.dresden2008.org/)

An Open team and a Womens team, each consisting of five players and a non-playing captain, will be selected to represent Australia at this event. Players and captains are entitled to full board from the host organisation (two double and two single rooms per team) and travel subsidies from the ACF's Olympiad Appeal fundraising efforts (see http://www.caq.org.au/olympiad/index.htm for current progress.)

APPLYING FOR SELECTION

Those wishing to be considered for selection as players must apply, by email or in writing (email strongly preferred) by 20 June 2008. Please refer to item 5 of the ACF Selection By-Laws before applying, and for details of material required in an application (item 5.4). The full Selection By-Laws are available online in PDF form at http://www.auschess.org.au/constitut...b%202008.p df. A text copy will be emailed on request.

Please send all applications by email, and any queries about the selections process, to Kevin Bonham <k_bonham@tassie.net.au> If an emailed application has not been acknowledged as received within seven days, please phone (03) 6224 8487 or 0421 428 775. Written applications signed by the applicant may be posted to 410 Macquarie St, South Hobart, Tas 7004.

The names of known applicants will be released progressively on the Olympiad Appeal website as applications are received. Applicants' supporting statements and results summaries, and ratings and results information to be made available to the selectors, will be published online at an address to be announced, and available for public scrutiny, after applications close. Any corrections or additions to this material must then be made by 1 July 2008. Provisional selection results will be advised to all applicants and made public shortly after selections are finalised, on or about 15 July 2008.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR APPLICANTS:

1. Please, if possible, provide an email address that you will check regularly (preferably at least weekly) from the time of your application until the end of July. If at all possible, please send your application from this address.

2. All applicants should keep a copy of their application. Any claims for late application on the grounds of email transmission problems will not be accepted unless accompanied by a copy of the application and a letter from the sender's ISP confirming that the application was sent.

3. Activity Rule: All applicants must have completed 20 games that have been, or will be, rated by the ACF, FIDE or another approved organisation, in the time period 20 June 2007 - 20 June 2008 and at a normal (non-rapid) time limit. However, it is not required that all 20 games have been rated or even submitted for rating by 20 June, so long as they will be rated at some stage. If you have not yet reached your 20 games when you submit your application, please say so, and advise which events you intend to play in to reach 20 games by the deadline.

CAPTAINCIES

Applications for captaincies will be called for in June with a closing date a few days after selections are made public. Unsuccessful applicants for the teams are entitled to apply for a captaincy. Team captains will then be selected by the ACF Council, taking into account (but not necessarily bound by) the preferences and comments of team members. Exact dates and processes for captaincy applications will be announced closer to this stage.

SUMMARY OF DATES

14 April Applications Open
20 June Applications Close
1 July Deadline for Corrections / Material to Selectors
15 July Deadline for Selectors' Votes - provisional selection results advised ASAP to all applicants and published.

This notice has also been sent to the ACF Selections Email List and submitted to the ACF Newsletter. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who may be interested.

- Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

OLYMPIAD CAPTAINCIES

Expressions of interest are now open for the following positions:

* Non-playing Captain, Australian Open Team
* Non-playing Captain, Australian Women's Team

for the 38th Chess Olympiads to be held in Dresden, Germany from
12 - 25 November 2008. (Event website:
http://www.dresden2008.org/ )

The deadline for applications is 18 July 2008, which is three days after the intended date for announcement of the selected players. It is expected that the selected captains will be announced by the end of July 2008.

Applicants for playing positions may also apply for captaincies, on the understanding that they will be ineligible for a captaincy if they accept selection to a playing position, and vice versa.

Applicants may submit any supporting comments they wish to be passed on to either the selected players or the members of ACF Council, explaining why they think they should be selected as captains. The positions are filled by Council after taking into account the players' stated preferences (if any). Council has recently tended to follow the players' preferences in most cases, but is not obliged to do so. Applicants are also free to contact the applicants for playing positions and/or the Council regarding
their applications as and whenever they wish. For more detail see item 13
of the ACF Selections procedures by-law at
http://www.auschess.org.au/constitut...b%202008.p df [PDF LINK]

Expressions of interest can be sent by email to k_bonham@tassie.net.au, or
call 0421 428 775 if it is necessary to arrange another method, or if an
email application has not been acknowledged within seven days.

This message has been sent to the ACF Selections Info email list, the ACF Newsletter and the bulletin board chesschat.org. Please feel free to distribute it to anyone who may be interested.

- Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

Given the proximity to the deadline for player nominations I will also be posting updates here as I receive applications.

WIM Arianne Caoili has applied for the Womens Team, subject to submitting a completed application within seven days. [EDIT: she has now done this.]

[Kevin Bonham]

WIM Alex Jule has applied. Currently nine male and six female applicants; deadline for applications is tomorrow.

[Kevin Bonham]

WIM Laura Moylan has applied.

[Kevin Bonham]

WIM Narelle Szuveges has applied.

[Kevin Bonham]

Applications have closed (barring the acceptance of any late applications) and the list of applicants by the deadline can be viewed at http://www.caq.org.au/olympiad/teams.html

- Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

The following are now online at http://www.caq.org.au/olympiad/teams.html

* Candidates' ACF ratings reports (including a trajectory and game results for the last two years)

* Applicants' supporting statements and submitted tournament results.

* Spreadsheets compiled by Selection Co-Ordinator N Y Wong containing a summary of recent tournament results

I'm expecting we will also add a FIDE-rated-event summary document and a miscellanous results file shortly.

Any person aware of any factual error in this material is welcome to contact me via the address above or via PM within seven days of the material being published.

- Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

FIDE ratings and previous Olympiad data document now up (including expected ratings for July that will be checked when July list is released).

My thanks to GM Ian Rogers for preparing this.

[Kevin Bonham]

Dear Olympiad applicants, selectors and interested members of the chess community,

The provisional selections for the upcoming Olympiad are:

OPEN TEAM
Board 1 GM Zong-Yuan Zhao
Board 2 IM David Smerdon
Board 3 IM Stephen Solomon
Board 4 GM Darryl Johansen
Board 5 IM George Xie
First Reserve IM Alex Wohl
Second Reserve FM Igor Goldenberg
Third Reserve FM Igor Bjelobrk
Fourth Reserve IM Gary Lane

WOMENS TEAM
Board 1 IM Irina Berezina
Board 2 WIM Arianne Caoili
Board 3 Giang Nguyen
Board 4 WIM Laura Moylan
Board 5 WIM Biljana Dekic
First Reserve WFM Shannon Oliver
Second Reserve WIM Alex Jule
Third Reserve WIM Narelle Szuveges

APPEALS

Any applicant may appeal the result of the selections within seven days, ie by Tuesday 23 July. Appeals can be made only on one or both of the following grounds:

* That there was a material error or omission in the selection process that has disadvantaged the applicant. (Appeals cannot be made on the grounds of any
alleged material error or omission relating to the eligibility of an applicant for selection, except for an error concerning the 20 game requirement.)

* That the applicant was clearly ranked such that no selectors could have reasonably given the applicant that ranking based on the information
supplied to the selectors. Note: It is not sufficient to appeal on the basis that a player thinks that he/she should have been selected. The ranking of
the selectors has to be clearly incorrect and unreasonable.

Any player wishing to appeal shall send their appeal as an attached document to the ACF Selections Director, Kevin Bonham, email k_bonham@tassie.net.au (or by post to 410 Macquarie Street, South Hobart Tas 7004). Appeals must be accompanied by a deposit of $200 to the ACF also by Tuesday 23 July - please ask for appropriate ACF bank account details if required. The deposit will be refunded if the appeal is successful.

If any appeals are lodged, applicants for the relevant team(s) will be advised and invited to respond as soon as possible.

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Congratulations to the successful applicants, commiserations to those who are not in the teams at this stage and thanks to all the applicants for their
patience with the lengthy selection process. I wish to particularly thank the selectors, Ingela Eriksson (Women's team), GM Ian Rogers (Open team) and IM Guy West, Ian Rout, FM Tim Reilly, and FM Geoff Saw (these four for both teams) for their many hours of very dedicated work on these very challenging selections. I also thank Selections Co-Ordinator N Y Wong, GM Ian Rogers and ACF Ratings Officer Bill Gletsos for their assistance in providing and collating some of the material used by the selectors in their decisions. And, once again, I thank all the applicants for their interest in representing their country in this event.

- Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

APPLICANTS FOR CAPTAINCIES:

OPEN TEAM
There are two applicants: IA Manuel Weeks and Oleg Korenevski

WOMENS TEAM
There are three applicants: IM Leonid Sandler, IM Andras Toth and Oleg Korenevski

Applications have been referred to the team members for expression of preferences by Thursday 24th July, following which ACF Council will vote on appointment of captains. Voting is expected to take from a few days to one week depending on the closeness of the Council voting.

Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

The appeal deadline has passed without receipt of any appeals so the ranking of the selectors is now official.

Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

IA Manuel Weeks has been appointed Open Team captain. A decision on the Womens Team captain is expected by the end of the coming week.

Kevin Bonham
ACF Selections Director

[Kevin Bonham]

Finalisation of the Womens Team captaincy has been delayed by a procedural matter which has now been resolved. The deadline for Council voting has been extended until Wednesday so an announcement is expected on Thursday.